How strange is it to exchange phone numbers with people we know we are never going to talk/meet again!
We live such complicated lives that even simple gestures sometimes confuse us. I spend a lot of time thinking about such events afterwards and often come up with 'Oh-I-should-have-said/thought-this' laments. While attending a lecture today evening on a Buddhist scholar and philosopher with connections with Chinese culture, I met someone who is interestingly a Law student and quite aware about urban governance issues. We shared some views on Bureaucracy, City Planning and Civil Services which are hot topics these days.
It is almost amusing when strangers make assumptions about our lives which may/may not be true yet they entertain us in that moment. I've had so many memorable conversations with strangers I've met at public meetings/events, and ended up not keeping acquaintances with them. Do they regret it as much as I do now? I've seen that my memory works sharp and perfect when I need to convince myself of my capabilities. I am instantly able to recall all the wise words that have been bestowed upon me and all the advisory couplets that I had ignored in the past out of sheer childishness. How us youngsters feel and use 'arrogance' as a prerogative in our lives either knowingly or unknowingly! We like being brash, not caring about the world, not giving a damn about society and riding on some imaginary wild horses. After an age, all of this cools down or melts away. We still behave brashly but in our private lives. Arrogance no longer is part of our personality; instead, it becomes that rare handiwork needed in times of extreme instability. So, now that I've crossed that age limit of wearing my arrogance on my sleeves, and trashing the world; my mellow side usually gets mistaken for old school behaviour of maturity and labelled under various serious titles. So much so, that even clothes decide and give way to judging someone's individuality.
Are we meant to be like this?
We live such complicated lives that even simple gestures sometimes confuse us. I spend a lot of time thinking about such events afterwards and often come up with 'Oh-I-should-have-said/thought-this' laments. While attending a lecture today evening on a Buddhist scholar and philosopher with connections with Chinese culture, I met someone who is interestingly a Law student and quite aware about urban governance issues. We shared some views on Bureaucracy, City Planning and Civil Services which are hot topics these days.
It is almost amusing when strangers make assumptions about our lives which may/may not be true yet they entertain us in that moment. I've had so many memorable conversations with strangers I've met at public meetings/events, and ended up not keeping acquaintances with them. Do they regret it as much as I do now? I've seen that my memory works sharp and perfect when I need to convince myself of my capabilities. I am instantly able to recall all the wise words that have been bestowed upon me and all the advisory couplets that I had ignored in the past out of sheer childishness. How us youngsters feel and use 'arrogance' as a prerogative in our lives either knowingly or unknowingly! We like being brash, not caring about the world, not giving a damn about society and riding on some imaginary wild horses. After an age, all of this cools down or melts away. We still behave brashly but in our private lives. Arrogance no longer is part of our personality; instead, it becomes that rare handiwork needed in times of extreme instability. So, now that I've crossed that age limit of wearing my arrogance on my sleeves, and trashing the world; my mellow side usually gets mistaken for old school behaviour of maturity and labelled under various serious titles. So much so, that even clothes decide and give way to judging someone's individuality.
Are we meant to be like this?
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