In Model Town Park here in Lahore after taking a 2 km run and exercising for almost 20 minutes I am sitting by an elderly man tall & slim dressed in blue Tee and formal pants with black joggers tied up, smoking puffs of cigarettes. I tried to drag one of the blue chairs apart to maintain distance but he offered me to sit beside. Soon after I have sat, a man probably a friend of this old guy of same age and physique came and joined the company.
Looking at these old men calm and quiet peering deep into the sky I fathom a realistic lesson of Life. Probably these men are if not at the end definitely nearing the finish line of life which I don't know if they deem a race but we the youth of this age do and compete putting every joy and blessing that we can relish behind, knowing not what the real fruit of life is.
Taking this petty Android screen out of my pocket which most of us can't resist avoiding for more than 5 minutes, I fly from Korea to China, Canada to UK through most of the states of of-course US which how come a modern man of my age can miss any news about. And then through Europe, Australia,Turkey and Dubai, I reach back to my profile with a fantastic swipe up my proud screen of information and awareness. I come to know about whether the man behind mass shooting in Vegas is Killed or not, whether Trump has taken some actions to revisit the gun laws or how ferocious Sanders is with his wit against Trump in a part of world which is thousands of miles away from where my friends, my family, my work, my country and my people are.
It has turned dark and the lights around in the park have started glowing up so are the thoughts in my mind but my body exhausted and down like the day which just lost itself to the dusk.
My mind cannot despise these experiences around. My eyes can't turn blind at these lively sittings and my ears deaf to the sincere chatters these elderly men share.
These experiences remind, rather alarm us to realize the crux of Life.
We today, badly need to instantly get aside of this meaningless race and quest the real goals of life and relish the blessings in form of Health, Family and Friends.
Race and competition is something that no doubt keeps you going but it deviates you from realizing what wealth you possess and throws you into obsession, comparison and ultimately discontent that is why most people of this so called modern era have fallen prey to stress and psychological complexes.
Enough said, now time to act. So closing this petty screen down going to enjoy the greenery around, praise the beautiful nature though its dark and try to talk to a friend who is around and cares and practically take measures to bring about goodness among my company and in the society where I not virtually but Physically exist.
Ending with this Quote of Paulo Coelho:
"The most important thing in all human relationships is conversation, but people don’t talk anymore, they don’t sit down to talk and listen. They go to the theater, the cinema, watch television, listen to the radio, read books, but they almost never talk. If we want to change the world, we have to go back to a time when warriors would gather around a fire and tell stories."
By:
Shahid Amin
Looking at these old men calm and quiet peering deep into the sky I fathom a realistic lesson of Life. Probably these men are if not at the end definitely nearing the finish line of life which I don't know if they deem a race but we the youth of this age do and compete putting every joy and blessing that we can relish behind, knowing not what the real fruit of life is.
Taking this petty Android screen out of my pocket which most of us can't resist avoiding for more than 5 minutes, I fly from Korea to China, Canada to UK through most of the states of of-course US which how come a modern man of my age can miss any news about. And then through Europe, Australia,Turkey and Dubai, I reach back to my profile with a fantastic swipe up my proud screen of information and awareness. I come to know about whether the man behind mass shooting in Vegas is Killed or not, whether Trump has taken some actions to revisit the gun laws or how ferocious Sanders is with his wit against Trump in a part of world which is thousands of miles away from where my friends, my family, my work, my country and my people are.
I see my friend taking his masters class in South Korea, another eating burgers in Canada and one having coffee at Starbucks in US or if you ask I can tell you that a senior of mine had great workout in a famous Gym in UK and other was feeling out of the world with his best company of friends in Switzerland.
Well well the point is I am still here, here around my own people whom I not sometimes but often miss to care about. Here I am around and among the company of my own friends having same culture, language and customs but still I don't talk to them. I don't sit with them.These elderly men around me this time are not chained to these petty screens. They are discussing weather, looking at each other asking about health and enjoying puffs which they even share and believe me they are practically laughing on jokes that they share. Not showing each other on their cell phones memes, funny tweets or intelligently carved joke lines on a famous FB Fun Page. No, they don't have time peeking into virtual world that doesn't exist in their company which has a physical existence right here.
It has turned dark and the lights around in the park have started glowing up so are the thoughts in my mind but my body exhausted and down like the day which just lost itself to the dusk.
My mind cannot despise these experiences around. My eyes can't turn blind at these lively sittings and my ears deaf to the sincere chatters these elderly men share.
These experiences remind, rather alarm us to realize the crux of Life.
We today, badly need to instantly get aside of this meaningless race and quest the real goals of life and relish the blessings in form of Health, Family and Friends.
Race and competition is something that no doubt keeps you going but it deviates you from realizing what wealth you possess and throws you into obsession, comparison and ultimately discontent that is why most people of this so called modern era have fallen prey to stress and psychological complexes.
Enough said, now time to act. So closing this petty screen down going to enjoy the greenery around, praise the beautiful nature though its dark and try to talk to a friend who is around and cares and practically take measures to bring about goodness among my company and in the society where I not virtually but Physically exist.
Ending with this Quote of Paulo Coelho:
"The most important thing in all human relationships is conversation, but people don’t talk anymore, they don’t sit down to talk and listen. They go to the theater, the cinema, watch television, listen to the radio, read books, but they almost never talk. If we want to change the world, we have to go back to a time when warriors would gather around a fire and tell stories."
By:
Shahid Amin
( Model Town Central Park, October 6th 2017, Lahore)
