CONFESSIONS OF A SOCIAHOLIC sociaholic12@gmail.com

Basics first; what or who is a sociaholic? The urbandictionary.com defines a sociaholic as ‘someone that is constantly involved in socializing’. Other than that there isn’t any description to this term. There are worlds like alcoholic, psychoholic and then there’s shopaholic but sociaholic seems to be a very new word which makes me quite free to give it my own definition. I would say a sociaholic is someone who cannot avoid any social-religious function, be it Freshers’ Meet, Sikpui Ruoi, Thalai Conference, Seminar or even usual Sunday church fellowship. Where there is gathering, there s/he shall be.

A sociaholic is not a socialite. A socialite is someone who goes to high society parties in glamorous clothes and gets paid. A sociaholic goes to every get-together big or small, formal or informal, may or may not be glamorous and one thing is sure: s/he doesn’t do this to get income.

That defines me, I’m just always there, big or small, sad occasion or a happy one. Like a possessive wife who never leaves her husband out of sight, a sociaholic always follows a social gathering. These confessions are not meant to hurt anyone, in fact they are not meant to be taken seriously. I’m a not a fake facebook account that shoots poison everywhere under the safety of a phony name.  All I wish is to pour some spice into your dull lives and see the social get-togethers through my eyes. The ever gazing eyes of a sociaholic, the eyes that never shut even in the midst of the most boring functions.

I had written an account of almost all the social functions that we have had in past few years but there is no point in going back to the past that are almost forgotten, I am a sociaholic not historian. Let’s start with something still fresh in our memories, the HSA One Day Seminar that was held a couple of weeks back.

It was to begin at 1:00 pm in the afternoon, but as a sociaholic I know better than to arrive at the said time. So I reached an hour late, as prophesised it was only the leaders (HSA thuoitu), resource persons and a few people present. Looking at the brighter side, at least some of us still own a watch.

I looked around and I saw Zacharia Varte (hope the spelling is right) walking around frantically and talking on his phone, perhaps hoping for a miracle that a herd of people would suddenly flock in, but nevertheless greeting people with his trademark smile. I’m sure it takes a lot of effort to smile in times like these and therefore do not blame him for looking so exhausted even before the show began.

The show (it’s always a show for a sociaholic) began and was hosted by Zacharia/Zakaria (?) as predicted. The first to speak was Mr. Vunga of DHWA. His speech was short and precise, just like him. During his speech, he walked in. Yes HE, Mr. Stephen Yanthan, the supposedly showstopper of this event. With formal suit and geek glasses he looked cute and his presentation was good too. It still amazes me that so many questions were asked by a normally non-interactive audience like ours.

Then there was the samosa break and it so happened that I was to witness the first shock of the day. There he was James Pusing aka Pupu aka HSA President. I thought he wasn’t in Delhi. Did he teletransport himself to be here? And oh...What is that on his eye? Cotton plastered to his left eye!!! Is this his new style statement? Is he obsessed with Captain Jack Sparrow? Is that the new HSA emblem? Or is he promoting some new movie about pirates? I wondered. But a curious being that I am, I quickly found out that he had an eye operation a couple of days back.

After the samosas and tea, Pu Muong presented his paper on ‘Hmar Trong Rurel’. His usual self, he started by mocking the ‘one day markets’ of Churachandpur and pointed out that today was not a one day but rather half day seminar. It’s such a pleasure to see people like me, at least people who have the same sense of humour.

In all, I think the seminar was a good one, but it is a pity that they are held only once a year. It is also a pity that the absentees are the people who should be sitting in the front seat, that include all the leaders of the church as well as the society.

Moving on, I came across in Delhi Thurawn (DT) that HSA and DHWA are having their annual ‘Area Visit’. I’m sure it will be fun again with all the criticisms and opinions; some practical some laughable but nevertheless fun. I do hope that these suggestions are published properly in DT like last year.

Oh! Last Sunday was a ‘Sunday School’ and I witnessed another shock of my life. There were a good number of people attending it! Change is good. Perhaps it’s because it isn’t as boring as it used to be. Maybe because everybody likes Pastor Siesang or maybe just maybe because Roslyn Hmeltha decided that Sunday School can be fun too. (yes, she was there).

Let me end here and set off for the next event. This is my promise my readers that your humble sociaholic will scout out all the spicy details to put some zing into your dull lives.