Does the nursery taught academics “Morning shows the day and child shows the man” actually designate the precise realistic trail always? In fact, don’t we find just the contrary in our journey many a times? The aphorism turns out to be evocative only when certain specific standards are fulfilled. So, what are those standards or conditions? Unfortunately, those are seldom revealed anywhere. We come across those unwritten norms and unspoken truths at different junctures, diverse layers and innumerable moments of our journey throughout the eternal path. These prerequisites for a predictable journey are far beyond our control.
We get to know the ensuing outcome from harsh reality, evidencing that day maybe very different from the morning and the man may show a complete turnaround from the child’s cognitive pattern. When we start the journey in the morning under the vast blue with bright, assuring sunshine over us, soothing and blooming flowers on both sides with humming birds and buzzing bees around, who imagines as the sun sets, a tempest might not be developing, and gearing up at the north east corner to overcast the sunny smile and to metamorphose our lives and future voyage?
Somehow it is accepted that life has turmoil and we have to get over it by hook or crook. What snags us most is that the environs of the get-set-go point and that of the finishing point in a race are unquestionably different for the athlete. The question that haunts us, can we always keep our poise intact from the kickoff to the final point? Does the contender ever look back to discover how predictably or abruptly his track has changed its course over the stretch? Does he review his entire emotional appraisal while he is about to reach the destination? Does he feel anywhere that he has achieved little more or much too less than what he deserved at the ultimate point? Or does he just consider destination and destiny synonymous?
The girl grown up in a lower middleclass family with high moral values, settled in a successful rich life, finds herself somewhere and somehow lagging behind her strong ethical standpoint. Does she miss her past self while accommodating in the new path? Or does she feel delighted to have been established in such a glorious life?
Look at the person having time and offering support for all. Suddenly, in the mid of the expedition, finds his revised form – a self-obsessed, single-track, money minded one. Can he recognize himself anymore? Is he gratified or a little disillusioned to discover a version 2.0 of himself in the course of time?
The person, old and fragile, weak and delicate cannot find his own self anywhere where he belongs now. The ever intellectual, once pragmatic and dynamic person, fails to accept why he has to succumb into the views of those who are way behind him in wisdom, knowledge, experience and intellect. It is for the disapproving situation that the old and wise have to learn a whole new constitution of reality and irrationality. Their silence redefines the age-old phrase – age is not just a number, but rather a very significant one. The stereotypical suggestion of doing everything only with mental strength in geezerhood is a myth. The advisory body does not even know how emotional shocks can translate into physical trauma to radically transform a person. The intrinsic denial all around forces him to shut down emotionally. Dignity faces a question mark.
Finally, closely observe those holy monks in the spiritual biosphere. They were doctors, management graduates or engineers from top universities of the world associated with topmost workstations. While feeding the poor or teaching an orphan or doing anything non-glamourous, do they ever find it bizarre that they once had such a celebrated professional life?
In some of the above situations, one may not recognize himself anymore and finds himself like a migrant in some other sphere of life. The irony being that he is in his very own land; everything of which has suddenly become inaccessible to him -may be by choice or by compulsion! Doesn’t he feel like a different person in a different world altogether? Does an appalling feeling of finding own entity in a totally different get up and set up creep into his mind or does he get a feeling of freedom of soul and body from his surroundings? Whatever it might be, it is unprecedented. Just like a migrant feels in an unknown country without friends and familiar faces, we find ourselves accommodating in a whole new environment, struggling to adjust with new regulations – institutional and emotional. The life of a migrant is a tough one and so is one’s who cannot accept the complete uprooting of himself from his own familiar world of thoughts.
World history says Diaspora refers to a large group of people who share a cultural and regional origin but are living away from their traditional homeland. Diasporas come about through immigration and forced movements of people. Is a diaspora like situation in man’s own life-path at all acceptable? Can such immense change uphold dignity and preserve spirit of life forever? Don’t we feel like migrated citizens many a times, especially as we approach the final lap more and more? Feeling like an immigrant in native land becomes too delicate. Finishing a live autobiography might not always come with a fairy tale ending; sometimes it seems that the main character of the autobiography is no more the author himself but someone else who is struggling hard to fit in between the pages written by himself so far.
Isn’t it really tough to find that I can no longer identify myself with “me” and my inner being when I become an immigrant driver in my own ride?
Waiting for the moment when I’ll find a ‘sensible’ link between the take-off and landing!
Wishing you health and happiness….
Cheers!!
Disclaimer: This is NOT a work of fiction. Any similarities to persons living or dead, or actual events is NOT at all coincidental.
Wonderful and intriguing post on a relevant social issue highlighting several seldom touched topics
Thank you so much dear..
Not often do we see such relevant yet thought provoking articles. Exellently written and a must read.
Thank you my dear….
Tough topic but I have a question, as they say that change is the only constant thing on earth , so isn’t it inevitable that people will change in due course of time, reasons are all different. What is your view?
Well the article is really very thought provoking!!
Same view….changes are inevitable. I wanted to address the issue that when these ‘changes’ change a person so much so that he finds himself like an outsider in his own life, how far can he accept that? It is not that easy to receive radical changes just because changes are inescapable and unavoidable. My concern is how one feels at looking someone else while standing in front of a time-mirror.
Thank you for the thought provoking question as well!
Thank you my dear…..
Beautifully penned down. Thought-provoking. An amazing write-up indeed. We hardly come across such intriguing pieces, and even more, on socially relevant issues like this. Keep going.
Thank you so much dear….