Tumultuous Lexicon

Since childhood, we (as in my gang of close friends and I) were men of simple taste. Being from middle class families and brought up in a no fun city like Delhi (0 Rs. = 0 Fun) meant that our sources of recreation were quite limited. Making the situation grimmer was the ever present fear in our heads to do well at studies and excel at engineering entrances, even if it meant letting go of all other hobbies and leisure activities. Although these activities were not much, mostly cricket, books, television and daydreaming, but they were the only available means to derive pleasure. Well, this post is not about regretting the limited amusement resources we had in our school days but to celebrate what we did with the little at our disposal. The credit for most of it goes to Aman though, for he is the creative mind behind what I want to discuss. As the topic suggests I am referring to the conversations and the underlying language that we came up with which had become our new source of laughter and fun in whatever free time we got or even when we came together for something more serious (atleast per our folks!). I still remember how we spent hours (and sometimes days) at each other’s homes working on assignments, projects or just hanging out and pretending to study while we were dishing out fresh words and sentences using our new found grammar while simultaneously wiping tears of laughter.

For the prudence of incumbents, the language was a bit vulgar but never in the same taste as to what people think of when they discuss Delhi and its inhabitants. I know it’s a vulgar city especially for women and even though it is the capital of the country, its still one of the most hypocritical societies around. That has basically left a gap between the male and female populace which studies together in various schools within the city but tends to fail in growing up as a properly mixed, friendly and mutually respectful social group. Coming back to my topic, although we were in such surroundings and the lingo we devised was a bit vulgar, it was never used disgracefully against any specific person or a particular sex as such. It was always limited to usage between us friends and was understood to be a source of merry times only! But boy did we laugh and enjoy speaking that tongue…..in fact we still do when ever we talk online, on the phone or in person. It is something which connects us, making us feel special within the company of close friends.

I know you readers are getting impatient as to what is this lingo that I keep talking about over and over again. Well folks, I am extremely sorry to say that I can’t disclose the nature of this secret code of communication. It’s not just about breaking an unspoken pact between my friends but it’s also about the shock that might set upon when you imagine me uttering such words. So let’s just close this conversation by summing up that it is my special remembrance from childhood while in retrospect other kids got parties, cultural activities, dating and expensive sports which for us looked good only on TV. Even if it sounds ridiculous when compared to such activities, I can assure you that it meant the best laughs in the world to us. Truly amazing what an undying need could do in terms of pushing your creativity and self expression!

Tormenting Polarities

We are constantly fighting a mental war deep inside our minds, a war between the complete and the incomplete picture. I am sure we all have read or heard numerous expressions which state that living a meaningful life means living in the moment, enjoying what you have today or have been blessed with and stop wondering about what it could have been had certain things worked out differently. We know how true that is and how it makes complete sense in a perfect world! But the point is we don't live in a perfect world, we are not ideal humans....atleast not the most of us!

There is a constant desire in all of us to imagine how things would be if a few ideal events occurred and you get what you always wanted badly. Wouldn't it make your life beautiful? Winning the lottery you bought......getting a ‘yes’ from your dream girl whom you proposed to or simply your wish to visit that fancy restaurant more often! It puts you in a constant state of gazing as to how exquisite everything would seem after that......but only if it had happened. Following are a few suggestions for people who are in a similar state of disarray between these polar ends and are looking for some feeder thoughts, mind you this is not a guiding light but only some words put together that make sense to me after going through similar instances and introspecting on them carefully-

1. It is not, and I repeat NOT, a sin to think of how things would be in an ideal scenario
2. Why?...well first of all because you can!!!
3. Secondly, dreams and hopes are quintessential drivers that feed our imagination and creativity. So choose wisely!
4. Thirdly, without those dreams of perfect worlds and with your imbibed sense of full contention, you will most certainly lose the drive to move ahead in life
5. In order to be progressive you need goals, and these ideal/perfect dreams give you goals to meet and efforts to dispense
6. But…..remember that getting carried away and becoming overtly obsessive are the common side effects of doing the same
7. You have to be cautious that greed and impatience don’t overcome you. The first when things start getting a bit too easy for you to achieve and the second when it starts getting harder every day to bring the pieces together into a single frame

At the end of it all, mistakes are always expected …… but if you don’t try, would it be worth calling yourself human? Life is all about trying and failing….that’s where the fun is…….once you succeed there’s no fun for that goal’s been achieved and the objective stricken off….there’s nothing more to keep you challenged. Hence, its time to move on and dig a new hole to fill……