LIFE OF A "SCANNER"

The problem with being a "more-than-a-sister" kind of friend to someone is that you cannot get mad at them. "That's not true", you will say. Yeah, I know. I happen to belong to a very rare species of angelic being, the last of which was created... lemme see now... 21years age, on the 16th of October, 1985, which incidentally also happens to be my birthday. So now you know.
So, anyways, getting back to the topic (which, you will realize later on is NOT the topic) there I was, in the M-Block market in GK 1, waiting for my friend and erasing the same text she had sent for the 10th time (which read "coming coming") from my inbox. Knowing better than to wait any longer, I went into Teksons (the book store- just in case) and started browsing through books.
Now I was carelessly reading through the book titles, not paying close attention. I had just had some lunch, and my eyes and mind were unanimous in their demand for a siesta. And I was ALSO rehersing a verbal-battle with my not-so-punctual friend. So there were muffled sounds buzzing in my head, like too many students talking softly while at a boring function in honor or Shaheed-somebody (no offence!)

"The Inheritance of Loss... Kiran Desai... With One Lousy Packet of Seed- Lynne somebody... How long does it take for you to reach M-Block from LSR? The Sangh Parivar... The Witness and the Wife... I could go to LSR, meet her there, catch a 375 and be back home by 4... You Belong to Me... What Do I Do When I Want to do Everything... Nah the 375 is too...."

STOP!!! screamed that little guy in my brain who is the boss around here- Intelligence... WHAT DO I DO WHEN I WANT TO DO EVRYTHING... hey, that's me! I picked up the book and the cover has this directions' board that points in one direction and says "I want to start my own business", "I want to live overseas and experience new cultures" in another, "I want to travel and become a photographer" in another and so on. I could not believe it. These are all the things I had decided were my "true calling" at different, though not too distant points in time.
So I bought the book and began reading it.

I can see the writer, Barbara Sher, stand in front of me, and talk like those "divinely-enlightened" people do on the "God" channel- "Are you fascinated by something new every week? Do you feel you can't commit to something because you're afraid you will something better? Do you start many things but finish almost none?" YES! I scream, wondering how she knows so much...
"You are a Scanner", she says, and now I can feel myself shrink in size... "A what??"
"A scanner. unlike people who are satisfied with one area of interest, you are genetically wired to pursue many interests and goals. You are NOT a shallow dilettante, you are a wonderful person with multiple passions and abilities."
Suddenly, I could see this Barbara woman sprout wings and a halo... Here's this woman, who seems to think its OK for me to be so indecisive, and even has a psychological term for my complete lack of focus?? Brilliant! And as a true "scanner", I was immediatetly hooked on to the book- super excited, 100% ears (and eyes), eager to know more about this new "species" I realize I belong to!

Less than 24hours later, after I have talked about this new phenomenon with everybody I know and have managed to convince none but my parents that I am a genetically superior creature, who has been created to defy the "Jack of all trades, master of none" belief, I lose interest in the book. Just like that.. swoooosh! and its gone. The woman has written 268 pages that essentially say the same thing- "You can't stick to nothing" Period.

So may be it is true. May be I am a "scanner" who knows she should focus on one thing, but can't decide which. There's too many things happening, and I find myself unable to stick to one thing. So I put a bookmark at page number 132, shut the book and throw it in my cupboard, along with so many other "unfinished projects." Meanwhile, I am really excited about this new diary I want to make, like the one people in the Victorian times had- dark, leather bound, with thick, yellowish paper (like parchments), in which you write with quills...

Hey, don't judge me... I'm a scanner!!