What is the world coming to, running blindly to the land of nowhere, striving incessantly to leave all behind in a race whose very definition is unknown? The desire to win this race is so strong, so deep-rooted that one doesn’t realize when the subtle line discerning it from fanaticism is crossed. Fanatics in their absolute rigor are not much different from stray dogs that rush after cars hollering, as if they are their most coveted treasures, but know nothing to do if the cars make a halt. They are like the roaring waves that move towards the seashores just to retract back eventually with timidity. So, amid this incomprehensible status quo, let us take a small break and try figure out why this race exists at the first place.
The “why” elicits more complex questions, answers to which seem intangible. One can appreciate rain from the backseat of a car, but can he enjoy its beauty the way a kid does dancing madly in it? One can flaunt fancy IPods, but can he enjoy music more than listeners to age-old cassette players? One can buy complete theatres for home, but can the sheer delight of a Sachin’s century be more for him than the millions glued to radios? The answer to all is a dry no. Even history presents examples in the form of Ashoka and Alexander, who fathomed the futility of living a life devoted to the pursuit of achievements.
Then, we come to the even graver question of whom is such a victory over. Is it over the millions suffering from chronic hunger or the thousands of children who die due to it each day? Is it over the million sufferers of cancers or AIDS who are merely counting their remaining days of life? Or is it over the Earth, whom we call our mother but don’t even a give a second of thought before spitting on its face? The race has gone so wild, the runners so berserk, that they have become oblivious to the carnage engulfing this small world. The world full of light is dark, full of sound is quiet, full of laughter is sad.
So, what can be done to escape this never-ending, self-defeating race? The answer is to question: to question oneself, to question one’s actions and to question their consequences. The essence is not to give up on life but to give up the insanity in it.
