couch potato.not.

I have been writing and talking a lot about growing up, facing changes, handling situations, multiple epiphanies, et al. It’s probably just a curve everybody goes through, either fussing over it, or pragmatically. Some say we are the dreamers, and we can afford to do so only because our parents were being rational, when they were our age. Another oft handled phrase “ when I was your age…”. It could be the prefix to any number of annoying/amusing phrases, like, “ … I used to wake up at 5, do x y z, and then go to school, come back, and help mom/dad, study, and sleep early” or “ … I never depended on the idiot box to give me life” or “ … I was already working two jobs and paying my way through university”.

We have been the generation that went through sort of a sluggish transition in cultural values, ideologies, and such. The one before us were all up in arms for revolutions, fighting for their voices, fighting for their rights, fighting for the right to control their thoughts. They defied authority, they overturned hierarchy, and they openly expressed disgust at anybody’s attempt to control what shouldn’t be controlled. There were some changes that came as a result of it. A lot of us have been brought up with respect and concern, rather than a mere sense of duty. We were taught to think for ourselves, and for the most part, choose what our basis of life would be. A lot of us, not all of us. The freedom to do that, is often underestimated, and neglected.

I was recently asked, what is it that I live, or hope to live, upto? Frankly, I didn’t even know what that question meant. There are two connotations to this question. Both arising from a personal level, but one that would affect and determine, very directly put, the world. Sweeping statement, yes. The first one would be, the direct, what is it that I live upto? Do I confirm to any school of thought? Do I identify myself with any particular religion? Is there atleast a general rule of thumb that I go by? Well, my answer to all of them are – no. While acknowledging the fact that that’s scary, I must ask, is there a need to adhere to a rationale? That doesn’t mean that I think it is okay to go around doing anything I want because I don’t think anybody is watching over me, or because I don’t believe in karma. Neither am I somebody who lives without principles. I draw a line at lots of things, though most of them are criminal offenses.

And the next, what do I want for the world? All of us will immediately sprout the quintessential beauty pageant answer – world peace. Apart from that, what? Liberation of human beings. Gender equality. Poverty eradication. To be able to live without the looming fear of a nuclear d-day. Trying not to drown inch by inch in the melting glaciers. Patching up ozone holes. Figuring out a practical alternate source of energy.  A form of regime more apt and adequate than ‘democracy’. There are more. And there are some that don’t want any of these. Are we the kind that has our blood boiling at the thought of it? Or are we more inclined to overthrow superpowers by very slowly but efficiently devastating their economy? I think I fall under the latter category.  Rioting and revolting and rampant resistance worked then, still work in some places now. But I think it’s old game, old tactics, and people have learnt how to get past them. Maybe, not jumping up and demanding a strike in compensation for a wrong doing, or immediately having a dharna in front of the offending place, does not mean that we have given up, or that we don’t care. Maybe, we just have found smarter means to both get to, and justify, the ends. Atleast that’s what I’m choosing to believe in, for right now.