Translate Me

With God as the supreme figure or any other power for that matter, the question of being left alone doesn’t seem to arise. Assuming that an individual would not want to be withheld under any authority whatsoever is to assume that an individual is not human any longer. Is it our social craving that compels us to be held by belief to a dominating force?

It is a direct result of emotions that we exhibit “human” characteristics. In my quest to isolate I have realized that if an individual were to opt for no dominating force to govern him/her, that individual is challenging a huge aspect of human belief. With a well defined rift between good & bad being proclaimed from ages gone by, individuals of the likes of me who feel off beat are termed as those that choose the bad side.

It’s simple to walk a paved road & watch your destiny in the distance. For those who choose to make their own judgments & decisions, life as we know it today is harsh. It is a disease to challenge everything that is a routine, but a disease only to those who cannot accept the latter. In a world where emotions govern us all, some of us cry with a smile.

Objected Desires

All through life there are changes…some of them we embrace while the others creep up on us. Whatever the circumstance change is inevitable & bound to alter you as well as your surroundings.

As a child the biggest change you notice is growth…very exciting, bizarre & visual to say the least. It helps us realize that we are getting older by the day…month…year…Well along with growth comes maturity. Everyone expects you to behave a certain way…accept certain ideas, reject others…this may not always flow the way you intend…& definitely calls for compromise. Once compromise comes into the picture we realize that self restraint is something society calls for. At the end of it all we are just another animal with certain wants, needs, feelings & think of ways to fulfill them. But the fact that we are restrained at various points in life so as to align with cultured lifestyle requirements tends to sweep aside some very strong, primal wants & needs.

Everyone has to restrain & compromise…that is a constant…however how individuals deal with this aspect of life differs….Some may conceal & feed their demons within their minds, others may let them loose. Either way these circumstances cause reactions…ones we prefer to avoid. Dreams give you an insight into the state of this muted energy…deafened & blindfolded trait or trapped feeling. With the ever-changing cultural aspects & broadminded attempts people are now trying to accept what was earlier shunned.

With taboos being banished & attempts at tolerating the unusual, we notice numerous individuals who surface within these groups or communities. The primary question is, were all these people similar? Did they always share a hidden characteristic? A trend is noticed once taboos are relaxed. People are strangely attracted towards it…not all people but those who are struggling to conceal themselves. However all these people don’t necessarily share the same characteristic, they merely release the tension in a similar way.

Groups or organizations with such individuals does not stand testament to a characteristic of humans that was so widespread yet banned or suppressed…They aren’t all the same…nor are their interests similar…they just settle on a common release. The actual demons lurk below the surface…still awaiting acceptance.

Basic Instincts

As a city dweller I am & always will be fascinated by rural areas. That unmistakable feel in the air, the calm & quiet…makes you slow down to a point you think is not possible. But this is no vacation retreat; people live their entire lives here at this serene pace. Fact of the matter everyone has their share of problems but the look in people’s eyes here is something worth adoring; such clarity, simplicity & peace.

A true tribal experience is worth living for a few days, you tend to not only unwind but realize how small & basic necessities are the most important & that when all you do is try to fulfill these needs you seem to feel like you accomplished much more in one day than you would after working an entire month at a salaried job. You just don’t seem to run out of time here & will rarely find anyone in a hurry. Kind of makes me feel stupid thinking back at how we headless chickens in the city behave. Here the roads are actual roads where you can drive or ride without having people walking faster than your vehicle like in city traffic. Ever noticed how in minor collisions where probably a bumper is cracked or a dent is formed people seem to lash out at each other in cities? Well here to begin with there are no roads just highways & it’s understood that a nick or a bump is OKAY & can be ignored….not because they are understanding but because the speed at which vehicles travel here, sharing a single road means that a collision will almost all the time be near fatal & for this reason on road communication & discipline is much higher than you would ever find in a city.

This scenario made me realize something. The road sense & toleration was the way it was since it was required to avoid fatalities. Similarly in villages where infrastructure is minimal & so are easily available resources the bid to survive these conditions automatically inculcates discipline & a simple regulated lifestyle to avoid any potential mishaps. An individual who has the basic necessities to survive will indulge if a means to do so is achieved, however if the basic necessities are a challenge to accomplish then merely existing is rewarding enough.

All in all it’s always a great retreat, with great people & even greater locations.

Mind Under Matter

Toleration….where does it stem from? Before maturity has taken over we do what we want to do…& why not? Life is simple to say the least, you do what you like & express your unhappiness when restricted from doing so. No sense of toleration back then.

Another aspect that should be taken into account is the fact that, as a dependent individual most of the basic requirements of life are provided to us without much effort from our side. And it’s obviously human nature to feel fulfilled knowing that all the essential bases are covered. So we wander in a quest to fulfill the growing gap since we don’t really have to pursue basic requirements. This secondary quest is exhilarating in my opinion not because of its significance but purely because we are exposed to something new. We can never truly run out of things to learn, however its individual preference on when we decide to stop. Once we stop the process our minds begin to roll backwards & this is the first step to its deterioration.

