Friday, April 11, 2008

Easy Tonight

Nothing is easy. Here's something I am listening to a loop thanks to a certain sibling of mine...
From "Five for Fighting"-

You were wrong
You were right
You are gone
Tonight

You were free
So alive
You were wrong
You were right

You were down
You could see
You wore hearts for me

You were sharp
Sharp as knives
You were wrong
You were right

Shot down... said you never had the chance
Took a ride on a suicide romance
Could have sworn there was somebody home
To facilitate the great unknown
Woman, I ain't going to meet you anywhere
Don't know where I'm going yet...
But I sure am getting there

Shotgun fire... anybody home?
I got two dimes in the telephone, Alright...
It's not easy tonight

You were bound
You were free
You wear black for me

You were dark
Dark as night
You were wrong
You were right

Shot down...said you never had the chance
Took a ride on a suicide romance
Could have sworn there was somebody home
To facilitate the great unknown
But woman, I ain't going to meet you anywhere
Don't know where I'm going yet...but I sure am getting there

Shotgun fire... anybody home?
I got two dimes in the telephone
Alright... it's not easy tonight

She's in over my head and it's not easy, it's not easy tonight

You were free. Now your not...You were free

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Quote...UnQuote

The plague of our kind in this world is our innate obsession with oversimplifying anything.
We love our quotes, those condensed concoctions of voluminous philosophy. But one fine day, when you look into your inbox, where there is a new quote everyday sent in by some really enthusiastic person, with some amount of clarity in your otherwise completely pre-occupied head and some time to ponder (which, going by the trend of 2008 can also be defined as "Vacation") there is a chance you might feel slightly irritated with these condescending people of the past pushing their wisdom into your thoughts like cholesterol (the bad kind) in the guise of tasty junk food being pushed into the populace everywhere.
The theme being - "You asked for it. Now Enjoy."

To me, Quotes are simply personal opinions. Just because you are famous in your lifetime and people preserve your words doesnt mean they are essentially right. So many of Yogi Berra's quotes are famous because they are funny (hilarious even). Also, your wise and true observation of something at some point of time ( & History) may not be relevant when the world changes. Sometimes contradictory quotes for the same subject appear equally valid.

I felt the compulsion to state and publish my thoughts on this because of the following words that appeared in front of my face in Monotype Corsiva at 36 size-
" Holding on to anger, resentment and hurt only gives you tense muscles, a headache and a sore jaw from clenching your teeth. Forgiveness gives you back the laughter and the lightness in your life."-Joan Lunden, in Healthy Living Magazine
To me that is utter crap. Granted that the guidelines to life are that you are supposed to stay happy for most of it, but imply that anger/hate/disgust is bad or unnatural is just sticking your head into the sand and pretending there is no sun.
You know which observation makes more sense to me with regards to the subject of the quote?This dialogue from a legendary movie starring a lead actor (called 41 below), who passed away recently.Yes, you remember this one-
"Your eyes are full of hate, Forty-one. That's good. Hate keeps a man alive. It gives him strength." -Quintus Arias
Here's to you Charlie boy! [* raises a plastic beverage holder of Mocha Frapuccino and takes a sip in honor of the newly dead]

One more of the pithys thrust upon my busy mind that I dont accept as taking into account all realities of life-
"Fortune helps the brave." Terence (185 BC - 159 BC), Phormio.
I am not even going to take the trouble to explain why I disagree.

When something is complex or multilayered, acknowledge that fact and give any topic its due. There are things that cannot be summarized into bullet points or amusing quotes. Things are rarely simple and thanks be to god for that!

Overcomplexified & loving it,
Rain

Sunday, April 06, 2008

Newfound Narcissism

Its official...I have put on back whatever weight I had lost, in just 2 weeks of lapsed time.
Nevertheless, the confidence in my looks that I had gotten for the first time, thanks largely to an excellent portrait photo by a friend in law, hasnt waned yet.

Today I had the good fortune to have yet another passably good portrait photo of me taken when I was least expecting it. I was just in my friends' to pick them up on our way to Valabha Ganapati Temple when I walked in on a full-fledged photoshoot and they were kind enough to include me in the last 3 shots. Although, I have firmly become the mayor of AuntyLand, I saw bits of my mother in my photos today and that made me happier about my appearance than I can remember being. She is a handsome woman. If I had more of her in me, I'd be very sought after!

Anyway, one more official news - I like how I look.
May not be earthshaking to most, but its quite significant that one should feel good about themselves. Even most transitory and materialistic parameter like how you look matters to your self image. Your self image in turn matters to your attitude, personality, confidence, how you present yourself to others and ultimately how others will see you. No new findings here, just that I am able to actually accept the stuff I have been just reading about for so long.

Now that I have moved to the pro-marriage camp (not that I was expressly against it at any time, just that I didnt want me married) its quite important that the looks factor and all the psychological issues behind it are sorted out ASAP (hate that word still, yes). I have been asked to make peace with the fact that potential grooms have only my grainy pictures to make up their minds for the first level of showing 'interest' (provided the horoscope, profile, age, vital statistics .etc. are all matching...which is a blooming miracle of probability).

Even if not with the intention of making me more nubile, I hope to atleast convert the new joy of me into wearing uncreased clothes to work and brushing my hair when I go out.

A Model Me,
Rain