Tabula Rasa


I came across this Latin word recently, the meaning sounds quite interesting. It means a clean slate, just like the human mind at birth that is devoid of any preconceived notions and ideas. This word seems so relevant during current times.

Until a year ago, we all had plans about our lives, including career, travel, entertainment and so on. But for the past one year, there has been so much of uncertainty that I wonder and fear if we will have to reimagine all our plans from scratch. For a year we had been postponing plans, but now things look quite bleak again. There has been so much of unprecedented changes around us, in the way we work, in our education system, and most importantly in the way we interact and connect with each other. Everything is so virtual, that virtual is almost real these days.

Recently my six-and-half-yr-old daughter (she insists I mention it that way) casually commented 'I don't think Corona is ever going to leave us. We are going to live with it.' I was staring blankly at her, umpteen questions running in my mind. 

'What if schools are forever going to be virtual?' 'What if masks are going to be a part of our daily attire?' 'How long are we going to dread attending the wedding ceremony of a close relative or friend?'
She gave me a nudge 'What are you thinking?'
'I was imagining you getting married through Google Meet', I laughed.
'Oh yeah, and I'll put a garland for the laptop, and live with you forever' she shot back.

If life is bound to change, we have no choice but adapt and try to live it to our happiest best. Maybe we should be ready to embrace Tabula Rasa, make our life a clean slate and write a new story for ourselves.


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