What are YOU going through?
Children are wonderful, say what you may about the parents. They are at their finest when they are learning to talk. With the magic of…
Children are wonderful, say what you may about the parents. They are at their finest when they are learning to talk. With the magic of words on their lips and curious eyes hunting for reaction from their surrounding, they are technically stepping into that space that separates sense from noise. It’s also during this phase when you can notice adults accepting the limits of adulthood. Despite being told that the world belongs to grownups, they seemingly struggle with toddlers. As a matter of defense, these tall creatures turn deceptive and come up with ludicrous theories to feed the little ones. The latter, having no choice whatsoever in this transaction, end up consuming without any resistance. For example, a little girl asked her father why were they made to stop at airport. Instead of explaining the significance of 9/11 or the boarding process, the smart dad told her they were checking whether everybody had worn matching clothes or not; if anybody fails, they won’t be allowed to fly. The little girl gets her answer but it comes at a price of having to check foremost whether she is wearing ‘matching clothes’ or not. Turns out she does. The problem is her dad doesn’t. So, now, she is worried that they won’t let him go with her. So many doubts inside that tiny head of hers just because it’s much more convenient to keep kids embroiled within their thoughts.
Some moments last longer than us. And yet in our incurable desire to own, we often forget that our chances of capturing a moment —sans a camera — are infinitesimal. Thanks to this malady, we keep moving from one incident to another, one event to another, one goal to another. What is important now may not be so later. What means a lot now won’t mean much eventually. Fleeting. Which, to my febrile sense of humour, appears ironic as time can be cruelly slow and change, effectively remorseful. To give you a closer understanding of what it portends: has it ever occurred to you during a friendly gathering that that might never happen again? That you won’t ever feel the way you did in their company again? That your bond will evolve because of external factors of life? That you will grow/age/mature to chase something else? And to solve these unavoidable circumstances, you are holding onto moments and calling them a memory?
I can’t do small talks. It’s either big or medium. I have so much to say and so much more to hear — take your hollow conversation somewhere else. On top of it, I feel old and am running low on patience. Being pretentious is alright only when your survival depends on it. Otherwise, keeping it real is non-negotiable. If I ask you how are you without an iota of intention of knowing how you are, I better not ask. But then, we are going through sea change — no pun intended — as a species and as a major stakeholder on earth. Nobody’s to be blamed for throwing non-words like “what’s up?” when the purpose of this piece of communication is to acknowledge each other’s presence, not essence. However, I’ve never used these two words in my entire life: they sound pointless to me. Not very different from “good morning” when I know for a fact that there’s nothing good about such an early part of the day. Earlier, I used to have awkward moments or even come up with vacuous responses like “nothing much” or “morning to you”—not anymore. Nowadays, if somebody asks me what’s up, I tell them what’s exactly up: “Sometimes, I am going through depression and anxiety at the same time.”
Childhood isn’t for everyone. Most of us have shitty details to share. In my case, most of the stories are soaked in tears: either mine or somebody else’s. It began in senior KG on the sports’ day. I won the sack race and later, during the prize distribution ceremony, I stumbled and hurt my knees on my way up to the stage. Must have been a sight for a kid to cry like that—not knowing that it’d be the only time he’d be getting the first position in his whole academic history — while receiving his certificate! As the years passed by, there were several excuses to weep in public but the most amusing one happened thanks to this girl who was my benchmate. One day, I casually asked her why were her teeth so yellow. She broke down instantly. Assuming that I did something to her, our class teacher took my case. To this day, I strongly believe that that was the toughest question I ever asked anybody. And that includes all the queries I posed to accomplished individuals during my journalism days.
A friend’s cousin’s close friend went to Shimla for a vacation and had an amusing experience. Long story short, a monkey stole her phone, leaving her distraught with the supreme truth: there is no pain greater than the despair of losing a cellphone. After the locals came to know about this, somebody advised her to bring bananas to the very spot of robbery. She immediately did the needful and stood there like a moron with fruits in her hand. A few minutes later, the monkey showed up with his loot. Our super-amused protagonist didn’t know the protocol so she kept the bunch on the ground. Seeing which, the robber dropped the phone and moved toward his new interest. If an alien was watching this ransom unfold, it must be thinking — “Who exactly rules this planet?”
There is no gift greater than time. Cash is second on the list. Third spot goes to books. We keep reading about how Kindle and ilk, in cahoots with the e-generation, is getting rid of the real deal but I remain convinced of the power of literature. Even if we reach an era where every second person has gone paperless, there would still be some hope for those who could miss the earthy smell of yellowed pages. Trees fell so that words can rise and those trunks are made up of light. When books are created, the light waits for the (reading) mind to catch fire. I don’t think anything else can replace this possibility.
All questions don’t deserve answers. However, we need to try. Like, what the fuck are polar bears doing in our garbage? Why do we adhere to a system that is busy producing more ultrarich than ever before — right now, there are three individuals worth more than $100 billion each — while the number of disadvantaged folks continue to rise? At what point will we realize that water is everything; we begin with it and we end with it? When can we implement yoga on a global scale for all the humans as well as the dogs? Who is going to teach the ignoramuses the difference between culture and religion (no, they are not the same)? What can be the SI unit of unconditional love other than a mother? Are you bemused about the beginning of the Regret Age? Are you excited about the ending of this world?