Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Stupid Effing Conspiring Universe

"All things are one. And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it."
From the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

The Alchemist, on the whole is a truly remarkable book. I read it when I was in school, and I swear I slept with it under my pillow for many nights. My best friend from school, still calls me up every time he thinks of the alchemist. If you are yet to read The Alchemist, and dont want the story ruined for you, please leave now, and return when you finish.

The Alchemist is about this boy Santiago who dreams of a treasure, makes his way from Spain to the pyramids in Egypt on the way falling in love and claiming his treasure and how the universe conspires to help him achieve it. I still think chasing treasure is a bad metaphor for chasing your dreams. I mean, would you really leave the love of your life for some treasure that may or may not exist?

The universe do conspire, as I keep finding out over and over much to my annoyance, but for what, that is the mystery. May be, Coelho has got it right, it conspires for you to achieve whatever you may want, but the problem with living in the modern world is nobody has any clue what they want. And the stupid effing conspiring universe is, -er- well, stupid. It apparently cant differentiate between the people who want something and people who are just confused. Or maybe, the confused people have screwed up the calculations. Or two people want the same thing. Or maybe, we are just part of a cosmic joke.

(I cant help but remember, Hitchhiker's Guide to Galaxy, book 4... the creator had this message for beings of this universe "Sorry for the inconvenience" )

To tell you the truth I have no clue how this universe works. Nobody does. But by the time I started college, I had figured out one thing about dreams or the things you want. They are one and the same. You cant dream your way out of reality. You cant wish your dreams into coming true. You cant be unprepared for your dreams to shatter like glass. If you have a dream, the universe may conspire and help you achieve it. Or the universe may conspire to throw a rock at your dreams, so they shatter before you get a chance to chase them. One way or the other, you cant predict it. And no, calling it stupid and effing doesn't help.

But here is the important thing. There are close to 7 billion people in this world. The universe apparently cant conspire for everyone at once. It ignores you more than it conspires for or against you. There is only one way to make your dreams come true. You fight for them. You wake up every morning, and you go to work to make your dreams come true. You dont complain or drown in self pity, but you pick up your hammer and start fixing what you want, starting from breakfast. And yes, you can fix your breakfast with a hammer (think seafood).

Yes, The Alchemist is a truly remarkable book. But it is a book, and that is the problem. If the packs of cigarettes should contain statutory warnings, the same should be applied to these books. Like I said, it is a truly remarkable book.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Happyness, or the pursuit that of

Life is not easy. A simple thing to say, simpler to accept. Yes you nod your head, and pass the sympathetic smiles like you do at times when you hear about death in a friend's family. But do you actually understand the pain at that moment? And likewise you don't, unless you pause and take a moment to consider life is not easy.

Many things in life are overrated, and you can go on about arguing what is and what is not. But the sad thing is, like you agree life is not easy but don't really understand the fact unless you stop to consider, there is only one thing in life that sure as hell is not overrated. It is happyness (spelt with a y in dedication to the awesome movie pursuit of happyness). I say sadly, because even though you agree, odds are you are still not doing anything about it. How many things we chase since childhood, beginning from toys, sweets and balloonds, affection, honor, respect, girls/guys, marks, booze, partying, career, money and the list goes on. But when do we pursue happyness, if we do at all.

Remember your first paycheck, and your happiness, did the subsequent ones brought anything more than relief at getting paid? Does your bank balance bring a smile to your face. When you were alone did your toys brought you comfort in your childhood, let alone happiness? Think of all the this on that list, or better still make your own list, and really think how much happiness did the things you chased madly brought you. If you are lucky, you will find the one thing that will be like a talisman in your heart, keeping you warm and happy in knowledge of its existence. If you don't, just think I am barking mad, and discard these silly mumblings of a pathetic poor idiot.

Amen to your happyness (or the pursuit that of).

As always, with love I remain

Yours Truly,
Void

Thursday, March 11, 2010

More from the Past

September 12, 2007

"I have a dream, a dream in which I see the time and hours I gave. I feel the tiredness in my limbs, I feel my eyes burning because I haven’t slept in so long. But I see a successful me, a better person."
--- From my early notes about Q4R

I cant believe I predicted the effect of Q4R this accurately almost a year in advance. To Q4R! Here is a toast to the dead already and a hurrah for the next to die.

October 1, 2007

Every step I take!

Every step that I take
Leads me to a road unseen,
I follow it in my heart’s wake
Full of pits and false stones,
I follow it in my heart’s wake.

The road beckons to me,
Whispering words of promise,
And feigning glimpse of the key,
To what it is that my heart seek.

And I knew that even before,
I set my foot on this treacherous path,
It is as they say in lores of yore,
My soul shall walk this path.

It is not the dangers I must face
That makes my stout heart shrink,
But the ghosts of past I must chase
So I can crawl, walk or run the road.

And in the deepest core of my heart,
Where no shadows ever fall,
For the light no darkness can part,
I wish, dream and hope.

I hope not for the quest,
To go well, undoubtedly as it shall.
But for courage so I can jest,
At every demon that dare.

I dream not of a better day,
For a better day shall surely come.
But for tiring limbs so I can say,
My sleepless night were not in vain.

I wish not for easy roads,
For toiling hard makes roads easy.
But for friends to share my loads,
So I can laugh, sing and be free.

I care not whiter to the road leads,
Colorful success or blinding pain,
Either way it’s a dream that feeds,
My heart and soul, while my body moves on.

Luv and Luck
Void