You know what you think. You know your own ideas. You know what the world thinks. You know the world's ideas. Its when your ideas and the world's ideas have to work together in harmony, comes the little line of understanding.
Its like, when two different colours have to be merged in a painting. The line which both colours cross to reach out to each other and merge into something new. Just before they merge, is the point of uncertainty. The point where it is unknown what new colour might emerge out of the combination. Before that, it is only speculation. One can only guess. Once they do merge, it is an entirely new colour, which may or may not have been expected. It is an idea of its own, the grey area.
Before venturing forth into the realization of one's ideas, one can only speculate how they will merge/ work alongside the ideas of the world. It becomes clear only when one actually implements those ideas. And the unevenness, the little patches in the grey area, are covered by human nature. People can behave absolutely unexpectedly. Human nature is capable of giving some really good surprises.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Sunday, July 4, 2010
A small gesture...
I was watching a movie in a theatre yesterday, when something caught my eye. During the interval, I saw a family (mother, father, daughter and son). The kids might have been around eight and ten years old. The siblings were jumping about having fun, the elder brother bossing the younger sister. I'm not really sure what lead to it, but I saw the mother slap her daughter. Both the children were standing in the middle of the aisle, and some of the people around had noticed what had happened, though they were pretending that they hadn't. The little girl was trying very hard not to cry in front of so many strangers. Its pretty understandable what she must be feeling at that moment. Though what happened next really moved me. Her elder brother came over to her, hugged her tightly, and gave her the "Its ok. I understand. It'll be alright" look.
This incident might not interest a lot of people. But somehow, I was really moved by that little gesture of love and understanding which the little boy showed. The connection which these things build between any two individuals goes a very long way. A deep sense of care instilled in that little boy, is something which his younger sister will always remember, along with the fact that she can always depend on him to take care of her.
This incident might not interest a lot of people. But somehow, I was really moved by that little gesture of love and understanding which the little boy showed. The connection which these things build between any two individuals goes a very long way. A deep sense of care instilled in that little boy, is something which his younger sister will always remember, along with the fact that she can always depend on him to take care of her.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
The Catcher in the Rye
An insight to how the human brain works. And not the general case.
This one is a narrative of a few days of Holden Caulfield's life, from his own point of view. A very different and unique approach has been taken by J.D. Salinger in writing this novel. Holden Caulfield tells the reader about how he spent a few days of his life, when he was kicked out of a school for the fourth time. All the while, the reader is shown Holden's perspective of everything. The way he observes and interprets.
Certain things about the protagonist come out very sharply. Holden is a person who appreciates those things in life,however small they may be,which give a person inner happiness/satisfaction. Due to his family background (rich family,easy lifestyle) he never sees things the way a not-so-rich person normally would. He is not bad at heart, and not a mean person at all. This is exemplified by the fact that he loves his siblings a lot. His love and respect for his siblings,along with an elder-brotherly affection and care for the younger siblings, even for the one who died at an early age, gives an insight to this part of his personality. Throughout the narrative, the reader notices that he has always observed,in some way or the other, the person in the crowd who is less obvious. Like the classmate in school who speaks the least. Or the one who is not noticed much. This shows two things: one, that he is a keen observer(even though he doesn't know it himself), and secondly, the fact that he tells the reader about these people implies that he relates himself to this image. Rather, that he would want to be in the shoes of such a person. When he gets excited about the idea of going away and living in a forest, and acting to be deaf and mute, he is actually displaying a desire to go away from the troubles and pettiness of everyday life. Holden was a person who was confused,frightened, and even sickened by human behaviour. The advice which Mr. Antolini,the English teacher, gave Holden, is excellent. Particularly the lines he quoted: "The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one".
Another very interesting thing about this book,which makes it unique: whether one agrees/likes the novel depends on the reader's own personality. If, for example, the reader himself/herself is a person who comes from a background similar to Caulfield's, and is also wary of human behaviour, then the entire novel would seem so close to reader's own expression. If, on the other hand, the reader does not come from a similar background, it will be easy for him/her to realize how Holden's circumstances and bent of mind created a kind of hatred for the world in general.
