Wave after wave comes and slams the huge rock jutting out into the sea. The rock is being punished for having dared to come in contact with the mighty sea. The harsh sea keeps beating it for eternity, but the stubborn rock refuses to budge.
Two flowers falls off from a branch of a tree near the coast. They float in the darkness, dancing around like children in the school playground. Unknowingly, they are carried by the land breeze towards the water. As the wind dies out, gently, they descend, as if they are tired of playing around and are now going off to sleep. Unaware of what awaits them. They touch the surface of the water, and suddenly they are pushed into a different world all together. A world of chaos and uncertainty. One of the flowers is tossed around for a few minutes and is then dropped of at the beach by a huge wave. Here it gets crushed under the feet of some careless human. The other is not so lucky. It is pulled farther and farther away from the land, till there is no hope of getting back. The harsh sea water will not take too long to rid flower of all its beauty. Soon, the saline will suck all the colours out of the petals. But, even before that there is no peace for the once carefree flower. It is pushed around till it begs for the sea to finish it off.
This world is the sea and each and every person in it is like a drop in that sea. And you have the option of being either the rock or the flower.
The rock stays put. However hard the sea might try, it is not able to move the rock. Like the rock, you anchor yourself to the ground in life and not let yourself get carried away into the depths of this harsh harsh world. Waves of people keep beating you in attempts to break you down, or pull you into the sea with them. But, you don't budge. The rock is half way into the sea, and the other half of it is outside it. You are not going to let the people in this world turn you into them. And the only way to do that is by not entering into it completely. Sure, you can not live your life in solitude, but you make sure that these waves of people intent on beating you down are not the only things in your life.
The flowers were careless, or rather, too innocent. They did not anticipate what the world beyond the comforts of their tree was like. Like the first flower, you get tossed out of this world and then choose to live your life in solitude, and one day get crushed by your own loneliness. Or, like the second one, you let yourself be consumed by the world. You get pulled into a situation where there is constant misery and from where there is no way out. The world makes you undergo the bitterest of times, until one day your mind and body breaks down.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Are you happy?
Its 4am and you have just finished that half a bottle of vodka in your room while watching a Woody Allen movie.
The movie gets over, you make yourself a sandwich wondering why the hell you aren't asleep.
Suddenly a question pops into your mind.. "Am I happy?"
The simplicity and the absurdity of the question astounds you. Yet, it is a question that just won't leave your mind. "Am I Happy?".
You wrestle with the thought for a few minutes. "Why exactly am I asking myself this question? Is it because I am 'not' happy with my life? or is it the Woody Allen movie? or is it the Vodka?!". Whatever the reason is, the question is not exactly direct. What do you mean by "Am I happy"? Is it the overall happiness quotient of your life that you're talking about, or is it your present state of mind that you are questioning?
You walk out and stand at the balcony. The cool monsoon winds feel good. "I think I am quiet happy right now".
But are you? What defines happiness? What do people mean when they say they are Happy?
Suddenly , a wave of "unhappiness" overwhelms your thoughts. You have achieved enough in your life to make most people jealous, yet you are never really right at the top in whatever you do. But, you ask yourself- "does that even matter"? "Does happiness necessarily have to have something to do with materialistic accomplishments? Do I need to do something which appears purposeful in the eyes of the world to be happy?".
Just today, you were reminded by a friend of the upcoming exams. He had told you how tense he was. "Why? Why do these exams matter so much to you?" you had asked him. He was amazed at the audacity of your question. "What do you mean?!!" he exclaimed. "I want to be successful in life!". "But why?". "To be happy in life!". Your supposed increasing boldness and stupidity had by then somewhat irritated him and he had walked off.
The other day you were sitting by the riverside, watching the birds racing each other across the water before sunset. You had sat there for more than 2 hours, and you thought you could never be happier. There was not a thought of the world, or the people in it, in your mind. Yet, there was a strange sense of complete satisfaction. Satisfaction without the feeling of accomplishment!
You broke up with your girlfriend of 3 years last week. Your friend has been trying to console you since then, you don't understand why. Last night you finally snapped at your friend, "Why are you assuming that I am unhappy?!". Shocked, she replies "'cause that's what normally happens to people after break-ups!". But you are not unhappy, why should you be? Yes, you do have feeling of loss, but not unhappiness.
You come back to your room and lie on the bed. You conclude to yourself that you ARE more or less happy. Happy not because of any reason in particular. Just happy.
"Is there something wrong with me?" you think aloud. "I am too happy all the time! Even when I have reasons not to be!".