Over a period of time as we keep learning & facing new situations in life fear creeps into our minds. Mostly the fear is inculcated by the very individuals that regulate our life & help us grow. Although the intent is to help draw boundaries this is the first step to killing individualism & shaping stereotypes. Depending on the relationship shared between the young mind & the adult these fears can be absorbed to various degrees. Once the feeling is inculcated the young mind will try & exercise the same feeling in every situation it encounters because it is something new. With fear based in the mind & its characteristics gauged, the mind is not only able to feel it but create it too. This is one of the initial steps that causes us to rely less on instincts & more on logic. Because of our ability to encounter & then replicate & or control a scenario we tend to decide for ourselves what should be, rather than assess what is.

Amongst the various influences around a young mind, peer pressure is one of the strongest as the age gap is much lesser, causing competition amongst the individuals to dominate most decisions. These individuals in turn are & have been influenced by various others. By the time a young mind has reached this point it has learnt how to regulate the inner thoughts & desires to match the scenario around. In turn every individual around is doing the same. Eventually it will become an unconscious practice like it is in adult life. Toleration would not exist in our instincts…it is a fabrication amongst many others to give social life texture.

The truth is out where?

Do aliens exist? Do they visit our planet on a regular basis? Do these creatures live amongst us? Even if they don’t stories & movies have definitely taken the pseudo reality to another level fuelled by our extensively varied & complex imaginations. But what are the odds that in the entire universe which is an enormous expanse we are the ONLY planet with living beings, makes me feel lonely thinking of the possibility.

On the other hand if aliens exist the next question is how advanced are they. Will they be able to initiate communication? Assuming the answer to that question is a yes then they have most probably established contact & there is a possibility that it runs only in select circles away from the general public. So what’s the reason for such secrecy? The answer to that question could be vast & varied…from possible revelations about our existence to more serious realizations like threats from other beings…to the worry that widespread panic & a sudden shift in our ideologies would gravely distort life as we know it.

Looking at it from another perspective why can’t we perceive the situation with tables turned? Is it so easy for our imaginations to play victim to a superior being but cannot consider the fact that we may be more advanced than other potentials around? What does this mean? All of these thoughts that visited me were random….till at one point they seemed to connect…telling a story of how one living being that climbed to the top felt lonely & alone up there. Our basic psyche drives us to believe in a force more powerful & dominant that’s out there not necessarily because it exists but because we want to believe it does.

Over the ages this very drive to have a dominant figure governing us or with the potential to do so has taken many shapes, religion being one of the most prominent…having said that I would rather not comment on the same. The fact of the matter is we need a leveling agent & have formulated many to that effect. But as far as aliens go…what if we are the ONLY planet with living beings, makes me feel lonely thinking of the possibility.

The Kite & The Crow

The other day I was walking down the road when I saw something, something that sparked a dormant thought that lay buried deep in the remote recesses of my mind. A kite was soaring not so high up in the sky & seemed very troubled, all of a sudden a shot of black over the scene...three crows working in tandem attacking the kite & exiting the scene in perfect precision. None of the crows flew the same trajectory each one different, each one erratic. This caused a lot of confusion the kite could not keep up with them. Eventually the kite moved to a higher elevation & that patch of sky went calm once more. It made me wonder of nothing great or pioneering in nature but of the simple & widely used concept..Teamwork.. In my opinion the kite is a preadatory bird & their aerodynamics are finely tuned as compared to the common crow. As far as size goes the kite is bigger than the crow too. Still a big & efficient bird of prey made off on account of the teamwork displayed by the crows who in comparison were much smaller. Hmm such a waste of someone's time you would be thinking but this is for those who think otherwise.
Similarities can be pointed to begin with between humans & the crow...not the biggest mammals around however due to or persistant teamwork we have achieved the tag "supreme species" Thanks to our unusually large brains & intellectual capabilities that are bursting at its seams we have taken on the biggest kites of our kind & succeded. Well it's all good so far...here's where similarities between crows & us ends...atleast the ones I would like to point out.
Us humans are like a chess player who does not know how to play the game all that well. Someone thought you how to make moves..you tried it..you succeded in winning a couple of moves..assumed the game is bagged. Then all of a sudden you realise that the opposite player was on a roll the entire time & was learning your moves & you played yourself into a trap...checkmate...Afterall the kite was not defeated he just took to a higher altitude.

Mental Block

Thought I would write something...still thinking I will...nothing constant in my mind...just the present situation lingering. What does it feel like to be caught in a vaccum? empty thoughts, a blank mind & clogged senses...lifeless strength pulling you forward, no movement achieved. Thought I would describe the way I feel...overwhelmed with nothing....the feeling of being blocked...almost like a television once bustling with life with a glaring screen & then it's switched off.........................................................stagnant staring at nothing...no relevance for now. Thought I would write something...still thinking I will...