Perspective

“So, what happened?”

“Sometimes, weird things happen in such a way that you are reminded of your place in the world.”

“Here we go again.”

“It was you who asked.”

“All right, all right, go on.”

“Do you ever get the feeling of how, in certain situations, everything feels like a house of leaves, moments before the wind?”

“Dude, what have you been smoking? Is everything okay?”

“It's all good, man. Answer me though, have you ever really felt the fragility of it all: this world we are in, the life we lead, the stories in our heads, our hopes and dreams, how all could vanish in an instant, just like that.”

“Oh, it's one of those topics today. Yes, I would say everyone probably feels like that at some point, you're not really special. I would say the real test is in handling your shit with this knowledge.”

“I almost had an accident today. I was riding my motorbike home and suddenly, the rear wheel stopped spinning and dragged me to a halt within seconds. There was a truck behind me which braked and stopped inches before it rear-ended me. Rear-ended may be putting it mildly here. So the chain had come off the sprocket and wound itself around the axle in a tight knot, something which is pretty common with bicycles but had never happened with my motorbike before.”

“Whew, that was close!”

“It was. Interesting how in moments like these, nothing really matters, your success and achievements, your money and fame, your intellect and acumen, a freak occurence of the right impact has the potential to reduce it all to zero.”

“Yeah. Most days you're on autopilot. You have a plan, a routine in the back of your mind which you abide by. You're probably consciously creating it in the beginning, but over time it becomes so ingrained that you're hardly even aware of its deep presence. Some days, through freak occurence or otherwise, the universe reminds you who's in control, and your well oiled machinery goes for a toss. The upheaval is sudden and least expected. Over time though, you learn to get used to it.”

“So what, you just give up control and learn to be okay with it?”

“No, you remain humble in the knowledge that control is an illusion. Look around you, no one has complete control, the ones who think they do are deluding themselves. There was this time I was on a beach in Goa, trying to go for a swim. I was all pumped up and excited — it was a vacation after a long time. Confident in my swimming abilities, I went in slightly deeper than I was used to. The water was up to my shoulders, but my feet were still touching the sand. If you stand facing the sea beyond a certain distance from the shore, most waves simply pass you by and crash behind you; but when they pass you, you get briefly lifted up by the ocean as you ride the wave's crest. It's an absolutely wonderful feeling, to surrender like that.”

“That sounds like a great experience.”

“Oh, definitely. On this particular day though, after enjoying a few crests like that, a ridiculously large wave started building up, and I knew it would crash in front of me. I was too far from the shore, and suddenly the word surrender began to take on a different connotation. I held my breath and turned my back towards the wave as it thunderously crashed and swept me off my feet, pummeling me and sending me tumbling around like laundry in a machine. I swallowed lots of water, but surfaced soon after. Once I got the chance to breathe again, I learnt to give the ocean the respect it was rightly due.”

“Wow, but to be honest you were kind of tempting fate there. In areas of the sea where waves don't crash, you can be caught in undercurrents which can pull you further out.”

“I know, I know. This wasn't some random occurence like yours, but arrogance in the face of a larger force. Quite literally in fact — you can't really stand a chance in front of the forces that move the ocean waves if you try to bite more than you can chew... Anyway, what did you do after you got stuck?”

“Some folks were kind enough to lend me a hand in lifting and dragging my bike. I parked it in front of a roadside shop and started looking for a mechanic. No bike repair shop was open though, so I started walking home, resolving to get it repaired in the morning, hoping it won't get stolen. I have to say, you don't really know the city streets until you actually walk on them. You can ride past, and drive through all you want, but the full experience is reserved for the solitary walkers.”

“Yeah, maybe I should walk more often.”

“I went from posh streets, to a crowded town, to a highway, to a pretty dark and shady looking area before I finally reached home. Took some time out of my well oiled routine machine as you called it and tried to get some perspective. I stopped at a sweetshop for some milk cake, because sometimes after the universe shows you who's in charge, you need milk cake to console yourself. Once I reached home, I penned down this rather long and rambly conversation”

“Hehe, nice. Wait, WHAT? Who am I? Hello… hello…?”

“Shh baby… it's ok.”

Cover art by Jack Anstey