Thorn In Our Side: August 2017

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)

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.