“One of the three best things in life” was traditionally followed with the explanation that the other two are up to each individual. Upto our own choice and discretion. A cliche, maybe, but the best things in life should be raw, simple and unconditional (spelled – r a r e) — like nature and love for example.
If I was a genie, and a person asks the first of their three wishes — “I wish you would not grant me this wish”. What should I do? It’s a bit antagonist for a genie like me to ask, but then I was never granted my wish. There’s a gravity of recursion in life, yet I’m still trapped in the oil lamp I once knew as the river of hope.
So when Sir Roger said that the three best things life-long for a married man are a drink before and a smoke after, there was a hush silence for a moment, too short to light a ciggie infact. And I was about to excitingly complete his paradox. But much before the vivid thought travelled from my salient mind to my intoxicated tongue … Roger mocked us all — “a good meal!” And I could only shut myself up and sip on the melting ice in the empty glass, commemorating. We are born as a plain white sheet of paper, nothing written on it. It can actually be any color for that matter .. but its paper. As years go by, that sheet of paper starts looking either like a work of Vinci or something out of the shredder. Most decisions in life are made in a state of mind, often pushed to the neck by some or the other past experiences. So drawing an inference out of it – would it be fair to say that all wrong decisions are inspired by curating past experiences – isn’t that an elastic loop. Then why do we misuse and get misused, on and on and on? Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.
The next moment amidst the thumping music, I couldn’t hear much of what Roger said in his strong English accent, but with his hand gestures flowing lavishly he drew something abstract on the table. And from what I gather right, it was close to this …
Excuse my graphic skills but from what I could comprehend, Roger meant to explain to us kids that as we grow older in age & experience, we also grow younger in desires & expectations. When we are nearly 25 or seeking that respect of age, we are actually trying to mock the reflection of the wants and needs of a 55 year old. When we grow to a rusty gold 70, we seek for the affection and security from our loved ones like a 10 year old kid. But in this waterfall sequence, we cannot undo our real self. We can run, we can hide, but we can’t escape our real self playing hide & seek. Who never wished they would leave the burdens of life and run away to a remote land where no one knows you. But then the dole is that you’ll still know yourself, and so will the people of that remote land once they see your real self glancing out in time. Can’t fool anyone, for there’s no bigger a fool that ourself. Why are we making it impossible for ourself and others to the point of eviction. If I believe, trust and have faith in something — I’ll face the entire cosmos for it. Try me!
The mind of a married man is yet to grow in me, but Sinatra may actually be wise to elusively say …
So dimpled knees delight me
Well, that’s life
But just in case, you couldn’t guess
Or hadn’t heard
Or didn’t know
I love my wife
Have a great journey Sir Roger!