The woman who follows the crowd will go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before.

She was the latter living an independent life. 

She was always on top. Might it be academics or extracurriculars, from merit certificates for excellent scores in high school and school final year , to acing the breaststroke in swimming and flooring the judges in debates, she won everything she tied her hands at. She always said,   ‘Winning isn’t everything, its the only thing."

She lived the dream every high-school teenage wished for. Friends, family, school life ... she had all she wished for. Blessed. Content. 

After school, she left for her hometown for higher studies. 

During her bachelors degree, she wasn’t a talkative girl and pretty much introvert but she got several true friends and kept on taking part in activities and always won. 

The day after getting first place for March past, she was happily going to the college ... the day had started with smiles and she looked forward to going through with it with laughter and ending it cozied up in bed with prayers and peace. 

But life had other plans for her, on the way to college, she fell from the vehicle she was travelling in and suffered a severe head injury. 

The fall lead to brain trauma, she bled for 24 hours. Doctors told her parents that she was 50%-60% close to brain death. And naturally, when anyone’s brain dies, their heart stands to fail them next. She was in a coma for 21 days. 

She wasn’t able to recognise any of her friends or family and she lost all her memories. 

But the road to recovery was still long and the light at the end of the tunnel looked bleak from where she was standing.

Her father took her to the country where she was born and raised so that she can be with her old friends for a much needed break. But what was to bring respite, brought further pain.

Life had moved on while hers stood on a standstill. Her friends seemed to be constantly busy with one reason or another, the beautiful little world she left behind seemed to have changed a lot within a short span of time.

On the 10th month of her stay there, her father sent her back to resume her bachelors degree.

College, old friends, good old life. She came determined to take it up from where she left off. Life was beginning to hopefully look a lot like what it could have been had that one eventful morning passed her by harmlessly.

She was far from knowing that her challenges had just begun.

College, wasn’t anymore like what she remembered it to be.

All her old friends kept telling her what an amazing person she was before her accident. They always used to tell how they wish to have that old brilliant person back. 

Suddenly, she felt had no friends and had no idea how to make new friends. She was just really lonely. 

Life as she knew it had changed. She kept trying to understand what was wrong with herself. She was really depressed and found her facing her mental and emotional wellness being challenged. The road she was on was unknown to her and unmapped for all she knew. 

Moreover, time is the greatest excursionist. 

Our life commences with birth

And terminates with death 

But time is eternal 

It has seen our forefathers working hard 

And it will see 

Our great grandchildren hardly working 

And to the well-organised mind, death is but the next great adventure

The latter  is moving on in life. 

I have succeeded in overcoming my fear of death. I am happy and fairly successful now and have a lot of enthusiasm and love for life. 

I know now that I shall never again be afraid, regardless of what life hands me. I know now that I don’t have to fear the past. I know now that I can live one day at a time and that everyday in a new life to a wise man"

SECOND LIFE.

"That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet,” as said by the forgotten star, the latter of this recital who vanquished her demise

Moreover:'Having Down syndrome is like being born normal. I’m just like you and you are just like me. We are all born in different ways, that is the way I can describe it. I have a normal life.'- Chris Burke.

Take chances, make mistakes. That’s how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave. We will always have  big changes in our lives that are more or less a second chance, so make bona fide use of it' — The Excursionist.