Friday, March 10, 2006

A quick tale 114

At around 5 one afternoon

It has been a bad day so far and you just heard on the news that British Gas is hiking its prices again and that every minute another 100 hectares of tropical rain forests are cleared to make way for commercial crop. You start tuning the car radio when you hear an old pop song. Something silly about love that lasts till the end of time. You hate the song and you hate what is happening to the world and its rising gas prices. You wonder what's the point of eternal love if you have to pay exorbitant bills. Where do you go with love that lasts forever and ever if there's no world in the first place because the environment is fucked up? And all that news about Irish priests abusing children. And people being killed because they did not like a certain cartoon. And George Bush. And now this song about immortal love.

With the song ringing in your ears and spinning in your head, you get out of the car. It's pouring outside and you walk aimlessly. Crying for the world and marvelling at how beautifully awful life is.

16 comments:

Rubic_Cube said...

The song situation is deja vu. The walking in the rain is not. At one time, when a song that was playing got to me, I put on one of my personal CDs full of melancholic songs. Why? Did I want to feel more sad? Not really... I wanted to justify myself being sad. By surrounding myself with greater gloom. By assuring myself that there cannot be a sadder moment. Strangely, we start feeling better because of the emotional comfort zone that we slip into. :-) And then life seems to brighten up from thereon...

Munimma said...

That's yin and yang for you!

Anonymous said...

brutally realistic

monu said...

one of your best Ammani!
I absolutely loved it.

Ravages/CC said...

Crying for the world and marvelling at how beautifully awful life is.

That's me.

This to me, is the best of the QTs. There's no fish-hook ending. There's no reveal. But the words - Power-packed.

Anonymous said...

It has been a bad day so far and you just heard on the news that British Gas is hiking its prices again and that every minute another 100 hectares of tropical rain forests are cleared to make way for commercial crop. You start tuning the car radio when you hear an old pop song. Something silly about love that lasts 'till the end of time'. You wonder what's the point of eternal love if you have to pay exorbitant bills. Where do you go with love that lasts forever and ever if there's no world in the first place because the environment is fucked up? And all that news about Irish priests abusing children. And people being killed because they did not like a certain cartoon. And George Bush. And now this song about immortal love.
This song tells you that despite the "fuckups"in the world , there still is love. Unless there is a demand there would be no supply of songs of this kind still. Its not all bad. It's because the trees were cut down that we experienced paper. Sacrifices are essential for new experiences. Evil helps me see good in a new light. Unless there was hate, I wouldn't know what love is. I am happy at the way things are. I continue to hum the song...and yes love is eternal; love for my dad is, love for my mom is, love for my friend is, love for my son is, love my life is, no matter how bad the world may seem. I love love.

Lost in trance... said...

or even awfully beautiful...dontyu think?

Shammi said...

GOOD one, Ammani

Anonymous said...

Mottai (jikku) drawing beats raja ravi varma.. super!

reshma said...

deja vu

Anonymous said...

AWESOME I SAY

Anonymous said...

The truth is everyone tries to cocoon themselves from reality that hurts and they try to find a mental niche ( a hole in the wall) to resort to in terms of extreme emotions. The mental niche is in this case stimulated by a silly lovesong...

also provoking me to write this silly philosophical piece.
And `beautifully awful' is a brilliant oxy-moron.

Lost in Trance's `awfully beautiful' would be incorrect to bring out the author's thought.

Anindita Sengupta said...

Loved it!

IdeaSmith said...

Haven't you ever felt agony and joy mix into one and you have no clue what's happening and wonder if you're slightly mad but you smile anyway? I have. Moments like this made me feel that.

Manoj said...

yeah yeah
me too - feel the same.
And ya know what, it particularly exagerates when you are in india.

Anonymous said...

very many daze ...