I managed to watch a very good bengali play titled 'Daibaddha' at Ranga Shankara yesterday; which was accompanied by some very good acting by members of the theatre group 'Sayak' from Kolkata. It was an intense experience with a not very complex, but emotionally charged story that chips away at the rigid dimensions of the society that we live in today. More here: Daibaddha - SYNOPSIS
Lately I have been losing interest in reading; which has been my favourite pastime. Having started reading several books I seem to be lacking both the energy and the interest to plough through them at this juncture – not sure if there is something like a reader's block akin to writer's block (which is also something I feel I am in the grips of ) – or perhaps 'book fatigue' – which apparently has set in for a while now. Among the ones in the 'Currently Reading List' for more than a few months now, none of which I have completed yet, are: 'The Tin Drum' by Gunter Grass, 'The Name of the Rose' by Umberto Eco, 'Love In the Time of Cholera' by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 'The Golden Gate' by Vikram Seth and 'Freakonomics' by Steven Levitt (this has been a rather enjoyable read till now and the only one I am still actively pursuing). I shall guess that this disinterest is a weird temporary phase and will evaporate as time passes by.
Lately I have been losing interest in reading; which has been my favourite pastime. Having started reading several books I seem to be lacking both the energy and the interest to plough through them at this juncture – not sure if there is something like a reader's block akin to writer's block (which is also something I feel I am in the grips of ) – or perhaps 'book fatigue' – which apparently has set in for a while now. Among the ones in the 'Currently Reading List' for more than a few months now, none of which I have completed yet, are: 'The Tin Drum' by Gunter Grass, 'The Name of the Rose' by Umberto Eco, 'Love In the Time of Cholera' by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 'The Golden Gate' by Vikram Seth and 'Freakonomics' by Steven Levitt (this has been a rather enjoyable read till now and the only one I am still actively pursuing). I shall guess that this disinterest is a weird temporary phase and will evaporate as time passes by.
Hi Shamit,
ReplyDeleteMy take on this -
I've learnt to limit my own 'requirement parameters' in friendship to 'character' and simplicity. Its best to not have expectations. Maybe we need to learn to dislike fewer things. yes, hope is what drives human life. and hope is a good thing:)
Karthik
Writing (in my experience) is one of the smoothest outlets for any soul harrying..so am guessing you're already feeling better :>
ReplyDeletei agree that the fewer your expectations, the less you have to lose. On the other hand I must confess that I'd rather trust and be disappointed than not trust at all.
very true, one end of the spectrum does make the other end harder to handle!but really for every 10 plastic smiles, even one genuine one is still a heavily biased ratio! Ignore the rest..they don't matter anyhow
Oh well, now that Laas has posted her comment, there isn't much for me to say (I would've posted the same comment, knowing how similar we two are, thought-wise). But totally agree with her. I would rather trust and be disappointed than not trust at all. Constant distrust can drive me quite crazy! The golden rule being, "People are nice unless they prove otherwise".
ReplyDeleteAnd agree with Karthik as well (with Karthik's knack for saying things in 'as many words', there isn't much more than can be said). And I also am SO glad that "God gave us relatives, thankfully, we can choose our friends". So, just have these few things in mind (that must or mustn't be there in the person), uske baad, adjust maadi! :D
This world is FULL of nice people (I've come across SO MANY that I can vouch for this fact). All you need to do is to reflect them within you! A hearty smile does it all! Whoever said, A smile is a curve that can set everything straight, had SOME worldly wisdom, I say!
(time for me to go grab breakfast, I said I didn't have much to say and the comment already looks too long) :D
Yes Karthik your parameters are very useful. And yes dislike has to be reduced but not everything can be. Laasya, I agree, trust and respect are essential - but we cannot always be sure what people expect - and the mutual aspect or the lack of it can turn things sour.
ReplyDeletePritesh, yes people are assumed to be good unless they prove other wise - words of wisdom there!! :) Also 'adjust maadi' can sometimes be taken too far, but it is the most practical thing I guess. Better wear the shades of good and have a good time than viciate life with the googles of distrust and dissappointment.
Appreciate the inputs!
Hello Shamit,
ReplyDeleteSince there are 4 earlier responses for the more serious issue of finding companionship in this big bad world, I will say a bit about the lesser of the problem. That of your current loss of interest in reading.
Over the years, I have found that my efficiency in reading books is about 25%. That is, I end up reading (finishing) only 1 out of 4 books I purchase. Meanwhile, I end up reading many others I pick up from unplanned sources. It's been my dream to have rack full of books I have read and can suggest my tasteful guests about them with some informed comments (I don't wish to hide my vanity there ;) ). However, woefully, I haven't read most of the books in my book rack. And going by the stats, won't end up reading many of them too. In short, I read. But, I don't read the way I plan to. It happens in a haphazard way.
I guess, it's good to take it cool for a while. It's OK if you find some respite from the heavyweights like The Tin Drum (a mighty difficult book I would say) in lightweights like Freakonomics. It keeps your reading engine running, albeit in an idling state. You won't have to go through starting pangs when you want to go full-throttle again.
That is, no need to worry yourself about the lull in your reading. It's a habit that doesn't go so easily. Try actually dropping it. Most probably, you won't succeed! :)
OK, I am able to relate as your situation is somewhat like what I am facing - except that was not the case before my efficiency had been near 100% (as per your definition) :)
ReplyDeleteYeah guess I am already in a lull period ;) Thanks for commenting Sujit ... And yeah Tin Drum is rather good - have to start sometime; Freakonomics is enjoyable though.