BEAUTY OF DEATH AND SURVIVAL. STRONG MESSAGE TO THE TERRORISTS

Many years ago, I was randomly going through my newsfeed and I read about this man, who played cello at Baghdad bomb site, minutes after the deadly explosion. I think his name was Karim Wasfi. I vividly remember reading his interview. Upon asking why he did that, he answered that he wanted to minimise the damage through his art. He wanted to reach equilibrium – between tragedy, madness, pain on one side, and an artistic expression that defies it on the other.

I was going through my newsfeed again and I saw a man in Houston playing piano in his flooded house. His house was full of water. It was absolutely ravaged by the natural disaster. And he was sitting calmly there, playing piano. That's what art is: it helps you create an equilibrium, of sorts. It defies madness, grotesque and natural calamity.

Some years ago, I saw a photo. I don't know the exact place. But there was a policeman with his gun pointing at a woman, and she was pointing her pen at him in response. I think she – despite being unarmed – was less vulnerable as compared to the policeman with a gun. Or at least that's what I think of it.

I remember a few months ago, there was a deadly blast at Sehwan Shareef. Many innocent people died. But on the very next day, there was a greater number of people. And then there was this typical dance. That was a strong message spelled out through art: you can't  defeat us. You're a murderer. You'll kill us because you are so afraid. You'd kill us because that's your last resort. You'd kill us because you can't understand humane ways. And you can't fucking understand the power of art, the symbolic defiance. That exactly was the message. Or that is at least what I deciphered from all of that.

That is what I deciphered from all of that.

So, yes, art of any kind is very very powerful. I think the best way to fight back is through the power of art. Paint stuff, sing a stupid song, play that fucking guitar violently (the only violence you should ever think of). Play the cello. Sit in your flooded house and play that piano, with a calm that an idiot like me can't maintain on best of the days. Dance at shrines. Do everything you can with your artistic prowess. Do everything you can to fight them off. Because you are going to win. Because you might have already won. So what exactly are you afraid of? People who don't know shit except pressing a button and blowing themselves off to silence you? I think you have already won.

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AN OPEN LETTER TO THE BOY WHO WILL MARRY MY BEST FRIEND

I am writing this merely to remind you of how special and important your soon-to-be wife is. And if you don’t see how precious, beautiful, smart, witty, sarcastic or unique she truly is; then you don’t deserve to marry this wonderful person.

She’s going to drive you absolutely insane. She’s going to make you want to constantly bang your head against a hard object. She’s going to make you eat her ‘amazing’ food. She’s not going to let you leave the doors or windows open because she’s afraid lizards would enter the house.

She’s going to make sure that the house is at the brim of perfection, and will kill you if you dare move an object. Her OCD will sometimes kill you. She’s going to force you to watch a movie with her and fall asleep half way through. She’s going to make you want to rip your hair out every now and then. But if you’re not going to be able to love her a little more each time she does any of these, then you don’t deserve to marry her.

If you love, respect and appreciate every cell in her being, I will love you like I do my own brother. But if she ever sheds even a drop of tear because of you; I want you to remember that I know exactly where the knives are kept. And I do have a fair idea about how to manipulate people. People, including the judge. After all, I’ve lived with our common interest, all these years.

Treat her with the greatest love you are capable of. Treat her better than she could have ever wanted or imagined. Treat her exactly how you would want anyone to treat your daughter. Treat her like you were dying of thirst, and she’s the most sweetest drop of water. Because that’s exactly what she is.

Take your vows and promises very very seriously. Love, respect, appreciate and nurture her all you can. After all, I’m sharing the love of my life with you.

From,
The girl who’s going to be constantly barging into your house.

Open Letter by Ritu Girish | fanpost | Instagram: @thescribbledstories

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STORY OF A YOUNG MAN FIGHTING DEPRESSION

FIGHTING DEPRESSION

Following is interview of one of my dear friend. (anonymous). In the following interview, I asked

him to narrate me any short event that taught him a lesson or was worth experiencing but in reply he summarized his whole life in front of me. He narrates the dips and high points in his life. The following is written in first in first Peron point of view.