"I shouldn't have had that damn vodka!"
The movie gets over, you make yourself a sandwich wondering why the hell you aren't asleep.
Suddenly a question pops into your mind.. "Am I happy?"
The simplicity and the absurdity of the question astounds you. Yet, it is a question that just won't leave your mind. "Am I Happy?".
You wrestle with the thought for a few minutes. "Why exactly am I asking myself this question? Is it because I am 'not' happy with my life? or is it the Woody Allen movie? or is it the Vodka?!". Whatever the reason is, the question is not exactly direct. What do you mean by "Am I happy"? Is it the overall happiness quotient of your life that you're talking about, or is it your present state of mind that you are questioning?
You walk out and stand at the balcony. The cool monsoon winds feel good. "I think I am quiet happy right now".
But are you? What defines happiness? What do people mean when they say they are Happy?
Suddenly , a wave of "unhappiness" overwhelms your thoughts. You have achieved enough in your life to make most people jealous, yet you are never really right at the top in whatever you do. But, you ask yourself- "does that even matter"? "Does happiness necessarily have to have something to do with materialistic accomplishments? Do I need to do something which appears purposeful in the eyes of the world to be happy?".
Just today, you were reminded by a friend of the upcoming exams. He had told you how tense he was. "Why? Why do these exams matter so much to you?" you had asked him. He was amazed at the audacity of your question. "What do you mean?!!" he exclaimed. "I want to be successful in life!". "But why?". "To be happy in life!". Your supposed increasing boldness and stupidity had by then somewhat irritated him and he had walked off.
The other day you were sitting by the riverside, watching the birds racing each other across the water before sunset. You had sat there for more than 2 hours, and you thought you could never be happier. There was not a thought of the world, or the people in it, in your mind. Yet, there was a strange sense of complete satisfaction. Satisfaction without the feeling of accomplishment!
You broke up with your girlfriend of 3 years last week. Your friend has been trying to console you since then, you don't understand why. Last night you finally snapped at your friend, "Why are you assuming that I am unhappy?!". Shocked, she replies "'cause that's what normally happens to people after break-ups!". But you are not unhappy, why should you be? Yes, you do have feeling of loss, but not unhappiness.
You come back to your room and lie on the bed. You conclude to yourself that you ARE more or less happy. Happy not because of any reason in particular. Just happy.
"Is there something wrong with me?" you think aloud. "I am too happy all the time! Even when I have reasons not to be!".
"I shouldn't have had that damn vodka!"
Friday, February 27, 2009
All things symmetrical
Imagine you're sitting on a bench on a bus-stop at 11:27pm, alone. The last bus left over 2 hours back. There is not a human being in sight (at least none that you take notice of).
You are wondering about the symmetry that exists in this universe. You are amazed at it's two faced nature, it exists, yet it doesn't. Is it this symmetry which keeps our world in balance? There is a left for every right, but they are never really equal are they? Then why does there have to be symmetry? Your body looks quite symmetrical to you from the outside (except perhaps your hair, which is untidily combed to one side), yet, you know there is hardly any regard for symmetry inside your body.
Man himself has been obsessed with all things symmetrical. Why is it that an irregular piece of stone dug up from the ground have no value, but after being polished to give it a perfectly symmetrical shape, it becomes an object few can afford? Why is it that the Taj Mahal or the Eiffel Tower were made such that the left is exactly the same as the right?
But then, you wonder, if symmetry alone triumphed, wouldn't the universe become quite... boring??
"What are you doing at the bus-stop at this ungodly hour?!" asks a friend who was walking by and just noticed your hunched silhouette against the moonlight.
You're not really sure.
You are wondering about the symmetry that exists in this universe. You are amazed at it's two faced nature, it exists, yet it doesn't. Is it this symmetry which keeps our world in balance? There is a left for every right, but they are never really equal are they? Then why does there have to be symmetry? Your body looks quite symmetrical to you from the outside (except perhaps your hair, which is untidily combed to one side), yet, you know there is hardly any regard for symmetry inside your body.
Man himself has been obsessed with all things symmetrical. Why is it that an irregular piece of stone dug up from the ground have no value, but after being polished to give it a perfectly symmetrical shape, it becomes an object few can afford? Why is it that the Taj Mahal or the Eiffel Tower were made such that the left is exactly the same as the right?
But then, you wonder, if symmetry alone triumphed, wouldn't the universe become quite... boring??
"What are you doing at the bus-stop at this ungodly hour?!" asks a friend who was walking by and just noticed your hunched silhouette against the moonlight.
You're not really sure.
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