On Being Ross

Around ten years ago, when the F.R.I.E.N.D.S fever was still at its peak, there was a popular game that used to be played over the internet, and even during conversations of die-hard sitcom-enthusiasts... Which F.R.I.E.N.D.S character are you?
And then everyone would think and ponder, indulge in scary amounts of soul-searching, go through psychiatric breakdowns, come back with deep-rooted revelations about themselves they'd never known before, and finally announce, "Joey". Or Rachel, or Monica, whoever.
My choices were usually between Chandler and Joey; i never even considered Ross.

Last week, i remembered this old game again. And i played it. And i knew things had changed, for it struck me that i could no longer be my favorite characters anymore. I've become a doctor, which meant, i realized with irritation, that from now, i cant be anyone, except Ross.
And i wondered why the irritation. Its not that there's something wrong with the guy. He's a good fellow, well-meaning, has a steady, slightly boring job (barring the occasional rage issues), and he's academically ambitious. Or did i just list all the reasons why i never idolized him as much as the other characters?

The truth is, Ross is the most grounded of the six. Which means that, in real life, he's the one we can relate to the most. And that, ironically, is why i dont want to be him in the first place, because at some level, i already am. All the other characters remind me of the crazy foolishness of childhood, where anything goes, and the consequences are bearable. But when Ross, as an adult, makes mistakes, he ends up divorced.. thrice.

This is what it comes down to. As we grow up, along with all the perks comes some sort of self-limiting control mechanism. Put simply, it means there seems to be a steeper price to pay for the same level of excitement than before.
Last year, the year i did my internship at JJ Hospital, was also one of the best years for me personally, in terms of new experiences, friendships, conversations; infact, in every way apart from academics. Now i remember this was a conscious decision, so there's no regret. The way i saw it, some things you can only do in college, its okay to go crazy occasionally, and oh, what the hell, i'l study later. But sometimes i dread the possibility of having made,or even still making a mistake, because if so, i'd be buried deeper in crap than an over-enthusiastic paleontologist.
Already, the ghost of Ross is forming over my head; how much longer before he starts yelling - 'You were on a break!'