Are we there yet?

When do we actually arrive?

From when we are born we are in a constant state of preparation. They prepare us so that we can get in to school. And then, they prepare us to go to college. This is just so that we will be prepared for the future.

When do we actually arrive at the 'future?' Where is this 'future?'

Once we finish college we think we will arrive there. Perhaps we do. We are suddenly faced with a whole new life of 'adulthood' before us. And we find ourselves fumbling, floundering and flustering. Has all our young days been spent preparing for this? We continue to do what we have best learned to do - to prepare for the future.

So when do we arrive? I believe that we arrive only when we learn that life is happening in the here-and-now. While we live with one eye on the future, we need to appreciate and relish the present. We need to be aware of the sands of time that we hold in our hands… and feel its grains even as it slips through our fingers… When we have learned that, we have arrived.

Freedom

Depending on others is looked down on. It is seen as a sign of helplessness. And independence is an exalted 'virtue.' People take pride in the fact that they lead their own lives and are self-made people and so on. However, my experience tells me that none of us are really independent. We are all interdependent. I need to depend on the farmer to grow food so that I can have food on the table. I depend on the grocer to procure that for me. He depends on a whole network of people to do that. None of us are really independent.

If this is the case, why are we so keen on being independent? This seems to have happened because of our understanding of freedom. With the past century's history widespread of colonization and oppression of people groups and nations, we've come to value freedom very highly. Freedom has become synonymous with independence. And thus, I think, we have elevated independence to such great heights that it is hurting us.

In fact, we have become prisoners of independence and in that, we have lost our freedom. Freedom to be real. Freedom to be vulnerable. Freedom to be ourselves. We seek so much to appear strong and independent, we are willing to be who we are not. We enslave ourselves to work so that we can make enough money to be 'independent.'

We don't stop at that. We imprison those who appear weak by expecting them to measure up to our standards of independence.

There's room for more...

Inclusion and exclusion are concepts that I have been toying with in my head for quite some time. I have been wanting to write about it, but the thoughts were pretty hazy and not complete. I cannot claim that I have resolved it entirely. Anyways, here goes…

In the 'The Inner Ring,' C. S. Lewis talks about one seeking to be in the inner ring. Many seek to be part of the inner ring. Many create the inner ring. The inner ring is created by exclusion. In Nineteen Minutes, this kid who is part of the 'cool clan' says something to the effect of "There can't be 'us' without 'them.'" It is almost as if the inner ring is created so that 'I' can feel special. Then, the sole motivation and the reason for survival of the inner rings, it seems, is because it acts as a crutch on which our flailing, floundering, insecure ego can support itself.

When I try to understand how Jesus lived, I found Him to be a very inclusive person. There was always room for the outcast, the sinner, the goof ball, the scum at His table. I believe that this inclusion stems from His security. He was secure in His identity. He knew who He was. He didn't feel the need to protect Himself and His ego. He didn't need to have a platinum credit card, be a member of 'exclusive' clubs, wear expensive designer clothes and accessories to make Himself feel significant*. He knew who He was and He was okay with that. And this, I guess, made people comfortable too. They didn't have to have certain 'qualities' so that they can be included in His exclusive club**.

Well, let me see what the point of this post was. Well, I was just wondering how inclusive I was willing to be… And I guess the only way I can become inclusive is if I am secure in who I am.

Social inclusion is a concept that I have come across during the course of my work. I guess for social inclusion to happen, that social institution/organization needs to be secure in what it is.

* This is not to say that it is wrong to have these things. I am only questioning the motive behind having and seeking after these things.

** This is to accept that, yes, it has been made out to be exclusive clubs these days. But I believe that Jesus did not intend it to be that way.

The book meme: Pt 2

I was tagged for a second and third time for the book meme. And since there are so many books to choose from, i am playing it for the second time.

Again, there are so many books to choose from and I am wondering which one it should be…

Alright. It is going to be my last weekend read - Agatha Christie's Five Little Pigs.

And the sentences,

"No."

The word came sharply - with almost an anguished rapidity Meredith Blake said, his face flushing:

"I abandoned the whole thing - dismantled it. I couldn't go on with it - how could I?"

And i am not tagging anybody particular this time around. Play along if you choose to.

Child Labour

Yesterday was observed the Anti-Child Labour Day. And Child Labour is apparently illegal in India. That being the case, I wonder why I saw a 12-something kid standing in the middle of the road, trying to open a man-hole with a crow-bar. He was standing behind this Metro Water lorry.

World Vision India and NalandaWay have organized an exhibition - At the Cost of Childhood - to put on spotlight the existence and reality of child labour. It is open till tomorrow. I am hoping to visit tomorrow.

When bloggers meet...

...we blog about it.

Chennai bloggers meet is something that's already been reported in quite a few blog and in the media as well.

Well, when I read about bloggers meet in the many blogs that I have come across, I did not think that it would happen here. And I did not imagine myself attending one... Wait. May be I did. Anyways, when I heard about it I wasn’t quite sure why I wanted to attend it. I almost gave it up for my Sunday afternoon nap, but decided to go. That was that. I went. Met people that I had met before. The only blogger that I knew in person was Anju. And there were many others whose blogs I had no idea existed. And was glad to discover some of them.

You can read about how some people almost caused a riot in these three blogs.

And oh, I got a t-shirt too… While some people got two… Hmpf.

North and South

Global South was a phrase I heard quite a bit when I was travelling this time around. And all i have to say is this...

Global North and Global South are not geographical demarcations… They exist in every neighbourhood...

Six-word memoir meme

Sandy tagged me with the six-word memoir meme so long ago. Here are the rules.

1. Write the title to your own memoir using six words.

2. Post it on your blog.

3. Link to the person who tagged you.

4. Tag five more blogs.

While Sandy had a couple of interesting titles, the best that I could come up with for my memoir is this:

This weird thing called 'my life…'

(yes, I'm ending it with three dots/ellipsis…)

Now, I tag Anju (because she likes this kind of stuff), Brandy ('cos I think her life is darn interesting - well, at least the way she narrates stuff), Angel ('cos I haven't heard from her so long), Clarissa ('cos she hasn't heard from me for so long), and Julie ('cos she's in the process of writing novels. She might as well get started on her memoir).

Venting out...

One of the best ways to write something when you have nothing to start of with is to just start. And that is what I am doing. I am hoping that as I go along something will come out of this process. Also, I seem to be writing only when I don't feel the greatest. Perhaps I like venting out.

But what do I vent out about? That the world is not going to change and there is no use trying to? That I still am the hypocrite that I always knew I was? And worse still, I refuse to do anything about it… Or do I wonder about the whole meaning and purpose thing? I have done it all before. Yet, it has taken me nowhere. So here I am, venting out still…

So this has been a pointless post. Sorry about that.

Tangle

It is all a pointless tangle

Knotted in

Knotted out

The seeker and his journey

The lover and his longing

The rich and his wealth

The poor and his anguish

The meaning and the search for it

Untangling it

Sometimes slowly

Sometimes hurriedly

Sometimes giving up

Pointless Pointless

For the tangle remains