Love, sorrow and Time

Love words, agonize over sentences. And pay attention to the world. - Susan Sontag.

Time is stronger than sorrow. - Mahashweta Devi.

Two of my favourite writers teach me about love, sorrow and its gradual burial by time. How I wish life were not 'this' complicated. For every written word, there's a wrong interpretation and a big misunderstanding. Guess we earn all the sorrow and misery that love and words bring with them.

If only, human mind and tongues were not twisted in such a vile way that we destroy hearts and people and take pride in doing so.

Here's wishing Gabriel Garcia Marquez a very happy birthday and my deepest respects. Had it not been for reading his Colombian journalistic articles, I would have remained gravely unaware of the political and social unrest brewing there for decades. Reading Gabo's (as he was fondly called) accounts of the everyday militant brutality in Latin America in the 60's acquainted me with civil society's worst miseries inflicted upon their own brothers and sisters. A fate not very different than that seen in India and other colonial nations.

Today, I would like to remain in solidarity with Gabo's brave journalistic aspirations and his courageous pen that paved the way for readers like me to know another part of the world with its troubles similar to ours. What did I learn from it? That human misery and sorrow escapes none, our only significant contribution would be fighting to bring more social stability and hopefully, grow love in hearts that lay cold and still, to be a better human than we can be.