Row your boat!

Marvellously written are certain rhymes such as this one, subtle yet penetrating, simple yet full of profundity.

Row row row your boat gently down the stream, merrily merrily merrily merrily life is but a dream....

A message for life this little poem holds. And how cursorily its approached by us! Its so close to reality, in fact  a portrait of life this actually is. Each one of us , a wayfarer, on a boat, with a responsibility. We got to keep going but gently with care and happily because its just a journey we got to complete and all along be grateful for the blessings we have been blessed with unconditionally.

Rock, rock, rock your boat gently down the stream, if you see a crocodile don't forget to scream...

A warning against all dangers that can in different forms visit the travellers of life. And to such dangers one can and rationally one should call out for help. If not help but scream we must to ward off other travellers coming down the same route. Isn't this again a noble task we ought to carry out and reconfirm ourselves as the most blessed and sophisticated species on earth?

Row row row your boat gently to the shore, if you see a lion don't forget to roar...

There may befall certain events where we needn't lose our balance. Instead we got to stand tall and combat the tremors ransacking our life. These are the times when we got to hold fast to the rope of hope God has let down and  fight!  Like a champion!

Such beautiful words, embellished with jewels of wisdom deserve significant amount of praise. If only we could help our children grasp this message while singing and dancing to this rhyme, they might learn something about how to row their boats. 

Fairy scary tales!

Have you ever wondered why fairy tales are so tragic? I have, and lately I have been quite startled by this bizarre fact. Reading those tales out loud for my little son I cannot help but wonder as to why, people would write down such melancholy tales for innocent young minds. And the irony - we sing them out for our little ones, dancing and clapping to all the sadness therein.
If you still have difficulty ascertaining what I intend to drag your attention to then behold,

Humpty dumpty had a great fall.....

Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after......

Little Miss Muffet...there came a big spider.... and frightened Miss Muffet away....

Little Bo-peep has lost her sheep..

Rock-a-bye baby on the tree top....when the bough breaks the cradle will fall...down will come baby cradle and all..

Ladybird, ladybird....your house is on fire and your children are gone...

Ring-a-ring o' roses..A-tishoo! A-tishoo! We all fall down..

There was an old women....had so many children, didn't know what to do.

Now here we are...rhymes that we sing to amuse our tiny tots are all surprisingly, drenched in a pool of accidents and bruises and burns and sadness....
Ironic isnt it?
Enlighten me with your thoughts on it.

LOL

The day begins with a long list of activities in mind. A little space, however, from it is carefully extracted for personal gratification, intellectual development and may be a tad bit for personal grooming as well.

The sun rises, glaring down hard as is its custom, and by the time it reaches its precipice at 12:00 noon sharp, most of all the delicately planned and thoughtfully starred as very, very important chores have already been roasted crispy and golden waiting to be devoured.

What happened? Wither all the resolve?

You are a lady MADAM and that too married, ahan please don’t forget the most unavoidable truth;  a Pakistani woman you are!!

No offence to the nationality but the breed of people we have turned out to be, is marvellously horrific.

With a little baby in arms the world expects you to run up and down and down and up with your wobbly knees and wiggly legs as many times as possible. Because you are a mom, by default you must have (may be when all was dark) pledged to be on your own, never regret, never complain, never expect and never say NO. So now there is no backing away…get geared up!!

“NO” is clearly not a word for you. You just have to rinse it out of your system once and for all or else you will lose your license of being a wife cum mom cum bahu cum bhabhi.   

O hollow minded!!! What were you thinking when making plans? And slot for some Me-time?? Has your brain gone nuts??

Peanut butter over a toast of bread….ahhh…bus yahin tak pohanch hamari!!!

LOLz 

LONG LIVE THE KING !!!

As the dharna politics start to rot and give off a foul, defeated stench, the lights in the impeccable Parliament house shine again. Time has proven yet again, “the good” can see no night. And so I have finally snuffed out my ‘candle of hope’ and cajoled my mind to settle down after an incessant episode of somersaults. The picture is vividly clear now and my once blurred vision has recovered. Nawaz and gang are the righteous ones, sincere to the people, law abiding and pro-Pakistan. It was Qadri and Khan who were and are at fault. They are the real looters, marauders and butchers. The “BUTTs” incognito, the container walas, the defaulters! How can then one supposedly think of their victory! Long live the king of Raiwind and the knight of Larkana.

Actually there are so many theories / conspiracies that the mind at times turns a wrong turn—the forbidden territory of change, not at all meant for our Pakistani nation. How can we forget that the son of a king, the daughter of a jageerdaar are our rightful leaders and so shall remain for as long as D stands for Democracy, C for constitution and  S for stakeholders !

