A blank page is the scariest thing for a writer. The potential of that page can scare the living daylights out of anybody. Ideas are scary things too. You believe that there is so much you want to communicate, to tell. To teach, to show, to relive, to vent, to explain, to entertain, to give respect, to show love.
There's so much to talk about, to write about. Emotions under a skin thin surface wait to make themselves known.
What does hold the author back? Fear again. Fear that people don't want to hear you out, that people don't care. Fear of being misunderstood, fear of misinterpretation. Fear is a funny thing, that it can be as much of a motivating factor as that of a constraining one.
I am scared of writing again. After so long. I worry too much. Yet I am scared that the little that I have to tell, the small things that I think are worth other people's attention and opinion, will remain forever inside.
I will change with time, my perspectives and ideas will change. But the feelings I have right now, the truth I sense right now, I don't want it to be lost just because I couldn't communicate it.
Here's to overcoming fear, and celebrating thoughts! In other words, 'I'm back!' for better or worse.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Earth Day is April 22nd
Earth Day is coming up. There will be some publicity leading up to it, I'm sure. Companies will start talking about what they are doing in order to help the environment. Hastily drawn plans will be shown to the public as established conduct. Government agencies will appoint scientific communities to get together and give reports on the conditions of the planet. Non-government agencies will protest the opinions of these scientists and work on scare tactics to get the people moving.
All these things will happen. Everyone will come forth with their opinions and there will be so much talk.
Yet somehow, all this talk every year not only seems to dissipate when the hype dies down, but also to not address many key issues.
I understand that the people in power matter. These are the people who can make decisions regarding their country's stand on the Kyoto Protocol, or whaling or water quality regulations. These are the people who make a difference with the stroke of a pen. It is imperative for a country's future that issues are brought in front of these people. But what about just the common man?
I know that efforts are being made for almost the past 20 years to get the common person involved in ecological conservation. However it seems to me that more than half of what is presented to the public is a smokescreen and the rest is presented on such a large scale that the public cant help but think that the problem is too big for them to do anything about it. Let me explain myself.
The smokescreen bit is done by corporations. Especially corporations that are perceived as commercial polluters or have a product whose identity is tried up with pollution (e.g. oil companies, automotive companies, chemical companies etc.). During certain times of the year, like when Earth Day is nearing, these companies will do their best to show the public all that they do and have done for the environment. Of course I cannot claim that it is all a smokescreen, but there are many companies that trump figures, rustle up spur of the moment ideas, run charity marathons etc. without really putting real effort in their conservation actions.
The other problem I have is that the public is confronted with humongous issues. Global Warming, Ozone Depletion, Rain forest Loss, these are huge things. This globe is complicated and vast, but the human population has become large enough and influential enough to cause huge scale problems in the entire ecosystem. This sounds extremely daunting and leads to the relegation of these issues into a phenomenon which Douglas Adams has so concisely called 'Someone Else's Problem'.
Since we as individuals cannot deal with such a large scale, we think of these problems as solvable only by someone else rather than ourselves. If the issue is not local then that intensifies this feeling.
I think that there is a key to this. Some people are discovering it and using it aptly. It is as essential to think about the whole issue as it is to think about bits and pieces of it. These bits and pieces are not that daunting and can be presented as doable tasks for even the individual. The importance of conservation should not just be presented on the scale of a forest, but also on the scale of tap water while brushing.
People need to be educated about the small things that make a difference. The idea of waste is generally perceived on an immense scale. Why not talk about waste in terms of the number of thermacol glasses? The need of the hour is still education. We have not yet gone past this stage. There are too many things happening on a daily level that lead to immense wastage and go under the radar because of the fact that they are habits.
We are a people addicted to waste. Addicted to oil. Weaning may happen in two ways. We may end up buried in our waste and out of oil and be shocked into adapting. Or we may slowly, gradually rid ourselves of our needs, check into rehab and learn to adapt to newer things and better lifestyles. By the time we run out of oil, we will not need it.