I’ll start my story from my school days that taught me many things and I was too scared to go to the school and couldn’t handle much pressure in early days. My mind was too preoccupied to even think about sleeping. It was 4:00 a.m. . . . A part in me kept reminding that there was school tomorrow, but the other part could not help but think; think how miserable my life had come to be. My grandfather was suffering from Dementia (a chronic or persistent disorder of the mental processes caused by brain disease or injury and marked by memory disorders, personality changes, and impaired reasoning. Source Google). The same person who loved his family more than himself, had now forgotten it. I vividly remember how he used to drink tea with me, help me in studies and praise me as if I am the most extraordinary child; but it was just today that he forgot who I was. It was with a heavy heart that I reminded him I was his eldest grandson *****, whom he had named himself. My mother was depressive too. She had even attempted suicide when I was in 6^th grade. What else, she had lost her mother and I could only pray that I do not lose mine.

Then moving into my teenage years here I almost found love of my life. There was a girl in school who could make all my worries disappear. Her smile meant me smiling. Her laugh got me laughing. Her being on my side was enough for me to deal with the troubles at home. She was my soul-mate. I had fallen in love with her. However, my only ray of happiness soon faded away. She too turned out to be tragically depressive. Her previous failed relationship made her feel alone and detached from the world. She meant the world to me but I felt helpless. How could I help her when helping her meant destroying myself? I knew my feelings were too strong to be just friends with her. Staying by her side, knowing that I could not have her as my significant other, would make me die from the inside. The best option, I felt, was to ignore her and let time heal the wounds.

My world felt empty. I asked myself. Why was fate treating me like this? What wrong had I done? I was whining to myself when I noticed something unusual in my father. Behind those glasses, he had red, swollen eyes. Why would he be crying? I thought to myself.

I finally realized.

I realized that it was his dad, who loved his only son more than anything, suffering from Dementia. I realized it was his loving wife of eighteen years who he had lost to depression. I realized it was his family which had broken apart. With a cold sweat, I also realized how I must have broken his heart when he asked me why I do not smile and I coldly replied that there was no reason to. I rushed and hugged him hard. “You’re not alone dad.” I cried. “We have each other.” He finally smiled. His blank eyes filled with life once again. I for the first time acted like the eldest son. It was a life lesson.

My father believes that his love was much greater than the troubles he was facing and thus, always had the strength to continue. Sometimes, we cannot control what happens to us but what we can control is how we deal with it. A pessimistic attitude leads one nowhere. It is only the best of people who find opportunities in the darkest of times. He showed me that love is selfless; it is great enough to make you care more about the person you love than for your own feelings.

When it comes to analyzing this interview I totally get mesmerized and blown away. I’ve known this person for past 8 years of my life and never have I ever listened to his whole story with this focus. I was always fond of him but not because of his hardships but because how he carried himself around he’s a genius in studies and is becoming a doctor.

The part the interested me the most is how he was cry and wiping about his low life and saw a light in his father’s eyes which he wasn’t able to see for many years how the hope was in front of him but he never realized it. The most interesting thing is that nothing happened that was out of blue to make his depression go away but his father’s eyes still managed to grasp his attention and dug him out of his long-lasting depression. Defiantly everyone goes through depression in some part of their lives and some people have a lot more tough life than other’s. It’s hard to find joys of life in different aspects but one should always try, like he tried to find the joy in his friend which he loved but found out that she was also facing many issues and totally unexpected from the situation he found a ray of joy in his father’s eyes that made him focused and made him to learn what life is after all.

What I think about this experience is very clear I implement his mind set most of the times and make my family source of my joy. In these times, most teenagers get irritated by their family but I try not to think in that side. I am sure that my love for my family is great enough to stand by my side.

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