What do you listen to while you work?
The narrative reflects on a man’s journey through life, observing drastic societal changes from simplicity to complexity. As he reminisces about his past, he struggles with the cacophony of modern life while yearning for peace. His reflections highlight the transient nature of relationships, the impact of human behavior, and the importance of mutual trust. The protagonist feels aimless, burdened by unfulfilled aspirations and experiences with self-centered individuals. Though he tries to navigate negativity and conflict, he emphasises the significance of introspection and self-restraint in fostering positive relationships and maintaining personal dignity amidst life’s challenges.
Table of contents
Key Takeaways
- The narrative explores a man’s reflections on life, focusing on societal changes and personal struggles for peace amidst chaos.
- The protagonist recalls simpler times and expresses a deep yearning for calm away from modern distractions.
- He learns that relationships rely on mutual trust and understanding, emphasising their transient nature in life.
- His journey reveals mixed feelings about people and self, as he navigates negativity and strives for personal dignity.
- The importance of self-restraint and a focused approach is highlighted as essential for maintaining peace and healthy relationships.
Life’s changes: Past reflections
It is a story of a man who saw the world change, from a simple life to a wish for more. People changed from simple-hearted to complex ones, and relations changed to sheer parochial motives making life convoluted. Sitting idly, he was roaming in alleys of past memories when things were not so complicated.
Personal journey: Rustic summer evening
The summer was at its peak. The day temperature of dry heat was soaring high with lashing hot westerly winds, “Loo”, but it used to become less harsh after sunset. The brick-mortar houses were rare. Mostly houses were constructed with mud mixed with hay. The thick walls and thatched roof would act as an effective insulator of heat. The houses would stay cool during summers and warm in winter, but monsoon used to be nightmarish. People would sweep the land, clean the platforms of the well and sprinkle water to cool them. The petrichor after sprinkling water with a mild breeze would give a comforting feeling. Tea was not in use. People would relax themselves by enjoying syrup made by dissolving jaggery in water with roasted potatoes. There was no tension of calorie count and accumulation of belly fat.
Star-studded sky
Lying on a thick cotton “Durrie” (Rug), laid on the platform of the well, a seven year old boy was staring at the dark sky full of stars with traversing Milky Way. Occasionally, a shooting star would break the ostensible stillness of the sky. This type of sky has vanished from the urban skyscape with silhouettes of towering skyscrapers…
Chain broke
A car honked. The hoarse sound of a car boomed in the narrow colony road. Startled, he look at the road which was empty but the driver gave horn as he approached a turn. His train of thoughts disrupted for a while. The octogenarian took a deep breath and kept staring at the neem tree. It’s serrated leaves were swinging in the breeze. Spending a major chunk of his life in city, he had adapted himself to a city life by now. The gradual but noticeable changes would often amuse him, who despite his age was able to walk straight.
Time leave strong marks: Life’s changes
Leaving the chair, he went to wash basin, sprinkled water on his face to freshwn himself. After a long and deep cogitation, he felt fatigued. The water brought him back on his toes. He looked at the mirror. Signature of time was distinct in boldface character on his face. Deep lines, saggy face and grizzled hair were telling about his journey of eight decades. The change was though imperceptible but finally had left deep marks in dotage.
Yearning for peace and calm
A solitary and introvert person, he wanted calm and peace but cacophony of all sorts follows him everywhere. On roads traffic snarls, and in society, unrest and avoidable quarrel. The more he tries to avoid noise, the more intense it becomes. Different faces emerge in different roles, sometimes unknown but most of them known and related. The related faces often behave politely but rude and stern, for their benefit.
lessons through life’s changes
The long span of life taught him various things. During the course of journey different people came to his life who left an indelible mark: kind hearted, compassionate and a few selfish and self-centered. (Method & Matter)
Pictures of past emerge on mental canvass and exhibit a vivid picture in a long story form. The film causes him to feel happy, and often sulky. The villianic charscters laugh gruffly on their momentary cunning move but later hiding their faces. The good scenes make him grin. His heart is full of praises for those who behaved organically good, had more experience in dealing with difficult situations.
Personal journey: Mixed bag feelings
The life has been a mixed bag feeling. Balancing positive and negative, his journey was like a meter gauge train which wriggles and shakes while noisily running on rails. The shaky journey gives a good nostalgic feeling. It was not that he always struggled and waded through marsh and miasma, there were patches of dry land also which made the journey easy and smooth. Surrounded with known people who seemed unknown at times. Human nature is unpredictable. Like a flickering flame of a candle, it keep flickering. Gauging human behaviour is difficult and expectations are futile. He had learned to remain equanimous, accepting whatever comes during the journey; thanking for good and forgetting bad.
