HOW MANY TIMES MUST A MAN DROWN
BEFORE HE VOWS TO LEARN TO SWIM?
Jorge Agustín Nicolás Ruiz de Santayana y Borrás, known in English
as George Santayana - philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist
originally from Spain is credited with aphorisms such as "Those
who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it".
Normally, people who learn, amend, modify, adapt, change, react, rebel and do
something are people with "spirit". Normally,
those who are hit repeatedly, ignore, crib, protest, get on as before and do
not rise unitedly to bring change have much to introspect.
Normally, a person who falls or is pushed would reflect on his/her hurt, get up
and carry on. If it happens again, the person would become very cautious,
careful and circumspect. If it happens again, the person would become angry and
think of doing something to avoid that in future. If it happens yet
again, normally, the person would react, retaliate and rise against
the factors.
If the mishap happens again, and again and again and all that the person
does is blame, crib, cry, joke and pat himself/herself on his/her own back for
resilience or ability to "carry on", normally that
person would be considered to have some inherent problem of perception or
ability to do something constructive.
If the person wails and moans about the same misfortune or hurt, using
the same words, expressing the same anger, identical anguish and blaming the
same things, normally, there would be something to worry about that
person. And there would be dire need to pray for his/her enlightenment and for
desire to do something constructive.
Normally, a robust, thinking, active and awakened people would bring change -
regardless of outside hurdles and handicaps. That would be a true display
of "spirit".
It is easy to keep blaming others for misfortune. It takes a lot to do
whatever it requires to bring the change one wants. Change is always from
within. But sometimes, one sees no change, not in words, not in thoughts, not
in action, not in efforts and not in results. That truly calls for deep
introspection.
Citizen initiatives, corporate social responsibility, cooperative effort
.... there can be many constructive things done while pressure is mounted on
elected bodies. The ball is in the court of community leaders and
citizens.
If 150,000 can rally for special status for their community, if
thousands can flock for a cricket match, if millions can march several
kilometers for religious ritual, what's the excuse for not doing something
about what hurts every year?
Even God helps those who help themselves.
“Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head
And pretend that he just doesn't see
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind” (Bob Dylan)
And pretend that he just doesn't see
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind” (Bob Dylan)
How long can one just keep patting one's own backs and praising
one's spirit? In recent past, Bangalore, Chennai, Kashmir,
Uttarakhan, Bihar...everywhere people have survived and continued with life
after floods. Everywhere people have the spirit to survive and
carry on. But annual tragedies must result in a huge push: People's Push.
I have yet to see that in "Maximum City".
And that's a thorn in my side.
2017,
August 2017 “chaos” in Mumbai
2017,
June 27 “chaotic state of affairs” in Mumbai
2016
Mumbai comes to "standstill"
2015 Mumbai "disrupted"
2014 "monsoon mayhem" in Mumbai
2013 rains "disrupts life" in Mumbai
2012 Mumbai "inundated"
2011 "chaos" in Mumbai
2010 "chaos returns" to Mumbai
2009 "raining chaos again" in Mumbai
2008 "virtual standstill" due to rains in Mumbai
2007 Mumbai "wading in waist deep water"
2006 Mumbai turns into "waterworld"
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/mumbai-turns-into-a-waterworld/story-a2MxRrOcdazhjuLnwOYM7J.html
2005 July 26, Mumbai flooded