Its our choice, not as nations or organizations, but as individuals.
All these things will happen. Everyone will come forth with their opinions and there will be so much talk.
Yet somehow, all this talk every year not only seems to dissipate when the hype dies down, but also to not address many key issues.
I understand that the people in power matter. These are the people who can make decisions regarding their country's stand on the Kyoto Protocol, or whaling or water quality regulations. These are the people who make a difference with the stroke of a pen. It is imperative for a country's future that issues are brought in front of these people. But what about just the common man?
I know that efforts are being made for almost the past 20 years to get the common person involved in ecological conservation. However it seems to me that more than half of what is presented to the public is a smokescreen and the rest is presented on such a large scale that the public cant help but think that the problem is too big for them to do anything about it. Let me explain myself.
The smokescreen bit is done by corporations. Especially corporations that are perceived as commercial polluters or have a product whose identity is tried up with pollution (e.g. oil companies, automotive companies, chemical companies etc.). During certain times of the year, like when Earth Day is nearing, these companies will do their best to show the public all that they do and have done for the environment. Of course I cannot claim that it is all a smokescreen, but there are many companies that trump figures, rustle up spur of the moment ideas, run charity marathons etc. without really putting real effort in their conservation actions.
The other problem I have is that the public is confronted with humongous issues. Global Warming, Ozone Depletion, Rain forest Loss, these are huge things. This globe is complicated and vast, but the human population has become large enough and influential enough to cause huge scale problems in the entire ecosystem. This sounds extremely daunting and leads to the relegation of these issues into a phenomenon which Douglas Adams has so concisely called 'Someone Else's Problem'.
Since we as individuals cannot deal with such a large scale, we think of these problems as solvable only by someone else rather than ourselves. If the issue is not local then that intensifies this feeling.
I think that there is a key to this. Some people are discovering it and using it aptly. It is as essential to think about the whole issue as it is to think about bits and pieces of it. These bits and pieces are not that daunting and can be presented as doable tasks for even the individual. The importance of conservation should not just be presented on the scale of a forest, but also on the scale of tap water while brushing.
People need to be educated about the small things that make a difference. The idea of waste is generally perceived on an immense scale. Why not talk about waste in terms of the number of thermacol glasses? The need of the hour is still education. We have not yet gone past this stage. There are too many things happening on a daily level that lead to immense wastage and go under the radar because of the fact that they are habits.
We are a people addicted to waste. Addicted to oil. Weaning may happen in two ways. We may end up buried in our waste and out of oil and be shocked into adapting. Or we may slowly, gradually rid ourselves of our needs, check into rehab and learn to adapt to newer things and better lifestyles. By the time we run out of oil, we will not need it.
Its our choice, not as nations or organizations, but as individuals.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
springy thoughts
We of the tropical blood, where seasons don't really change but rather merge into one another, creating a blur of gradual and temperate climate changes, will never quite understand or come to terms with the drama of the seasons here.
Here the weather in each season not only has its unique flavor but it also arrives in a triumphant fashion bringing change of all kinds in its wake.
Spring has arrived, or something like that, since we are still expecting snow. But for all practical purposes, today was the day of cotton tee shirts and short pants. Brilliant sunlight and azure sky. Its been a while since we saw anything but grey and white.
I always wonder about these people who can sense weather. They say the air has a peculiar smell. They differentiate the amount of moisture in the air just through their noses. They can feel a shift in even the minutest temperature. I would love to be able to do that.
I stood today in the blazing sun taking a deep breath of crisp air. It did not feel really different, but maybe I imagined it did. Maybe I imagined that faint scent of lavender. Imagination or not, just a change in weather can hold sway over a person's outlook.
For the first time in many months, I felt a sense of renewal. I am starting to understand what these people in the northern climes feel. Why there are books like 'wind in the willows' and 'all creatures great and small' that extol the virtues of spring. They talk about the burst of fresh vigor, the birth of tiny creatures, the rebirth of the plants and ultimately the rebirth of their souls.
