All Farewells Aren't Fun

It confounds me every time I see people raise raucous cries while carrying a corpse to the crematorium. They don't softly weep or wail in their hour of bereavement which would be the natural thing to do but literally take the Lord's name in vain. The otherwise eerie monotony of the "bolo hori....horibol" assumes such uncouth a tenor amidst their frenzied clamoring that onlookers are both scandalised and disgusted. Such shameless is the show of revelry in some cases that the uninititated alien might well feel an urge to join the picnickers in their joy-ride. Some even go ahead and hire cymbal-clanging kirtaniyas to test the patience of the dead on their last journey. Some of these "processions" seem similar to the chaotic janazas in the West Bank where grieving men and women beat their chests in despair while others wield their Kalashnikovs vowing revenge. Only here the dead stands wronged by his own who allow this sort of dishonor.

I wonder if any self-respecting human being if given a choice would assent to such loud and ludicrous a farewell. Such a show only craves attention when it is least wanted and makes a mockery of death which in all its somberness demands respect not ridicule.

Power-FOOL People

It sometimes feels silly how we all revel in the "sense of power" that we think we wield in our tiny little spheres.

This feeling that makes us feel worthy, formidable, respected and more than anything a little "powerful" is much like a heady drink. But not knowing where and when to stop pushing the buttons can only hurt one's ego. And 'powerful people' generally have a 'super-strong EGO'. And a hurt ego is like a festering wound. It never heals, no matter how much time has passed or how much rubbish has been heaped over it, just to keep it from surfacing every now and then. A strong ego along with a strong memory is recipe for "injury" - A injury which never heals and in many ways is proudly self-destructive.

Again, there are people who feel "powerful" just by being manipulative. They think they can prevail by the virtue of their high office alone. "Bosses" are often labeled under this category. But out of the hundred odd whose future this 'one' boss smugly believes himself to be fashioning, sitting in his plush cabin, there is always one who takes it all with a self-assured smile that indicates that 'the legacy of feeling falsely powerful' has been furthered. And the cycle goes on.

But there is a certain obvious pride in having a consistent character. Not having one only makes the associated 'EGO' look out of place and ludicrous.

As they say, somethings are just meant for " Neighbour's Envy. Owner's Pride".