Idle musings

I think we tend to underestimate the role of mechanical jobs in our lives. Spending time with oneself, doing laundry, cleaning the house or taking a stroll can actually help you introspect on life and see where you stand in the scheme of things.

I think that despite all this talk of "moving on" and making peace with what is gone, most of us do have a fixation with the past. Why else is there a constant hearkening after "the good ol' days"? Why do we take joy in recollecting or revisiting the past? Haven't you noticed how a fond smile creeps on the face when someone is reminiscing about past experiences? It must mean that worldly people cannot fully let go of what is done and dusted. We feel the need to constantly reassess and rethink all those "what if's."

Do not believe the things you say to yourself when you are emotionally at your lowest. As they say, don't make a decision when you are joyous, don't give a promise when you are sad and don't speak when you are furious. Don't be your own worst enemy.

“Sure, cried the tenant men, but it’s our land…We were born on it, and we got killed on it, died on it. Even if it’s no good, it’s still ours….That’s what makes ownership, not a paper with numbers on it." "We’re sorry. It’s not us. It’s the monster. The bank isn’t like a man." "Yes, but the bank is only made of men." "No, you’re wrong there—quite wrong there. The bank is something else than men. It happens that every man in a bank hates what the bank does, and yet the bank does it. The bank is something more than men, I tell you. It’s the monster. Men made it, but they can’t control it.”  "...There is a crime here that goes beyond denunciation. There is a sorrow here that weeping cannot symbolize. There is a failure here that topples all our success." - The Grapes of Wrath , John Steinbeck That man was a visionary, I tell you. This book is pure gold.

One thing about writing is, it is interpreted by every reader in their own way. Once your book goes into the press, your role is complete. You cannot make any immediate corrections. Now all that can be done is to await the reader's verdict. I guess it feels like standing before a firing squad, or awaiting a court trial, especially if it is your first publication. It can be a boon or bane, depending on how you look at it. Of course, the possibility of multiple interpretations can be exhilarating, and can open up new dimensions to your work.   Let us take a look at how it can be a bane: Sometimes, inspirational quotes and stories are internalized by the wrong people. Here again, 'wrong' is a very relative term. It has a different definition for every person. To elucidate my point, here is an example: Consider two people trapped in a toxic relationship. The person who holds the upper hand in the relationship, who considers his/her actions to be completely justified, reads ...

To those of you who pretend to dislike the people or things you love, to earn a new 'friend's' approval - don't do it. To those of you who poise to slash your wrists when a person unexpectedly leaves your life - don't do it. To those of you who idolize celebrities and skip meals to acquire toned bodies - don't do it. To those of you who resort to drugs to forget parental abuse - don't do it. And to countless other survivors and the loved ones of those who gave in. Talk to someone. Find someone who cares, because they are out there. Push yourself to think beyond the immediate future and the relevance of the incident in question many years from now (might sound totally cliched, but try it before you negate me). Make yourself take baby steps and go about normal tasks of the day. JUST DO IT. Scream, cry if you have to. But once that tide subsides, take a deep breath, pick yourself up and walk out there. Prove to yourself (Yes, yourself, over anybody el...

After a certain age, different for every person, every individual is ready to accept another person into their space. Of course, even as a 16-year old we might be deluded into believing that we are mentally and physically prepared to take that leap. But that is not what I propose to talk about here.This intimacy(in the broad sense of the term) between man and woman is necessary for the seasoning for anyone's mind. It chisels the rough edges in our behaviour. All of us have noticed how suddenly everything seems brighter when we feel loved and cared for. Nothing could go wrong for us in those times. Even the staunch pessimist could brush away troubles which they would have normally made a fuss over, I imagine. No one wants to invite pain upon themselves, but the question is, do you want to end up being a bitter old soul, scowling at every other couple (young or old) and bawling your heart out afterwards, when no one is watching? I do not imply the age-old notions that every individ...

