Like any end-of-year reflections, this year has had several eventful moments to fill my memory bank - adding baby A to our family tree, Sr. A becoming US citizen, team Acumen wearing new hats and strangely, the rage that one has seen with Pokémon Go.
If you have even remotely come across a Pokémon fan, you would know the rage it created especially over the summer with its app apart from its very existence to gamers alike. For me, this was introduced by my six-year old K who is a huge fan of the Japanese cartoon.
The premise of this series is these Pokémon creatures (over 200 of them and perhaps still growing) habe a range of special powers. Main role for them is to battle against other creatures based on the command from their respective trainers. What makes them unique in their existence is the evolution into new forms and with new names. For e.g., there is a Pichu who evolves into Pikachu and then into another form Raichu. Each evolution gives them an inner strength and more powers.
This very nature of evolution to me is most striking! So many parallels to be drawn from it especially when we reminisce the year - the way we continue to play different (new?) roles (aka forms), the way many of us aspire for new skills, and several of who are drawn to higher form of being. I wish I knew details about the process these Pokémons go through - for instance, the relationship they share with their trainer, the challenges they face in taking new forms and what happens if they fail their battles.
For now, I will spare myself (and you) of getting more spiritual than this and stick to the fact that I am inspired by the overall nature of evolution that these Pokémons go through. With the new year comes an opportunity to explore new forms; a chance to engage in habits that could lead to new forms; to engage in trainer connections. Overall, really just remind myself constantly of creating opportunities for myself. If I don't then the flip side is I won't evolve. So as 2017 unfolds, here's to an intersection of Pokémon meeting the new year and a chance to "gotta catch them all!"
Happy new year!