This one is a narrative of a few days of Holden Caulfield's life, from his own point of view. A very different and unique approach has been taken by J.D. Salinger in writing this novel. Holden Caulfield tells the reader about how he spent a few days of his life, when he was kicked out of a school for the fourth time. All the while, the reader is shown Holden's perspective of everything. The way he observes and interprets.
Certain things about the protagonist come out very sharply. Holden is a person who appreciates those things in life,however small they may be,which give a person inner happiness/satisfaction. Due to his family background (rich family,easy lifestyle) he never sees things the way a not-so-rich person normally would. He is not bad at heart, and not a mean person at all. This is exemplified by the fact that he loves his siblings a lot. His love and respect for his siblings,along with an elder-brotherly affection and care for the younger siblings, even for the one who died at an early age, gives an insight to this part of his personality. Throughout the narrative, the reader notices that he has always observed,in some way or the other, the person in the crowd who is less obvious. Like the classmate in school who speaks the least. Or the one who is not noticed much. This shows two things: one, that he is a keen observer(even though he doesn't know it himself), and secondly, the fact that he tells the reader about these people implies that he relates himself to this image. Rather, that he would want to be in the shoes of such a person. When he gets excited about the idea of going away and living in a forest, and acting to be deaf and mute, he is actually displaying a desire to go away from the troubles and pettiness of everyday life. Holden was a person who was confused,frightened, and even sickened by human behaviour. The advice which Mr. Antolini,the English teacher, gave Holden, is excellent. Particularly the lines he quoted: "The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one".
Another very interesting thing about this book,which makes it unique: whether one agrees/likes the novel depends on the reader's own personality. If, for example, the reader himself/herself is a person who comes from a background similar to Caulfield's, and is also wary of human behaviour, then the entire novel would seem so close to reader's own expression. If, on the other hand, the reader does not come from a similar background, it will be easy for him/her to realize how Holden's circumstances and bent of mind created a kind of hatred for the world in general.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Tuesdays with Morrie
Hmmm...a very touching narrative about a man on his deathbed, trying to help others gain whatever they can (intellectually) by sharing with them his experience of walking that final bridge between life and death.
Twelve Tuesdays are devoted to discussing topics such as death, fear, aging, greed, marriage, family, society, forgiveness, and a meaningful life. Apart from helping to gaining knowledge about these topics, the old professor is at the same time trying to bring out the emotions of the author as well.
The novel helps us realize, that we can learn to live, by accepting that we all have to die one day. A very beautiful point about life has been brought out here: "Life is a series of pulls back and forth. You want to do one thing, but you are bound to do something else. Something hurts you, yet you know it shouldn't. You take certain things for granted, even when you know you should never take anything for granted. A tension of opposites, like a pull on a rubber band. And most of us live somewhere in the middle."
The most beautiful part about this novel is that Mitch Albom has narrated it with such simplicity: you start feeling that Morrie is your own professor, and that he is talking to you, sharing his experience of gradually embracing death.
Life is not about letting the fear of death seize you. It is about accepting the fact that death is inevitable. You have to accept it and embrace it, instead of closing your eyes in front of it. Life is about love, care and respect for other humans.
Life is about compassion.
Twelve Tuesdays are devoted to discussing topics such as death, fear, aging, greed, marriage, family, society, forgiveness, and a meaningful life. Apart from helping to gaining knowledge about these topics, the old professor is at the same time trying to bring out the emotions of the author as well.
The novel helps us realize, that we can learn to live, by accepting that we all have to die one day. A very beautiful point about life has been brought out here: "Life is a series of pulls back and forth. You want to do one thing, but you are bound to do something else. Something hurts you, yet you know it shouldn't. You take certain things for granted, even when you know you should never take anything for granted. A tension of opposites, like a pull on a rubber band. And most of us live somewhere in the middle."
The most beautiful part about this novel is that Mitch Albom has narrated it with such simplicity: you start feeling that Morrie is your own professor, and that he is talking to you, sharing his experience of gradually embracing death.