Relationships
Relationships are established during a journey. Barring a few permanent relationships, most relations are temporary depending upon the situation and type. Mutual trust, cooperation and help are the glue, necessary for a strong relationship. Relations are like a bond that act as a bridge to cross a trench, river or obstacle. A bridge collapses when any of the pillars or beam becomes weak. Likewise, beams and pillars of the bridge in a relationship are mutual trust and understanding. Weakening it results in collapse. Sometimes it becomes difficult when the partners don’t act in tandem. Relationships then become impediment in individual growth.
A goal is essential
Choosing a goal and path is often conditional. Nonetheless, a goal is necessary for a journey. The situation and condition are the factors that affect the decision. Our protagonist did not choose his path or goal, not because he did not want to, but because he had none. Even at this mature age, he find himself aimless. During his time, options were limited but he could not stick to any of them. He doesn’t blame anyone except himself for he becoming a non achiever. Getting employment was his prime requirement from the age of twenty when he was completing his masters degree in science. His education was in no way helpful in getting a job, for it didn’t impart any skill necessary for a job. It could produce cleark and amanuensis, but then it had limited vacancies. Thus, the competition was tough. Like the youths of his time, he too was making efforts. The family and relatives’ mounting pressure was tremendous but job opportunities were frugal. He remained without job for a good seven years, feeling humiliated. The situation would worsen when his siblings and friends got employment.
Life’s changes: Chiseling out good
People and situations arrive silently, but often with much hullabaloo. They have a face, at times faceless. The latter type doesn’t affect much, for they had no prejudices. Nonetheless, despite being unknown, they mostly contribute to chisel life and give a new perspective. Part of a motley crowd, they had everything but deceit and treachery.
Hammering to hurt
Dangerous were those who approached with a face. They came with a smile, showed closeness, and suddenly backstabbed or made his life more than hell. It is harrowing have such faces in vicinity. Known ones not only hammer, but their persistent act transforms a sensitive person into a callous one. It is like repeatedly pricking a spot making it thick and insensitive to impulses.
They would try to mingle, exploit emotions and fulfil their motives. It is often said that every wrong is done by others and right is assigned to self. People instigate and blame others for anything and everything unpalatable or not good that come as a result of their wrongdoing. Always misusing a simple person as a whipping boy doesn’t work, but then it is life’s experiences.
Negativity
Successful attempt to avoid the negativity of people with a face works well. The repeated agitations distract. The best way is to avoid negative situations, and if need be, the negative person. Persistent negativity damages the intrinsic beauty of a person who succumb. People judge the person on the apparent behaviour, not with the cause behind it. It is the crux of life’s changes and experiences.
Work silently
While starting a new off-beat assignment, keeping cool and mum can also be a good practice. Though it may sound rhetorical, it allows self-evaluation by introspection. During that period, outside interference should strictly be in personal space. This helps a lot in warding off the negative elements who are habitual creators of uncongenial atmosphere.
Please don’t judge
Lopsided judgmental attitude is not a good human trait. It conveys a strong negativity. People with parochial self in mind approach a person for a favour, but soon they begin commotion when things does not fall in their line. They question bona fide intention and judge according to their whim. People often do it as a matter of right, deliberately ignoring the feelings and efforts of others. An attitude of non-expectation comes as a great relief, yet the least one expects is respect of sincerity.
Self-respect
Every living organism having a brain has self-respect and decency. As human beings, everyone must respect others’ feelings, emotions and dignity. It is noteworthy that it takes two to tango. Instigation is a detonator of aggression. Demeaning is common in verbal spats, when parties use abusive language and mannerisms to demean. It is difficult to avoid if it crosses a threshold. It is, thus, important to avoid undue provocation and scathing.
Focused approach
While wading through a problem or working on serious things, call for concentration and focus. Undue and unnecessary noise of any sort must be avoided. It helps in focusing on the approach and efforts. In an unavoidable silly commotion, endeavouring to contain oneself, keeping aside the ego is a best remedy. He knows his limitations and capabilities. An effort to keep calm and composed in a foolish spat is a good practice, a creative and positive mind should adopt.
Self-restraint
Conflicts of interest, thoughts or ideology lead to a heated discussion. It is quite natural and in a sense beneficial if used for the overall good of family, society or a country. Nevertheless, it needs a considerate approach, particularly in a relationship. It is important to emphasise that opinions are valuable, but important thing is that everyone should be free to express their opinion before arriving a consensus. It is life’s change. Imposition of opinions, desires, or whims is undemocratic and autocratic. It needs a thorough and honest introspection. Commotions can’t be overruled, but the frequency and intensity can be reduced by observing self-restraint and discipline.
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Kamal Kishore Srivastava
A retired government officer turned writer and photographer, Kamal Kishore Srivastava is a regular blogger and essayist who explores life’s deeper meanings through immersive reflections on nature, impermanence, and happiness. On his blog Nature’s Narrative, he blends philosophical storytelling with practical insights. Writing 1,200–1,500 words or more regularly, Kamal is committed to refining his craft, expanding his audience, and building a sustainable space where thought and feeling intersect.
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