Growing out

[Skipping the 2015 throwback for now.]

Whenever there seems to be a common theme arising around all things unconnected, I come right back here to think about it. Today, it's about growing out of things.

All Potterheads will know that today is Harry Potter's 37th birthday. Born as the seventh month dies, rmb? And in real life, this year also marks 10 years since the final book was released. A quick check on wiki confirmed my hunch that it was actually released sometime around this period as well. I used to read them all the time, all of the HP books. [I like the movies too, but it's always books first for me.] There were the times where, for some reason, my parents wouldn't immediately buy the next book for me (before I caught up to the latest) and waiting was always torturous. Every year, I'd re-read the entire series at least once, all the way till (I think) uni started. At some point I just stopped. Might've opened some of them to read my favourite sections from time to time, but never all the way through. The thing is the books read differently now... sort of like the magic stayed in the past.

Oh yes, I recently graduated! Just last wed in fact, after passing 6 months of "the rest of life". It's hard to expect beforehand what to feel when you're not the freshest grad going for convocation. Turns out I did feel excited (and distracted the whole day before), and eventually, there was even this tiny hint of finality amidst it all. I rmb dreading graduation for almost 11 out of the 12 months of 2016. Then in the final stages, something just switched. Could be because I really disliked studying and it was exam period hahaha. But on top of that, I somehow felt that it was time to move on. So I have been asked about the transition from student life and the like... While I do miss those carefree days, it wasn't like I was dragged kicking and screaming into working life. It's actually been ok. Not like how I thought it'd be for most of 2016.

Then, there are other noticeable things. Like how one hears of people clearing out their old kpop stuffz after crazing for some years haha. Also how I don't seem to care so much about local boulder comps any more. Those always used to be something to look forward to, even if I didn't compete, going down to cheer for anyone else was enough. Watching finals till the end and helping out at NTU comps (however shag) were all part of it. This year, comps have come and gone as usual, but some without me knowing or bothering to find out. It's still fun to join comps, but the fun is derived from elsewhere... sort of like the same kind of fun you get by doing things other than work on weekends. I remarked to a friend about this before, about how climbing comps suddenly became much less exciting affairs than they used to be not too long ago. In her words, we just grew out of it. The comps are constant, every year. But we grew out of school, and by extension some of the things that used to be a large part of life back then.

I guess that's how you explain why you suddenly stop enjoying something the same way when there wasn't really any reason for any change to happen. It's just the process of growing out of things.

Well, it's a new month tomorrow! Onwards to August, my favourite month of every year.