Expectations
The Teaser behind the Luster
It’s been a while I have met my friends. It’s been a while I have chosen to take a drive for myself. It’s been a while I have gone on a vacation. It’s been a while I have witnessed, recognized and admired the people I love, the people who are always there for me and the people I somehow started to take for granted and
it’s been a while I have met myself.
If I had read the above words somewhere, I would have told myself that yeah sure, I know the gesture these words are trying to make and that I certainly do not do that. But it’s been a while that I have told myself the truth.
We all very often come across a legacy someone genius minded graphic designer left us over the internet. It’s a picture comparing a straight line and a curvy line stating the difference between the ideal and actual road to success. Viewing that picture some, including me, remark that oh yeah we already do that. It’s been a while I have caught me lying to myself like that.
Our primitive evolution probably had a lot to do with the physique for the purpose of their mere existence. When apes and Homo-Sapiens would have lived together, body language, expressions, acts of kindness and aggressions might have been the key parameters of survival. They must have left us the heritage as well. When I see the luster of success on a face, I tend to tell myself the sweet lie that people achieve success, fame, power, calm and satisfaction with just a pinch of luck.
When a person aims higher, a spell gets enacted out of nowhere, takes his hand and guides him through the journey of success, fame and glory. And the luster of the appearance, acting, makeup and appearance of the being makes me completely forget about the legacy an anonymous legend has left us. We have buried the philosophy under the mountain of Scientology but the rules are absolute, nature doesn’t change, light doesn’t vary its speed and principles do not bend themselves.
Things that Matter
In search of an answer
I roamed here and there
Jut to find out
It’s where the heart lies that matter
The key to all the riddles lies inside
Have to make oneself uncover, unhide
You always know what you’re looking for
Call by the obstacles and take a ride
Sit back, relax, it’s you, you should flatter
Heads up, hopes high, don’t let the courage scatter
Success is not a destination but a mere attitude
In the end, these are the things that truly matter
The Heir of Spring
Sweet air of spring, in my ear, whispers
You don’t want to miss this wonderful sight of hers
Open your eyes for a joyous scream
But I want to live forever inside this wonderful dream
Having her charming smile, like an angel, there she comes
Pounding heart, shaky hands, blushing face, I don’t know what always happens
She’s just a regular being, why I fear her
Never figured it out why universe stands still when I go near her
Spring said my old friend ‘destiny’ just told
You’re going to have her, wake up and behold
I claimed destiny has always had a bad attitude
But if she told you so, express my deep gratitude
Aroma
There is no you, it’s just me
You’re just an illusion of the dream that I did see
And here I am standing at the point right where
Life handed over me, my part of the share
The disaster makes its way from the insides
When I don’t see her sitting besides
Whom is to blame, who would have me bleated
It’s your aroma inside me from what I got defeated
You tell true when you say we all have a dark side
Life’s not fair, love’s not that wide
The mere idea makes me shiver
That you’d stand besides for then and forever
And so it Happens
And so it happens they say
Live the moment while you may,
For the moments fly on the ride of time
Then there’s no harmony there’s no rhyme.
There will be something, some other day
You’ll find her somehow, in some way,
All you need is to hold on
It’s not everytime that you get con.
It’s just a spell of your own mind
Don’t let the call get you from behind,
Look up for your destined shine
It’ll be all right, you’ll be just fine.
The Secret Ingredient is ‘huMANity’
A couple of days ago, I was having a chit chat about Human Resources. Then popped up the idea of starting it all from the fundamentals. We know what humans are and we all are well familiar with what resources are. Everyone sort of nodded as to confirm that we know what these two terms mean. Let’s then define it in view of our own understanding.
Now that’s a tricky one. Answers that came were very typical. Everyone knew those answers. This is one of the beauties of defining something qualitatively, you add as much as you can, anything that comes from you would serve the purpose. The answers were like humans are sent by god. We agree with that, with a few exceptions and amendments though. Humans are the superior species, correct. Nothing that we are not familiar with.