Far from the madding crowd.

I have never been fond of writing book summaries or reviews, but this one book that I recently finished demands that a few words be penned down about it.

Far from the madding crowd, is set in the country side with remarkably beautiful pieces of description of the environs that not in the least disturb the cadence and harmony of the story. An architect, Thomas Hardy takes keen interest in adding architectural details wherever necessary often transporting the reader into the place of discussion. His closeness to nature is pretty ostensible in the selection of his words.

“….this midsummer  evening, whilst the bristling ball gold in the west still swept the tips of the ferns with its long luxuriant rays….”

Hardy’s understanding of human nature, its many weaknesses and strengths is reflected clearly in the characters of this novel. With artistic beauty and precision, he blends in abstract feelings touching upon the finer often hidden characteristics of ordinary people.

“…extremity of feeling lessens the individuality of the weak, as it increases that of the strong.”

“…as in laughter there are more dreadful phases than in tears, so was there in the steadiness of this agonized man an expression deeper than a cry.”

The protagonist of the novel Bathsheba is loved, hated and admired as she progresses from conceit and impetuousness to humbleness and rationality. Her audacious spirit makes her not only undertake uphill tasks but also land her into a self-created abyss when a seemingly innocuous plan contrived by her turns Mr Boldwood, the very plain, disinterested and dull neighbor into an emphatic lover. This mutation of farmer Boldwood from an apathetic individual to a fanatical admirer is nonetheless interesting. Such tendencies do exist in ordinary people. A look around will reveal that people with such intense emotions are not very uncommon and may continue to live on undisclosed and normal until perturbed by an external stimulus which in most cases is love. As love happens to be the only feeling that qualifies, out of the many, in possessing the greatest permeability in all mediums.

Another interesting and serene character is Gabriel Oak. He is the first man in the story who proposes Bathsheba. All through the novel, he exhibits an unremitting tenacity of endurance very few people possess. His is a sublime character that grows and matures; fighting the pangs of selfless love, and despite being heartbroken and financially crippled let’s not his love come in the way of his sincerity and friendship with Bathsheba. He remains a bystander as Bathsheba pursues her dream of marrying the whimsical, clever and playful sergeant Troy, the man who very cunningly and stealthily robs her heart. It is when Bathsheba falls into his snare that she truly comprehends the magnitude of loss and pain she knowingly/ unknowingly inflicts on some people.  

Apart from these main characters the novel has at its periphery many other intriguing people, invaluable to the structure of the story. Besides, the text also illuminates the highs and lows of the society of those times.

A Classic novel usually progresses at its own pace and once over, lingers over the mind of its reader for a long time to come. The affect they create may be subtle and intense at the same time. This story is a good depiction of how a woman errs and falls from grace in her own eyes, and how certain eccentric traits in People can force this fragile sex to unwillingly commit themselves and their lives for the sake of the sanity of their passionate admirers.

More said would be injustice to the reader intending to self-discover the various hues of colors and emotions the novel expresses in monotones and other blends.   

All through the novel I missed my younger sister intensely who, while I read a classic left no stone unturned in coaxing out every detail of the story from me. And the invaluable discussions that thus ensued can never be forgotten. If you (little sister) are reading this, know that you are being deeply missed. 

THE GREEN MONSTER !!

The Green Monster:

Have you ever been attacked by a green monster that spits out a vile, offensive and venomous sputum, the after effects of which are untellable, leaving our inside and out burning in fire? Have you ever been able to ward off this unbearably painful strike?

Indeed these are sentiments first and then ailments that most of us experience regularly when the green obnoxious monster – JEALOUSY AND/ ENVY lick up all the goodness from our interiors. While envy and jealousy may be regarded as being two separate emotions stimulated by different causes, many a times, we may find an overlapping relationship between them. Jealousy is a milder version involving fear and anxiety of being ignored in the presence of another; it may also pertain to a low level of self-esteem and confidence and may be exhibited by people belonging to all age groups even a six month old kid as per research.   

Envy may be presumed a degree viler than jealousy as it tends to make the host desirous of robbing the other of a particular talent, skill, possession, status or relation. The affected may or may not also want to acquire that which the other possesses and in some cases may even will for the destruction of the object/individual igniting envy.    

Such emotions if contained within a reasonable frame of time and intensity may NOT be NEGATIVE at all. They may just come and go leaving us pondering over our weaknesses and our follies. Besides, they may even act as propellants for a varied sort of positive transformations. We all are born to err and supposing that we may never be affected by so and so sentiment is not only unrealistic but definitely sounds absurd.

