Watchful eyes, thoughtful mind: The journey

I have started this blog with the aim of spreading awareness about science and eco-conservation amongst my fellow Earthlings. The blog is also an effort in convincing the humanity to learn from history and live in harmony with the Earth! I choose to do this by sharing some interesting, unusual and inspiring stories, news items and videos with my readers, along with my own thoughts and opinions on them. I sincerely hope my blog gets you thinking out-of-the-box. Because we can't find a solution to a problem using the same thinking that created the problem.

I posted this blog post originally on 24th September 2008, the day I started my first ever blog. The title was 'Why the blog?' and that's exactly what it endeavours to tell you.

It all started with me starting a channel on YouTube. Most of you would agree that Facebook and YouTube are a big rage amongst people of almost all ages, for different reasons. I had made 4 videos (with some help from my colleagues) for the India Student Association which I was a part of in my school years. So I thought of uploading those videos somewhere and YouTube seemed like a good place. Then came along a few other videos I recorded at a music concert I attended. In this process I also started looking at other people’s videos, liking them, subscribing to the channels etc.

If you go to my YouTube channel, you’ll realise that I’m interested in myriad of different things, from art videos, comedies to old bollywood music and science. And when I watch these videos, they evoke thoughts in me. So a few days back, when I was reading through a freind’s blog, I thought why not give it a go myself. So at least to begin with, I’m going to chose random videos on YouTube that I find interesting and just write about what it made me think of. May be in future this would escalate to writing about other things, issues, subjects or it may not. But I’m going to give it a go anyways.

Eventhough I’ve chosen a career in science, I’ve always been interested in art and linguistics and been pretty good at creative writing in my younger days. Then due to obvious reasons, as I went for higher education and job, writing became mainly scientific writing, like thesis, publications etc. So now, once again, I feel like finding the long-lost creative writer in me. So here goes nothing!

Since then, a lot has changed as regards the focus of my blog. If you’re a regular reader, you would have definitely realised this. So I’ve written another post about this journey of past one year on 24th September 2009, when my brainchild WETM turned one!

I’ve been meaning to write a post summarising my blog-writing journey for a while. But I couldn’t find a better occassion than today to do that. WETM (short for Watchful eyes, thoughtful mind) turns one year old today! Yes, I am definitely excited like a new mum whose child turns one. It is a time for her to remenisce about the past one year when she was busy nurturing the baby.

I wrote my first blog post on this same day, exactly 1 year back. If you read that post, you’ll realise my blog has changed directions somewhat from its original plan. YouTube was the starting inspiration but once I plunged into the deep abyss of knowledge (via books, films, internet and more) I found too many interesting ideas that attracted my attention and made me think. Like a little baby enriches the mum with experiences of motherhood, this blog has enriched me with fascinating knowledge and ideas, putting a thinking cap on my head and introducing me to many wonderful human beings.

When I started this blog, I was going through a transformation in my personal life. Traumatic experiences can make your life take a dramatic turn, for better or for worse. In my case, it was definitely for better. As I was trying to understand myself and the inside better, my WETM gave me an opportunity to marvel at the outside, the wonders of nature and also of humankind. With time, I came across films and books and people that showed the direction to connection between the inside and the outside. With my thinking the blog posts changed too. While still sharing the wonderous and fascinating achivements of nature and of mankind with my readers, I looked for a connection between the past and the future, between us and the nature.

I do not know if WETM will grow to a ripe old age along with me or will it die prematurely. Like any mum, I would hope and pray for its long and healthy life, for it to flourish. And more importantly, to be the driving force which would make me think out of the box and let me express those thoughts to others.

Happy birthday, WETM! You’re ONE!!!

I hope you enjoy your stay on my blog and it enriches you in some way or the other. Please do leave comments on here because I love to hear from my readers. Bouquets and brick-bats are equally welcome!