Life is not about letting the fear of death seize you. It is about accepting the fact that death is inevitable. You have to accept it and embrace it, instead of closing your eyes in front of it. Life is about love, care and respect for other humans.
Life is about compassion.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Faith...
Its been a long time now that I've been wanting to write about faith, what it is, and where it comes from. So here I am, finally penning down my thoughts.
The first image, which comes to about ninety percent of the people, when you randomly say the word 'faith' in front of them, is a mental image of, or relating to God. But if asked to define the word, three-fourth of the same people would not be able to.
Why?
Is it so difficult to understand? Or is it too cumbersome to implement/realize it in your own life? The answer may be a bit of both for some.
But here is the interesting part- faith is something which you do not seek, inculcate, or learn. It is something as natural to every, yes, every human being, as breathing air. Sounds surprising? Well, actually, its not.
When everything seems to have gone wrong in your life, even the most trivial things in your daily life seem to go wrong. Life starts getting worse day by day. Who is responsible for it? Nothing seems to be working. Again, who is responsible for all the unhappy things happening to you? It is you. Its our own thoughts which control our life. Think positive. Be positive. Have the faith. It may sound cliched like anything, but I can vouch for it.
Whenever any thought comes into existence (whatever be the nature of that thought), the universe's forces start acting in a manner so as to turn that particular thought into reality. From my own personal experiences, I truly feel that whatever you really desire (and by this I mean to say, without any doubt, or any negative feeling), the universe conspires to make it come true (quoting 'Alchemist' here).
The sad truth lies in the fact that only a handful of people have realized it, and are actually utilizing these powerful forces of nature. But those who have, have complete faith. So how does faith come into picture here, you must be wondering now.
Sometimes in life (I'm sure a lot of people would agree), things don't seem to be happening the way you want them to be happening. In such times, 'faith' would mean complete and absolute trust in God, that whatever happens, happens for a reason. The reason might not be clear to you at that particular moment. In fact, it might not even be clear to you for a few years. but, if you keep an open mind, and an open heart, the reason would become apparent to you when the time comes. For the moment, any unhappy event may seem cruel on the part of God, but have faith. Everything, absolutely everything, in this world happens for the best, and for a very good reason.
Just have the faith.
The first image, which comes to about ninety percent of the people, when you randomly say the word 'faith' in front of them, is a mental image of, or relating to God. But if asked to define the word, three-fourth of the same people would not be able to.
Why?
Is it so difficult to understand? Or is it too cumbersome to implement/realize it in your own life? The answer may be a bit of both for some.
But here is the interesting part- faith is something which you do not seek, inculcate, or learn. It is something as natural to every, yes, every human being, as breathing air. Sounds surprising? Well, actually, its not.
When everything seems to have gone wrong in your life, even the most trivial things in your daily life seem to go wrong. Life starts getting worse day by day. Who is responsible for it? Nothing seems to be working. Again, who is responsible for all the unhappy things happening to you? It is you. Its our own thoughts which control our life. Think positive. Be positive. Have the faith. It may sound cliched like anything, but I can vouch for it.
Whenever any thought comes into existence (whatever be the nature of that thought), the universe's forces start acting in a manner so as to turn that particular thought into reality. From my own personal experiences, I truly feel that whatever you really desire (and by this I mean to say, without any doubt, or any negative feeling), the universe conspires to make it come true (quoting 'Alchemist' here).
The sad truth lies in the fact that only a handful of people have realized it, and are actually utilizing these powerful forces of nature. But those who have, have complete faith. So how does faith come into picture here, you must be wondering now.
Sometimes in life (I'm sure a lot of people would agree), things don't seem to be happening the way you want them to be happening. In such times, 'faith' would mean complete and absolute trust in God, that whatever happens, happens for a reason. The reason might not be clear to you at that particular moment. In fact, it might not even be clear to you for a few years. but, if you keep an open mind, and an open heart, the reason would become apparent to you when the time comes. For the moment, any unhappy event may seem cruel on the part of God, but have faith. Everything, absolutely everything, in this world happens for the best, and for a very good reason.
Just have the faith.
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