Well logically an explanation took the discussion slightly forward was like humans are the species on the planet that consumes the earth’s resources for producing substances necessary for its survival. Well animals do that as well, don’t they? What then makes a human, a human? Something I haven’t given a deep thought even though it deserves a considerable amount of insight.
The behavior of human beings varies greatly round the globe. There are scientists, engineers, doctors, cobblers, mechanics, economics, politicians, barbers, soldiers and barbarians. The prime objectives, as far as I have observed, are one of the two. What so ever everyone is doing, he’s doing it either for the sake of religion or for the sake of money.
Some nations/organizations want to have the maximum of resources so to sell these to other nations and hence have the largest market share. USA invites intellectuals from round the globe whoever feels perfect for the job. Scholarships are awarded for researchers and the entire scientific data goes to the country, which is undoubtedly leading the world market of knowledge. Same goes with the European countries.
Some groups however do whatever they do in the name of religion. The conflict of Palestinians and Israelis is probably of the religious nature. There are religiously holy places that mean a lot to the Muslims and other stake holders of the region namely Jews, Christians and Armenians. Well extremism serves no good whether that be economic or religious. USA’s interest against the Chinese economic empire has been long disturbing the Asia. Religious interests of both the Palestine and Israel have long disturbed the very beautiful, holy and sacred region of this planet.
After taking a round of these situations and behaviors, I didn’t get the answer to the question originally posed. What makes a human being, a human being? It’s not power, it’s not money and it’s not even religion. The answer to this one is also very simple and is something we all are well familiar with. Since we don’t exercise it much this is probably why we don’t refer to this one as quick and frequent as other qualitative explanations.
The secret ingredient that makes human beings, human beings, is “Humanity”.
Only if this would have been remembered, there would have been no nuclear rain in Hiroshima, there would have been no Al-Qaeda, there would have been no demolition of World Trade Center, there would have been no Yoko Haram, there would have been no ISIS and none of the innocent children of Gaza would have to be torn to pieces while watching cartoons when a bomb demolished their building into fragments of concrete, iron bars and not to mention human flesh. Only if we could remember this secret ingredient that makes a human being, a human being.
When I Fell in Love with Her !!
It was back then,
When days were brighter
When nights were lighter,
When time was wonderful
When hugs were tighter.
It was back then
When moments took me high
When the distances were to overfly,
When her sound echoed in my heart
When my shadow was in her eye.
It was back then
When, with her, my life begun
When only we were there and there was none
When I fell in love with her
When I said ‘Together we are one’.
WORDS
It’s true
That I love you,
Trust it, and why would you
These are just words, unworthy, undue.
How to make you believe me
You and I are meant to be we,
Through my eyes, can’t you see?
Inside this heart, full of love, there lies a sea.
For you, I’d wait and wait
Till approaches that moment in my fate,
When you arrive back in time or belate
Till the end, for you, I’d wait.
Lifelong Independence
Today on 14th of August 2014, it’s the birthday of Islamic Democratic Pakistan. They say that the country was founded 68 years ago on the very same day. They say that the nation got free 68 years ago on the very same day. They say that a new country was born, which was much more than just a piece of land, 68 years ago on the very same day. They say that the foundation of Islamic Democratic of Pakistan is based on the rigid structure and traditions of the marvelous Muslim Society and of the supreme religion, Islam. They say to the new generation that we all are breathing in a free, fair, peaceful and prosperous society which wasn’t so about 68 years ago.
History for the struggle of freedom is full of the list of martyred for a new country, is full of the sacrifices people made for the establishment of the country, is full of the struggle of millions for a separate homeland, Is full of the emotions connected to the vision for a new country, is full of the dreams people had when talking about this land and that history for the struggle of freedom is written on the pages of time with the blood of the Muslims when the Muslim nation dreamed of becoming a separate and independent ‘nation’.