I never understood this sitting in the sweltering heat of a Mumbai summer. There we have just summer and the monsoon. And in the monsoon, when its not raining its as good as its summer.
Both climes have their pros and cons. The smell of wet earth that rises when the first rains hit a parched landscape is just as precious to me as now the feeling of renewal brought on by the warming power of a waxing sun.
I suppose we will always be a product of what is around us.
P.S. I know that world cup has started. I am so bloody excited, but I have no place to watch it! :(
Here the weather in each season not only has its unique flavor but it also arrives in a triumphant fashion bringing change of all kinds in its wake.
Spring has arrived, or something like that, since we are still expecting snow. But for all practical purposes, today was the day of cotton tee shirts and short pants. Brilliant sunlight and azure sky. Its been a while since we saw anything but grey and white.
I always wonder about these people who can sense weather. They say the air has a peculiar smell. They differentiate the amount of moisture in the air just through their noses. They can feel a shift in even the minutest temperature. I would love to be able to do that.
I stood today in the blazing sun taking a deep breath of crisp air. It did not feel really different, but maybe I imagined it did. Maybe I imagined that faint scent of lavender. Imagination or not, just a change in weather can hold sway over a person's outlook.
For the first time in many months, I felt a sense of renewal. I am starting to understand what these people in the northern climes feel. Why there are books like 'wind in the willows' and 'all creatures great and small' that extol the virtues of spring. They talk about the burst of fresh vigor, the birth of tiny creatures, the rebirth of the plants and ultimately the rebirth of their souls.
I never understood this sitting in the sweltering heat of a Mumbai summer. There we have just summer and the monsoon. And in the monsoon, when its not raining its as good as its summer.
Both climes have their pros and cons. The smell of wet earth that rises when the first rains hit a parched landscape is just as precious to me as now the feeling of renewal brought on by the warming power of a waxing sun.
I suppose we will always be a product of what is around us.
P.S. I know that world cup has started. I am so bloody excited, but I have no place to watch it! :(
Friday, February 23, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Morality
I know that this is too big a topic to be talking about on a mere blog post. I don't think that I can write all my thoughts in a mere post, but there is a particular side of this topic that I would like to talk about.
People think less of me because I openly talk about that oh-so-forbidden topic of sex. Don't misunderstand me. I do not belittle or ridicule it. I do not use it to tease or harass others. I am just open about it. The fact that it exists and is probably the most basic and sacred need of humanity.
But people think this openness is amoral. Amoral?? I don't get that. Talking about sex and not being shy to confront it does not make a person amoral. I do not believe that acting coy about the topic, giggling about it or acting shocked at a discussion on sex makes a person (esp. a girl, lets say very esp. an Indian girl) morally superior.
I am now going to make a list of what I believe is actual moral behavior.
Not interfering in peoples' personal lives or ridiculing them because of their personal idiosyncrasies is moral.
Not causing harm to an individual out of vindictiveness, amusement or simply apathy, is moral.
Knowing swear words does not make you amoral. Not understanding the extent to which the use of these words can hurt a person, using them without any provocation, deriding people behind their backs with these words is very amoral.
Empathizing with people, working with them, caring about their needs is moral behavior.
Understanding how powerful an emotion affection and attachment is and never using these to your personal advantage is moral behavior.
Knowing how precious trust and love are. Knowing never to misuse them. That's moral behavior.
Society and people have put up boundaries on acceptable behavior for a reason. It is a way to have discipline while still preserving individuality. However, some norms are outdated and some thoughts are to be rethought.
I do not know what I have accomplished by writing this down. I do not care.
People think less of me because I openly talk about that oh-so-forbidden topic of sex. Don't misunderstand me. I do not belittle or ridicule it. I do not use it to tease or harass others. I am just open about it. The fact that it exists and is probably the most basic and sacred need of humanity.
