A Mind Of Their Own

A Mind Of Their Own...

A person with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds.
Mark Twain

My last post ‘Stagnancy’ turned out to be quite literal. Or rather succeeded in contradicting me for a long time. It’s been so long while I wrote anything at all, and it is very irritating. The feeling of my words having a mind of their own, it makes me very prematurely feel like a mom whose kids are not-so-very-obedient to say the least. I was discussing with a lot of people individually how writing is something that just happens in my case. I seem to be completely at a loss when I want to write or am asked to write. While, it is days like these, like today, when Microsoft word 2007 opens of its own volition and I start penning down, rather typing out more torture for you. I kind of like the fact that my essay/post eventually chooses a name for itself rather than inheriting the name’s purpose.

Of course, it does worry me that in future if I have to write essays, articles as a requirement it might turn out to be worse than what they are now. My English teacher in school used to tell me, “Priyanka, you have to learn not to write the way you speak. You have to learn to write keeping the reader in mind.” She meant well I know. I love her. But I have a few reasons to contradict her, even though the contradiction is entirely unintentional and uncontrollable. First, writing is something personal to me, even a school essay, these are my words, I cannot be diplomatic or not be me. Second, how can I be presumptuous enough to claim I know what my reader wants? When I speak, when I write, when I draw even when I think I can’t help being me, I don’t want to be anything but me. Of course, I am not being an idealist here; I am not claiming that I have always been so honest. But I do claim that I try to filter and colour my views as much as possible, we do live as a society but I cannot give up my individuality. I have views and I respect them.

I don’t know yet what I am trying to write, probably I am just typing the conversation going on inside my head between me and me, in the middle of a terrible head-ache though. I have been waiting for something to affect me so much so as to make me write something, it hasn’t happened yet, but maybe this writer’s block is what I had to write about. Probably the fact that be it music, painting, writing anything which we create is something which is larger than us. Maybe, just maybe, it is the creation which makes us make it possible. A random thought, but it is something which inspires awe and humility in me. Our work defines us and not vice versa. Now, I still don’t know when I might be able to write again, but I just hope, that my words keep wanting to be heard. I just hope that my dreams keep wanting to be achieved, and I forever remain an instrument to make them a reality.

Stagnancy

Stagnancy

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

I read this word and I remember my biology lesson on Amoeba. Well, that was when I had heard the word first, Amoebae are found mainly in stagnant water bodies. Hence, amoeba is kind of equivalent to stagnancy in my over-analytical-hyper-imaginative-insanely-logical head. The logical conclusion follows that I dislike stagnancy in any form.

I read today in a novel a phrase called “The Human Condition”, it meant that human beings do not like change. The phenomenon of inertia supports this view. But, on a personal level, which I so believe in, I beg to differ. I have noticed that I am constantly in the lookout for change. I like to see things, grow and evolve. I like randomness, chaos and disorder. And just as inertia proved the tendency to stagnate, the phenomenon of Entropy supports me. That the ultimate stability lies in the highest possible degree of disorder and to achieve that a spontaneous reaction must occur.

Although I realize that it is very simple to observe the benefits of stagnancy, the comforts it has to offer one cannot deny the thrills of unpredictability and change. People crave safety, yet that is utopic. We always want good things to remain the way they are, but we always hope for the bad things to get over. Why this hypocrisy? If we are ready to accept the change in bad things, why can’t we accept the mortality of good?

The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be transferred from one form to another. We always look at the first part of it in theory, but the practical and the important part is the second half of the law. Transformation is the key.

We all love the breeze blowing and ruffling the leaves of a tree, does anyone like the Fog?

If we accept changes in nature as a necessary and welcome occurrence, why is it so hard to accept changes in our lives? Is it possible to achieve growth without change? Is it possible to achieve success without it being transformed from our efforts?

Although I’d like to clarify, the change I talk about deals with adaptability and openness to new ideas. It does not imply fickle-mindedness. When I talk of learning to change I do not undermine solidarity or constancy. I talk of constancy and adaptability over stubbornness and stagnancy.

In principle, I like change, the need for safety being present in me too, but the curiosity and thrill of novelty winning hands down!

“If you don’t create change, Change will create you.”