Selfishness is not just making a fake excuse to get ahead in the queue, relying on a loved one to make that much-awaited cup of coffee or prioritizing your comforts(these are just some of the instances that come to mind at the moment).  You are being selfish when you confess an act you are guilty of, to someone else. You prevented bursting at the seams by getting that weight off your chest. And now the impetus is on the listener to help you make the right judgement. You are being selfish when you refuse to pick up that call from your parents when you are hanging out with your newfound friends. So many other actions that don't scream selflessness either. It amazes me to what elemental levels selfishness seeps.

"ഇടിമിന്നലും മഴയും ഭൂമിയിലേക്ക് ഇറങ്ങി വന്ന ഒരു രാത്രിയായിരുന്നു അത്.." On nights like these, you cannot help but wonder if the great Zeus is indeed livid with humans and has unleashed the thunderbolt upon us. With the rain lashing down, the wind howling, and thunder and lightning seeming to break apart the very earth, how can one not think about the impending apocalypse? Nevertheless, this symphony-turned-cacophony of nature was strangely enjoyable. Let me recollect the words of better craftsmen on this occasion: "To cease upon the midnight with no pain..." ( Ode to a Nightingale , Keats) "Wild Spirit, which art moving everywhere,  Destroyer and Preserver, hear, O hear!"     ( Ode to the West Wind , Shelley)  "Throw away thy rod;    Though man frailties hath    Thou art God:    Throw away thy wrath."( Discipline , George Herbert)   And now, for the lack of translational skills on my part- നിരത്തിൽ വാഹനങ്ങൾ പ...

Qarib Qarib Single (Just About Single) Finally, a realistic rom-com that does not follow the formulae of mainstream Bollwood! Yes! Do not be put off by the tag 'rom-com', though. Because this charming tale woven by Tanuja Chandra and beautifully enacted by a terrific Parvathy and Irrfan, is more than that. Speckled with light-hearted humour and anecdotes on life is a slice-of-life tale of revisiting the past and realizing the unexpected ways in which the heart(and the internet, for good measure) works. The endearing storyline, which is on the lines of a Hollywood romance flick (in its unconventionality), and yet sticking to subtleties, is complemented by a good soundtrack. My favourites are Tanha Beegum and Tu Chale Toh. While Parvathy looks terrific in playing the part of Jaya,a modern-day widow, Irrfan effortlessly portrays Yogi, an old-world gentleman who is full of surprises and takes Jaya on a life-changing journey. Again, what is that magic in journeys?? No one would...

The whirring of an automobile engine is more frightening than the roar of a tiger!

Never make the mistake of taking your friends for granted. Do not do stupid things like staring at your phone when they are with you and ignoring their company as a result. Because when you place momentary distractions like that above people who have put up with you for so long, listened to your rants, and held your hands in times of trouble - when you prefer the artificial brightness to the light outside - that is when you know you have failed at life.

You know what a person who is sick at heart desires first and foremost? Not white coats or degrees, but the company of a person who, without judging, listens to their venting patiently, and hopefully, offers viable tackling methods. But the former point is most important: paying attention. After all, it is our inability to listen to our fellow-beings that has created this growing number of people with mental illness. Of course, when one broaches this subject, the first issue to be tackled is the taboo surrounding it. How mental health is not given the importance it deserves, especially in this digital age, where social media popularity decides a person's self -esteem. How de-addiction centres for alcohol or drug abuse are common but obsessive use of smartphones only leads to ugly fights indoors. How anyone who confesses to being depressed is treated as an insane outcast. Snap out of it, people! Banish your ignorance. Read up, watch videos or whatever and be informed! Pay atten...

Our sense of smell is inextricably linked to memories. The odour of a particular dish, the smell of burning wood, a whiff of a long-forgotten perfume or the scent of a particular kind of cloth - so many myriad combinations, the slightest of things, can trigger old memories. A loved one who is no more, an estranged relation or a tragedy in the past. Anything at all that startles you out of the present and turns the reel back in time, drawing a veil over your eyes and blocking out the here and now.