A desire to be better than the other, to outdo, to finish first is very natural and can be carefully tended to and tamed if, from the very elementary levels of our lives we are taught the adequate ways of handling and overcoming them. Family undoubtedly stands out as the most important institution in tackling this matter followed by school, peers and eventually the society on a macro level.

How do we counter such feelings?

Let’s admit it to oneself; One way of dealing with it. Once you happen to realize the green monster releasing its venomous stench, be on your guard, identify why you harbor such a feeling and towards whom. Many a times we may be jealous or envious of someone because of our own weaknesses. Stop comparing yourself; learn to be content and thankful to God. There is this one thing called fate which undeniably masters our lives no matter what we do. Whether we like it or not, some of us may be good at something and some at others. Some might just be lucky while others may not receive the same rewards even after diligent sacrifices and efforts. Here acceptance may cure most of the illness and rid us of the ill will we possess for the other. A panoramic perspective of nature’s methods may rightly reveal that there is an equitable distribution of virtues and bounties based upon a person’s personal capabilities which only nature may be aware of. Regretting and possessing hate for the fortunate ones will only make us more vulnerable and incapable of even that which we once reveled and cherished in doing. In fact it may surely drown all the otherwise happy pieces we could have picked up on our way.

A lot of our positive traits may go waste if we become captive of this ever lurking monster. Nevertheless oceans of positive thinking and counseling can help us out of this pit. And the sooner we retrieve ourselves the better. And if you happen to come across any one infected by the bite of this ravenous monster, extending a helping hand  towards him/her would not only be a generous act on your part but would surely mend much of your own shortcomings. 

Selflessness or Self- denial:

Selflessness or Self- denial:

The ability to contribute to the well- being of a community and / the world as a whole in any form without engaging in self- glorification and or gratification of the carnal or sensual desires can be safely regarded as selflessness or altruism.

Whereas,

Neglecting ones acquired or inherited qualities, negating ones basic lawful demands, and living a life of self-effacement can be regarded as Self-denial.

While altruism may be very difficult to adopt and exhibit it often is confused with self-denial. The latter being draped in the garb of the former or vice-versa.  A very porous border sits between the two, easily transcended and thus produces much misunderstanding. 

As we live our lives, many of us may be making unfair sacrifices and stifling ourselves, denying ourselves of just justice with a proud notion of being selfless, humane and thus treading the right path; the path of the pious and righteous. However, we may not be what we think we are; Altruistic in the true sense of the word. Instead we might have unknowingly slipped into the terrain of self-denial. Unfortunately yet indisputably only the weak-spirited may choose to live such a life. It might be easy to run away in the forest and pronounce yourself a Samana following asceticism, but to bare the extremities of life and find solutions for the multitude hiccups and band-Aids for the numerous loopholes on the way is much challenging an ordeal. And history reveals that no civilization accomplished such arduous ordeals without there being several strands of selfless struggle supporting it. 

There hence erupts a very imperative need to keep ourselves constantly in check if exercising altruism. While selflessness may be healthy, self-denial may not, and can never be. If Homo sapiens have been blessed with certain   peculiar qualities and abilities, it sure is for a purpose. Fulfillment of our fundamental needs may never be lethal to a society’s well-being nor may contribute towards any catastrophe whatsoever if the methodology adopted for the fulfillment does not impinge on the safety, peace and existence of the ecosystem. And such attainment of needs will not turn us into selfish species. What should be taken into consideration is the fact that many selfless souls have indeed treaded this earth and most of what we possess today both material and immaterial is undoubtedly accredited to them. Hence altruism rightly is, the need of the hour. Had it not been for their selfless contributions the progression of human race with all its development would not have been possible.

To get recognized, to express oneself, to get identified, to outshine, to reach the summit; all this and much more is so intrinsic a part of human nature that to think of extricating these intentions from his personality may seem very unlikely. Identification, first as somebody’s someone (a daughter or son ) and then as an individual laced with particularistic capabilities  forms most part of our lives. Wanting the best life, living the best life is undeniably the epicenter, today, of our capitalist prone lifestyles. Nevertheless, proper and justified potencies of self-expression and self-actualization should not in any way be confused with selfishness as it is through these traits that we as humans may exert our rightful roles.

Challenging and befuddling, these terms may appear to be, but a modicum of the right sort of “S”expressed in the right way may work wonders; wonders that may likely change much of what we are today and wonders that may surely bring us towards a far better tomorrow.