Monday, June 29, 2009

Love actually..

For all those who haven't watched the movie, this is what the blog is going to be about:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjnPcg9wRdE&feature=related

Among the romantic comedies of the 2000s, this movie and especially this scene (opening -airport) has been very popular. And why wouldn't it be!? it exactly shows what the eye wants to see.

I myself was at the arrivals gate of an airport recently and it is a happy place to be. People waiting for their loved ones...people getting off flights expectant to see familiar faces waiting for them..some others who are looking for boards and name tags... and then there are loads of others who do not even spare a flashing glance to these people, some of them are couples and families who are absorbed within themselves and many others are lone travelers who just do not expect to see anyone.

It can be safely accepted that Indians do not tend to express their love for each other as freely as the Westerners do. And coming from the heart of South India, I can only be certain of this. As it is, our lifestyle has been quiet and laid back.. we dont dance at weddings or hug uncles and aunts. At the airport, some things that I saw made me wonder if the time has come for us to slip a lil bit out of our shells.

A kid just dumped his bag at the sight of his dad and ran to him like it was the happiest thing to have happened to him. A pregnant woman was waiting with her two toddlers for her husband. A very old woman was giving a warm welcome to three other old women who appeared like friends. I dont think I can see this frequently at Indian airports. We teach our kids to be careful with their bags and not talk to strangers, not many wives wait for their husbands and a reunion of old ladies is almost unheard of. All that we see are either friends/relatives picking up those who get off their flights/trains with a smile (these days it is getting better with friends atleast) or it is just those with "catch the next auto/taxi" thought on their minds.

It is time we understood that saying "I love you", "I missed you" or not worrying about people around you for a moment is not unpardonable. It is not restricted to love birds you know! A simple expression of love and affection is what makes you smile and be thankful for the wonderful life you have been gifted with.

A man never grows too old to be able to say he loves his parents, friends, spouse or/and children.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Just a matter of time....

Childhood carried all the innocent fun that has silently slipped off our hands. The distant sound of the bell of the ice cream wala, the evening bell everyday at school, DD music at the dinner hour, power shut down when you have 4 home works to submit the next day at school, being kicked out of the bed by your sister (this one is specific to me though;) ), the honk of your father's vehicle (escpecially if you are a daughter), crackers shopping the day before diwali....all these seem distant now. Time never gives you a forewarning does it?! We never knew it would be taken away from us so soon...and with all these small things that have managed to makes us happy for 20-odd years faded the innocence and the purity of the human heart.
All the while we traded being silly to be mature, being what we are to have socially acceptable etiquette, enjoying the moment to be planned ahead of time, taking things lightly to being responsible..and we never realized that no matter what the compromises we made would have to faced later in life....we never understood that innocence and childhood were given to us for a reason...
As a child, I thought having an "office job" was cool. You just have to go at 9 and be back at 5. Then Math and Biology were more dreadful. As the freshness fades...the failures, setbacks,struggles...not only to succeed but also to survive are becoming more evident. Its like a distant sight of moon....very pleasant,endearing...but little do we think of the craters.
And as childhood wanes there is something awaiting you...and there it comes with a bang! And the beginning of adulthood is marked by a few common things....
Fear of failure...the drive to perform (either from within or from outside) and the realities of life strike you hard. More often than not it is a necessity to survive rather than to better your life. The things at stake become huge...and so does the need to stay successful.
Uncertainty of the future..this is an inevitable feeling. On a given day you could be content...but never can you step ahead a few steps in life and be assertive of where you might be...
Social obligations which supercede personal preferences. This is universal...and of course Indians can relate more to it. You are no longer the child. You become the society and in spite of holding very strong opinions for/against certain things as a teenager, you find yourself either contradicting yourself, not expressing your opinion in order to conform to the crowd, not interested to express because you think your opinion doesn't change anything or just turning blind/deaf to the society.
Desperation and helplessness...This is my personal favorite and the most stinging. As kids, we dreamt of what our lives would be. There are two main things...the dream of what you will be professionally and who will be with you personally. The feminine gender has loads of its own...the dream wedding, the dream house etc., Coming back to where we were..adulthood takes you to places you never imagined of (both literally and figuratively). Geographic, interpersonal distances are the hallmark symptoms of adulthood. You can no longer do what you want to...Bu this I do not mean stifling your passions like you know learning dance or something. Am talking stuff that matter...your best friend's wedding, loss of your grand dad, going back home to mom's curd rice, your family reunion....things you would not have missed otherwise. Things that could have not been procrastinated, things that will not return, things that can make you feel like you were floating at that moment. Helplessness in that regard is the best form of torture you can dictate upon your enemy...
All you kids in schools and colleges right now...remember! Biology finals and Maths homework are any day better than soul searching and retrospection. Well...I know nobody will listen...
As they say...it is just a matter of time.