I've been toying with the idea that maybe man is not a social being after all. Isn't it when we grow closer to people that we start scrutinizing their faults and start picking arguments? Maybe if we keep others at a distance, modern man will be at peace.  We find inanimate inventions better worth our time than people who have cared for us all our lives. I recently read about how social media users feel confident on these virtual platforms, where people are supportive of each other, but they fear to venture out into the real world, where attitudes are the exact opposite. With the coming of the first robotic citizen and so forth, I wouldn't be surprised if man became entirely devoid of emotions. Reading Brave New World and 1984 gives serious chills in this time of speculation.

Solitude can be therapeutic. It's like how they say, the poor are not actually unhappy. In fact, they are better off than those who live under this misconception.  Those days when the air gets stuck in your lungs, and you can't scream or cry, or talk like a sane person - those days could end up stimulating your creative juices. So remember to hold on. Even this will pass.

At the end of the day, what all of us crave for is a listening ear and a caring heart. Someone who willingly lends an ear to our griefs and complaints, who sighs or gives a sympathetic nod at the right moments and makes us feel that the world is not such a wretched place after all. We are only human. Ultimately, our troubles lead to the heart. Ah, that troublesome marauder!

The Sun is in a way, a protector of women in our society. When He shines, women can venture out safely, and when he is away brightening other horizons, they better stay indoors, or rather that is the norm.

He swept her off her feet, just as a strong wind blew away the dark clouds and the steady drizzle that cloudy evening. Yes, sometimes I come up with strange metaphors.

Everything in nature spells out coexistence. An abandoned car or plot is soon covered by weeds and snakes. A ramshackle house open to the elements comes to be inhabited by anything but humans. Notice how trees spread their branches far and wide to provide us shade, even on busy roads? They do not differentiate between the businessman in his car or the man in rags seeking alms. All are treated equally by Nature. It is humanity that draws the multiple lines of division. And yet how thoughtlessly do we cut down those very trees, those ancient pedagogues that have lined our streets and smiled down upon us for so many years!

Music. Moments of truth created by passionate artists voicing the troubles of their generation. Recorded moments that we go back to, when we are 'suffering' from heartache arising out of selfishness. We plug in our headphones and are surrounded by truth when we ourselves do not have the courage to express it.

You know how lucky you are when you can come out of a hospital smiling. *June 5, 2016*

"By the twiddling of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes." Here, I take the liberty to rephrase the Bard (the actual line from Macbeth - spoken by the witches -reads 'pricking of my thumbs') to suit the modern context. My apologies to ardent lovers of Shakespeare. All of us know that smartphones have become inextricably linked with modern life. You can hardly find someone - be it inside an elevator, on the streets, or anywhere you look for that matter - without their cellphone plastered to their ears or glued to their eyes. People from young kids to the elderly can be found holding gadgets of different sizes, doing all sorts of things. The level of self-absorption is alarming sometimes. The World is too much with us !(Wordsworth) I read the other day about a suicide helpline catering mainly to suicide callers. The volunteers stated that some of the callers just wanted to hear another human voice, and they would immediately hang up. How we have grown apar...

One thing I've learned in life is that you can't drill into another person's mind an idea of yours(be it a solution to a problem, a new course of action or anything intended for the latter's good) without their mind actually thinking about it and accepting it as the best decision for themselves.

Have you noticed how dreams change over the years? We dream of becoming astronauts and engineers when we are six. Which then either change track into 'artists' and 'doctors', or the realization hits that the subjects in question are no longer to your liking. The path to achieving your ambition is not what you dreamt it to be. So you opt a different stream to find your calling, or slightly change up your plans. It all depends on the people you surround yourself with, and your receptivity to opportunities and experiences.

Life becomes a robotic existence. You move from one task to the next and do what is expected of you. And in between, you need to find the outlets to scream and cry and glee.