Going, Going, Gone, for 2012!

     It was afternoon already, and the feeling had started sinking in. The year was (and still is) ending. Possibly, this is one of the last documents I mentioned a 2011 date on.
     A lot has happened in 2011, must still be happening in many parts of the world, for it's New Year in Japan just now (yes, I looked it up :P). I am no record of history, but I am pretty sure many people were born in 2011, many have died    and many must have been stillborn. Many must have had windfalls, many must have gone broke, many must have got a means of earning, and many must have lost their means of livelihood. Many must have tried and succeeded, while many must have tried and failed    many must have got buried in the debris of their losses, while some may have found a way to rise from their own ashes.

Random, nice picture. :P

     Some may have found their God; some may have questioned Its existence, and some may have stopped believing . Many must have made new acquaintances, some may have 'taken it to the next level' and some may have split up. Many must have brushed people away, and while many got brushed away, some people must have watched, some must have heard.
     Some people must have learnt to tolerate, a few must have learnt to speak up for what they are, and many must have given up hope. Many must have numbed themselves to pain, many must have learnt to enjoy sadistically meting it out. Many must have learnt to converse in newer and newer computer-languages; some ancient 'dying' languages might have died while you possibly were at learning a computer-language.
     I think, a lot of people must have seen the eclipse take over the moon completely, while many must have watched Eclipse, albeit the twentieth time. Many must have got up at five in the morning to watch the sun rise, peek over the horizon, while many will have pined for a minute of sleep in their mosquito-infested surroundings. Many must have stared in bemused wonder at what the magic-word electricity is, and yet, many must have been unable to pay to see the magic happen.
     Many must have spoken, criticised, debated, argued, fought, rioted, killed, massacred, abused, raped.
     Many must have been spoken to, criticised, debated, argued and fought with, killed, massacred, abused, raped, begged for a better way of dying.
     Many, I hope, must have wondered at how beautiful life is, while many must have thought how pointless it is, for the Earth going round the Sun to finally arrive at the same place every 365 days.
     I am not sure which legion I have belonged to. Maybe I have been a bit of everything. I've done all I have, and I have tried, unsuccessfully, to peek into the future and I have thought and got nostalgic and sometimes regretful over the past. I've bettered myself, I think, at writing and singing, and have learnt to both love and hate myself    to have multiple points of view. I have learnt to hate Economics (and still having to do it,) have let myself fall for Psychology (and some other people :P). I've jumped out of a running train and have made out in the oddest of places, have been clingy and at times, (startling even myself,) courageous. I have had flings and have unsuccessfully tried blending in    all before finally agreeing to be    not stay    myself.
     I have hurt, I've been hurt, I've forgiven, and pretended to have forgiven. I've forged some excellent relationships, got some broken, and whatever it's been, it's been worthwhile.
     I've grown up a little, and so has Time.

Giving Without Another Thought?

रहिमन वे नर मर चुके जे कहुं माँगन जाय l

उनते पहले वे मुए जिन मुख निकसत नाहिं ll

(Says Rahim, that those that keep asking for, are dead;

but the ones who refuse to give have been dead for longer.)

     

     They say that the simplest words convey the deepest sentiments. I am not sure they remain simple ever after that. I was speaking to a friend of mine on Facebook and I, suddenly, thought I should write something I can, about Rahim's doha I've typed out above.
     I have been in a number of situations where I have had to ask for things from people, borrow    a pen, a pencil maybe. How dead am I? Is self-reliance above all other merit? It is a matter of killing your pride, a small part of it, when you go asking for things, when you don't have things you need. But how much is it your fault? In my case, it was, for I have just been careless. But what is it about the hundreds of thousands who beg on the streets of the world? They might be a part of rackets to 'loot' people. But I don't see how they have an option against it. It's like a magic trick gone wrong, like the magician losing themselves to their own game.

     At the same time, I have been at the giving end. A good ten people hopped into the First Class compartment today in the morning, and they apparently did not 'look' like people who would waste a bulk for something like a one-day train-travel by 'First Class' in Mumbai. A man refused to let an old man share some part of the extra-long seat he was occupying. Fortunately, there was enough place elsewhere, so the old man got to sit. The people had got in at Dadar and were about to get down at VT. That is quite short a distance, and there is hardly any crowd between the two stations. I wonder how different or difficult it would have been to give an old man some place to sit    in fact, only share a part of your seat. Many of those people might not get to see Mumbai again in their lives. They might not be able to pay a hefty fine if asked for by a Ticket Checker, but that is another story altogether. How much of a role does a poor person play in their 'attempt' to remain poor for generations?
     And another subhashita in Sanskrit comes to my mind.

एकेन तिष्ठताधस्तादन्येनोपरि तिष्ठता l
दात्रुयाचकयोर्भेदः कराभ्यामेव सूचितः ll

The relationship between a giver and a taker is demonstrated well by a hand above another, it says. I wonder what shows the relationship between the hoarder and the beggar    if there is one at all.