In order to live free and happily, you must sacrifice boredom. It is not always an easy sacrifice.
- Illusions, Richard Bach
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Two months ago, I was aimlessly browsing the net when I remembered an interesting idea I had read as a teenager. Whenever you are looking for direction in life, take a book and open a random page and it will tell you what you need to know. Illusions was at hand, and my random page spewed the wisdom above.
I smiled and went back to aimless browsing.
–
After three super-charged and super-packed days in NYC, I found myself stranded at Dallas Fortworth for a night thanks to American Airlines. What do you do at an empty airport; alone, no book, no friend, no iPod, two cups of coffee and consequently, no sleep. You think.
I thought about what makes people happy.
Being with people they love. Doing what they love. Being somewhere they love.
Broad enough. I went through the list again.
Being with people they love. I had just said goodbye to A a couple of hours ago. I was headed back to an empty desolate studio apartment (fondly referred to as ‘Deep Freeze’)
Being somewhere they love. Three days in NY and I dreaded the thought of coming back to Stanford. I didn’t realize how much I missed crowds and noise and life and colours. I missed imperfection, I missed masses of real people. Mee Mumbaikar indeed.
Doing what they love. Let’s not even go there baby.
Wait a minute, isn’t the last one the only one I have some control over? Sadly not. Boredom and I have become comfortable roommates in this state of Deep Freeze. I have had a nagging feeling for a long time that I am not really happy, but it was something I was learning to live with – like frizzy hair, absent-mindedness and a boyfriend with a erm…scatological sense of humour.
And that’s when Bach’s words came back to me. It is not always an easy sacrifice.
What’s life without a little challenge? Here’s hoping that I can shake myself out of slumber.
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Unrelated amusing anecdote
Last week I was at dinner with a friend and his girlfriend. Somehow we got down to talking about my blog.
My friend tells his girl,”You should check out her blog. I don’t really like it, but you might.”
I laughed, “You really don’t like it?”
“Yeah, I think you try to be too arty.”
Well, maybe I should have stuck to my old blog handle – iamart(sy).
12 responses so far ↓
Addy // April 2, 2008 at 1:38 am |
Someone very wise once told the Emperor of Japan that “Things can never make people happy. Only people can make people happy”. The Emperor ordered him to be drowned.
You seem to have a similar view of happiness – I hope you know how to swim.
Oh and by the way, you definitely are a little ‘wannabe artsy’ but I think that is allowed.
Pritam // April 2, 2008 at 7:07 am |
A long time ago, In a galaxy far, far away,
A short, agile, weird, green guy,
Was on occasion heard to say,
Do or do not, there is no try
987s // April 2, 2008 at 8:00 am |
My first contact with New York City was weekend trips, and I really liked the city. After four years of living in the stench and filth I was ready to leave.
LDRs are not good for you. I did one for a year and was described by my family during that time as like a ‘bear with a sore head’ (the year was ending my solving the LD rather than the R)
Most blogs I read are focused on some event. I have found your blog to focus more on the feelings and emotions about an event rather than the event itself.
I am curious though as to how long a blog post takes you to create: they do seem incredibly well written and thought out. My blog posts start as a stream of consciousness that then gets edited for grammar and coherence, but don’t take that long to write.
Amrita // April 2, 2008 at 8:59 am |
@Addy: It is interesting that you mention it. I have my first swimming lesson today
@PPS: I really miss our sonnet sessions.
@987s: Not too long really – under an hour, but yes, i guess it takes more time than the average blog post.
LDR’s are nasty, yes, but I am just about making it.
As for NYC, I am not sure I will be able to survive there for more than a year or two – it’s a lot like Bombay. I loved it when I was studying there. When I started working and had to really experience the grimy side of the city, it got on my nerves pretty quickly.
kedar // April 4, 2008 at 7:35 am |
how about ‘iamart(yr)’ as the blog post title?
-kedar.
Amrita // April 4, 2008 at 4:26 pm |
@Kedar: Where are you these days? You just pop up once every two months and leave a witty comment here.
kedar // April 5, 2008 at 4:59 am |
mee chicagokar, saddhyatari! but will move to houston soon. got job!
./w // April 5, 2008 at 2:13 pm |
Went through the b/w photographs on your flickr. You have quite an eye for them. Really good contrast, subjects and ..well overall fantastic!
./w
Vikrant // April 8, 2008 at 11:41 pm |
To think that you wanted to leave Mumbai and avoid the rush in crowded trains, avoid the noise and dust and pollution, avoid the 9 to 7 hectic life.
Dunno if you have read this book called Stumbling on Happiness. Not self-help types but fairly ’scholarly’ and esoteric. Its on the ‘Psychology of happiness’, whatever that means.
Amrita // April 9, 2008 at 9:05 pm |
@./w: Thanks. I am just starting out and am still a complete sucker for compliments
@Vikrant: No, I haven’t. And why are you reading books on the psychology of happiness?
lux // May 5, 2008 at 2:00 am |
Hmmm found a great blog stubling in orkut …. yeah boredom is my friend too ha ha ……
Happiness huh …… a list of things which makes us happy !!!!!!!!!!
i have seen so many people thinking happiness is a collection of pleasant feelings …….hey i am happy i got this !!! hey i am happy he/she did this for me !!! …….. but then the real happiness is the one when one is at peace with oneself……… and that only happens when u always follow the right thing to do and never have a regret however life goes ………..
regrets and the right things to do thats another 100 pages of blogging …..
sometimes at my most happiest moments i wonder if i deserve this when i know there are hndreds of children i personally know who hasnt had there breakfast and has to do a lot of work before they earn their lunch ………
i guess i will never be a happy person …… but then i am at peace with myself for i have done what i can do …..and in the path to do more ……
happiness is the one which everybody is after but nobody willing to let go for someone else……
let it go once and u will find it again ……… thats where it doubles ….. a strange math
- A NOMAD
Goodbye Stanford – I « The Great Rambler // August 1, 2009 at 10:24 pm |
[...] Without further ado, I will sign off with a quote from one of my earlier posts. [...]