This is the history as we have been taught throughout our lives, this is the history that is repeated every year on Independence Day, debates are held every time refreshing the memories of ‘nation’ about the past and this is the history we are supposed to remember for the rest of our life. There was a vision behind the establishment of Islamic Democratic of Pakistan which had its unique aroma that made the ‘Muslim Nation’ prominent amongst other nations of sub-continent. Muslims had their own social and cultural values, Muslims had their own ways of living this life, Muslims had their own complete religion to follow and Muslims had their own morals. This vision enabled the Muslims of the sub-continent to achieve a separate country.
While studying the history, I used to tell myself that there were ‘Muslims’ in sub-continent in older times, I used to tell myself that there was a ‘Muslim Nation’ in sub-continent in older times, I used to tell myself that there used to be a ‘vision’ for the establishment of Islamic Democratic Pakistan and I used to tell myself that there was once a Pakistan and that one day we all will migrate to that newly established fort of the Muslim world namely Islamic Democratic Pakistan. It was very unfortunate and shocking to realize that I have been living in the same country. I never found things like vision, justice, peace, prosperity and freedom in the piece of land we live in. I never witnessed the practice of the true spirit of religion rather I could never find the ‘correct version of religion’ in this piece of land. I never noticed the practices of cultural and religious values, I never witnessed the rule of law, I never witness justice being awarded on equality and impartial basis and I never witnessed the aroma of being a part of one so called ‘nation’.
Even today, overflowing with the brotherhood of being a part of a single magnificent Muslim nation, one political party is having a long march against the government towards Islamabad, the capital of Islamic Democratic Pakistan. A leader of a religious sect is holding a Revolutionary March alongside of the same political party towards the same destination. Most magnificently the govt. of Islamic Democratic Pakistan, the representatives of the Muslim Society and the rulers of the Muslim Fort are doing all they can do to suppress the rebellion. State police has been set up against the opposition, cities have being sealed, roads have been blocked with containers, any sort of movement is prohibited, and people have been dying to reach out to pharmacies and hospitals.
And they say that the new generation is breathing in a ‘free air’, they say that Islamic rules and regulations have been practicing in this country, they say that Islamic Democratic Pakistan has its own aroma that distinguishes it from other nations, they say that cultural values can be seen very easily, they say that human beings are being respected in this newly founded country, they say that the vision behind the establishment of Islamic Democratic Pakistan is being fully practiced here and they say that this is the same country that was separately founded for the Muslims of the sub-continent, ending my search and quest of migration to a free, fair and square Islamic Democratic Pakistan in despair.
I wonder which revolution would prove be last one before Pakistan becomes Islamic Democratic Pakistan.
Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another. (And in our case, freeing this nation was one thing and the ownership of that freed nation was another.)
A Tide of Two Banks
Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile, a word of optimism and hope. A ‘you can do it’ when things are tough.
They say that there is always a way. They say you can reach there if you really wanted to get there. They say that impossible says that ‘I Am Possible’. And they say that the approach is the optimistic approach. It’s just the glass is always half filled and there’s always a shine after a night’s thunder storm.
There’s another factual saying:
My practicality consists in this, in the knowledge that if you beat your head against the wall it is your head which breaks and not the wall.
I have always been swinging between the two twin banks of the lake known as optimism and pessimism. As an optimist, I believe that there is always a way, the glass is half filled and there always will be another chance. But when I get close to the other bank, the glass seems half emptied, an opportunity has been missed and there doesn’t seem to be another probable chance.
Irrespective of the debate of ‘the better approach’ of the two, these two banks go parallel to each other but these two cross each other at some points leaving you with a question about the consequences of your developed hopes and about your approach. There’s always this tide that shifts you to one of the banks and that tide is the reaction to your attempts.
You constantly keep on calculating the odds of finding something good ignoring the fact that there might not be any possible way for you to get there. There might not be any place for you to fit in. She might not be standing there for anxiously welcoming you. You might be just another agent knocking on the door, with high hopes though, offering something that is not desired at the moment.
This is when the two banks cross each other and that tide of harshness takes you into the zone of the pessimistic bank. And that’s when the practicality informs you that you have been beating the wall with your head, expecting that something meaningful will come out, you’re not doing the right thing!!
Umair Rehman 