But people think this openness is amoral. Amoral?? I don't get that. Talking about sex and not being shy to confront it does not make a person amoral. I do not believe that acting coy about the topic, giggling about it or acting shocked at a discussion on sex makes a person (esp. a girl, lets say very esp. an Indian girl) morally superior.
I am now going to make a list of what I believe is actual moral behavior.
Not interfering in peoples' personal lives or ridiculing them because of their personal idiosyncrasies is moral.
Not causing harm to an individual out of vindictiveness, amusement or simply apathy, is moral.
Knowing swear words does not make you amoral. Not understanding the extent to which the use of these words can hurt a person, using them without any provocation, deriding people behind their backs with these words is very amoral.
Empathizing with people, working with them, caring about their needs is moral behavior.
Understanding how powerful an emotion affection and attachment is and never using these to your personal advantage is moral behavior.
Knowing how precious trust and love are. Knowing never to misuse them. That's moral behavior.
Society and people have put up boundaries on acceptable behavior for a reason. It is a way to have discipline while still preserving individuality. However, some norms are outdated and some thoughts are to be rethought.
I do not know what I have accomplished by writing this down. I do not care.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Be careful what you wish for
I sometimes wonder whether the human condition is ruled entirely by desires. Its quite possible. The reigning emotion at any given time in a person's head is a need or a want. Mostly a want, needs are not that pressing.
We want more love, attention, money, clothes, a new stereo (ouch I'm behind times, I meant iPhone), more of everything that makes us feel good. Or maybe not. I know a lot of people (namely me) who seem to want things that make them miserable. The stuff fulfils a want and gives momentary gratification. For some people (me again) that is enough. That is what makes the day pass, that is what makes every night bearable.
I think that that is perhaps because wants and needs aside, fear perhaps is also a competitive reigning emotion. In fact I think fear trumps almost all the time. We fear what we can become. Both good and bad. We fear the pain and stress it takes to do us good, to make us be healthy. We fear vice, but vice can be comforting too. Its easier to fear amiguous good than to fear definite bad.
Our wants and wishes are thus probably misdirected or misguided. We tend to want somthing that seems to be for the best, but is ephemeral. I am not saying all of us are like this. I actually do know some clear thinking people who know what is good for them and stick to it. But for the most of us I think that the line between good and bad is not that clear.
I think that the only quality that can triumph in this mess is courage. That is never easy to come by. We all have a store of it but the weird thing is that to summon courage you first need some of it. A courageous person is the one who can blot out fear from his mind about his own self. Make peace with his wants and clarify his needs. A person who can clearly see the right path and not fear the pain associated with it.
This is difficult. I have just mused on it, just thought about it. I hope I have the courage to do something about it.
We want more love, attention, money, clothes, a new stereo (ouch I'm behind times, I meant iPhone), more of everything that makes us feel good. Or maybe not. I know a lot of people (namely me) who seem to want things that make them miserable. The stuff fulfils a want and gives momentary gratification. For some people (me again) that is enough. That is what makes the day pass, that is what makes every night bearable.
I think that that is perhaps because wants and needs aside, fear perhaps is also a competitive reigning emotion. In fact I think fear trumps almost all the time. We fear what we can become. Both good and bad. We fear the pain and stress it takes to do us good, to make us be healthy. We fear vice, but vice can be comforting too. Its easier to fear amiguous good than to fear definite bad.
Our wants and wishes are thus probably misdirected or misguided. We tend to want somthing that seems to be for the best, but is ephemeral. I am not saying all of us are like this. I actually do know some clear thinking people who know what is good for them and stick to it. But for the most of us I think that the line between good and bad is not that clear.
I think that the only quality that can triumph in this mess is courage. That is never easy to come by. We all have a store of it but the weird thing is that to summon courage you first need some of it. A courageous person is the one who can blot out fear from his mind about his own self. Make peace with his wants and clarify his needs. A person who can clearly see the right path and not fear the pain associated with it.
This is difficult. I have just mused on it, just thought about it. I hope I have the courage to do something about it.
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