Words of wise and all things nice

What is it about a well-written sentence that is so fascinating? I think there is magic in a thought expressed well. This, I suppose, explains my love for quotations. I am what you would call a ‘Quote buff’ (well, maybe more of a ‘Quote enthusiast’; see, I lose track of who said what but I do have a huge collection of quotations nonetheless.)

James Baldwin said, “You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read.” True, isn’t it? The moment when I come across a quotation expressing something I have personally felt or thought about, by somebody either dead for centuries or living in a completely different part of the world, I am amazed. We are unique no doubt, but we are also part of the common human experience. There is a bible quote that says, “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.”

                                                                          johnboccio.com

There is a peculiar thing though, for a species that has been in existence for so long, accumulating knowledge and experience, presumably learning from them, we do seem to be going around in circles. Every new person that comes into this world seems to make the same mistakes made by thousands before him in order to learn. (Really, when do we ever listen our parents? We have to try things out ourselves of course.) Paulo Coelho got it right when he said, “People never learn anything by being told, they have to find out for themselves.”  I guess, that’s where the uniqueness lies, in the process.

Words may not substitute for experience but they connect us to each other and to people generations before us. Sigh, see, this is what quotes do to me, get me all philosophical. On a lighter note, Dorothy Sayers is known to have said, “I have a quotation for everything, it saves original thinking.”  Well, true, also there is the added advantage of dropping names and sounding smart for something somebody else said!

Good Traffic Bad Traffic Part 1

I have been longing to write this for a long time, but somehow laziness got the better of me. Anyways, I am here now and in this "Good Traffic Bad Traffic Series" I would like to share some of the observations and learning I have made while commuting by bus.

So... to begin with, first, let's clear our thoughts of the heavy congestion and blowing horns and focus on the scene inside the bus. Let me show you (my observation of) what happens inside the bus when we get stuck in traffic jams. Road blocks are annoying and one would probably do anything to avoid it. But, before grumbling about it we should also remember that it is one of those man-made hiccups. We have to learn to swallow it because it's not gonna get better anytime soon.

I am sorry, I diverted from the topic. Let's not get into the intellectual stuff and see what's happening inside the bus. Ok so... it's been a while since the driver had pulled the brake and now people are getting a bit fidgety. They are looking at their watches again and again to see how long they have been stuck in the traffic (Chillax people, it's just been 3 minutes). People are looking here and there, rotating their heads in every possible direction with the hope of finding something interesting to entertain themselves. (God, this traffic I tell you) Oh wait! I hear them breathe out heavily, showing visible signs of boredom and irritation. Our senior brother has finished reading the newspaper and now his concentration is on the road finally. He turns to the left and to the right (We're stuck again, is it?). In the midst of all this, some opportunists utilise the best out of the situation to get some sleep, adjusting themselves to the best possible position (What the heck let me sleep off this bloody jam).

Oh yaah! and then there are these people (I call them 'Yawners') who yawn from out of nowhere, reminding us of how boring traffic jams are (Hey bro, got your signal, thanks for reminding. Ya, I am feeling it too).

After observing all these people, this helpless side of me usually scream at myself (in my head), "Do hell with this traffic," grinding my teeth with full force as if I am crushing my frustration into bits and pieces. Yeah! Traffic jams do make people go mad. And then suddenly, I would think of the reaction of those opportunists who managed to get some sleep. What would be their reaction when they wake up and realise that we haven't moved an inch? (Don't tell me, we're still here!). A part of me smirks at this thought. (Oh Halo! How do you think you can you sleep when your brothers and sisters are struggling. We are in this mess together. We created it. Now, let's face it together. We need support during hard times, you see).

Well, that's it for now. Thank you for your attention. I hope some of you have made similar observations like me. Please, let me know if I can add something more to it. 

Stay tuned! In the next articles I will be sharing 'The Characters in the Bus' and also some tips on 'how to kill boredom and stop fretting about Traffic jams.' (Your suggestions would be of great help!)