The Art Of Living (sic)

“You’re so full of positivity”, said he.

“And that’s a big compliment”, said she.

We shook hands after, and we let the touch linger on, a second longer.

You see we have seven principles of life.

And each one of us, lives through only a few of these.

The body. Oh, my hair, my skin, my clothes, my shoes define me.

Say the ones who look no further than the glossy confines of the spa

And the shiny tags of the fashion house.

You and I? We see beauty in the dust that sparkles on our tanned hands.

When the sun shines upon them. When the little hairs on our unwaxed arms hold up

Specks of dust to the sky.

Breathing. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out.

Do you notice its presence? When you make powerpoint presentations at work?

When you sip on that beer or milkshake and secretly promise yourself to run an extra mile on the treadmill?

Do you notice, that you’re breathing now? In and out, in and out.

Or do you forget? Like the greeting card you spent hours making for your first love.

Like the hot cup of tea called home that greeted you for a weekend away from the job you prized above feeling.

The intellect. Your intellect makes you experience things and record them.

Your intellect makes you decide right or wrong.

It fools you, don’t you see?

To believe that the man in the ordinary clothes and broken English, must lack it.

To believe that the baker has no right to talk about philosophy.

Its your intellect that captures you. Till the very end.

Unless you happen to chance upon memory.

Memory is persistent. Memory is painful and happy.

Memory is the sound of your last uncontrollable laugh.

Memory is the taste of the best meal you ate.

Memory is the image of when you looked best, not in an expensive dress or suit.

But in dirty clothes that couldn’t paint shabby over the smiles you shared.

But memory too, can cage you.

Memory too can keep you away from the mind.

That curious concoction of intellect and memory.

That place where you cease seeing it as a machine of neurons.

That place where you fold up your knees, put your head down and lose time

Knowing and muttering, “I am home”.

Beyond these five, lie the two often quoted, seldom met.

The ego and the self.

What if I were to say to you, “I love you”.

How would you respond? Would you accept it?

Or would you reject it basing your judgement on past experiences?

Now what if I were to compliment you? Or insult you?

“You look beautiful”, “Your nose is too big”

It would pinch, even if just for a bit, wouldn’t it?

And that’s your ego speaking out loud.

And the self? The self just wanders in and out of the body breathing, memorizing, loving, and egoistically intellectualizing your life.

It walks in and out, much like a cat with a mind of its own.

Meanwhile, you and I smile at the memory of the touch that lingers on our hands.

Meanwhile, you and I sit back and remember.

Meanwhile, you and I will leave this place and continue walking.

Memory keeps the self trapped away. Don’t you see?