When The 'Real' Took Over The 'Reel'!

Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in our apartment's complex lasted for a week. The days passed by swiftly, too soon for my liking and comfort. 

The seven days went by in music, devotional songs, preparing meal offerings for Bappa, spending evenings at the compound with neighbors, exchanging news, attending the daily pooja and eating Prasad together with everyone. There were also games for the kids and usually everyone stayed at the compound well until 10 pm. 

It was an amazing time. 

But what I realised the day after Ganesha's Visarjan was that, for the whole seven days, I had spent very less time on the social media. There was no inclination to catch up with the updates posted by my SM friends. There was no need to check and comment on every post I came across on FB or Instagram. In fact, I didn't open FB at all on some days, something that will come off as shocking on weekdays when I usually resort to the SM for moral support and reality breaks. 

And this one week spent in reality was the happiest one in a long time. 

I am grateful to social media for connecting people, to clarify. But the charm of real-life friendships, of being physically present in a celebration (than watch it live) and living in the real world, surrounded by a community, will always be irreplaceable. 

When I newly shifted to Hyderabad, I was on my own with no friends or social circle. SM indeed saved the day for me then. For a long time, I thought that happiness means having a lot of followers and friends in the virtual world. But every time I went on a tour with my family and spent quality time with them in nature, every time I physically attended any celebration, every time I gathered with a community for a festive celebration, it brought in the stark realisation that no matter how advanced the virtual world might be, the real world, real interactions with people and real relationships will always be one step ahead. 

As a millennial who grew up in an age without any internet or social media, I will always favor offline relationships over virtual ones. My childhood was spent without any internet but there was no dearth of friends, neighbors and community spirit. Sometimes I feel that I am still lamenting and searching for that beautiful age of genuine connections and simpler yet happier times. 

The virtual world is fine with its limitless boundaries and never-ending links connecting people from different continents. But my moments of happiness have come in the offline world, with its people, events and emotions that still make us human. And hence, my quest for happiness will require one major step - to spend more time in the offline world, with genuine friends and communities, and to recreate all those childhood memories of togetherness and companionship that only the offline world can bring.