What do you wish you could do more every day?
The post reflects the life of a contemplative individual who wishes he could immerse himself more in reading and writing. He cherishes the beauty and history of words, yet struggles with concentration, leading to unfinished reading and writing projects. He is inclined towards nature and prefers solitary living, appreciating the Beauty of Nature and words. This inclination leaves him pondering life’s deeper meanings. He often watches from a distance instead of engaging socially. Committed to self-improvement, he writes daily and actively seeks to enhance his skills. Prefering technology over human assistance, he relies on technology rather than human help. Despite repeated setbacks in his creative pursuits, he remains hopeful, aiming to make a positive contribution to the world
Table of contents
Key Takeaways
- The article explores the life of a contemplative individual who values the beauty of nature and the power of words. He struggles with concentration and unfinished projects.
- He engages with reading as a slow, thoughtful process, equating words to living beings with unique stories.
- Deep contemplation leads to writing, yet distractions often interrupt his flow and hinder completion of tasks.
- Living a solitary life, he cherishes nature while aiming for self-improvement through technology rather than human interaction.
- Ultimately, he emphasizes making a positive contribution to the world, appreciating the interconnection between humanity, nature, and expression.
Romantic alleyways
Sitting idly with a book of his choice, he was slowly flipping its pages while reading it. Submerged in the book, he slowly slipped into the past, travelling in the romantic alleys of that time. The pages of the book with words appeared like houses along the long, labyrinthine alleyways. They take him on a sojourn of sweet-sour memories. Artistically woven words in sentences compose paragraphs. They finally became a book and convey nice ideas. Wandering in them is a romantic experience. He often equated the beauty of words with Nature and wished he could travel more in the alleys to experience it through his trusted friends – books.
Words are like humans
Not a voracious reader, he likes to read as much as possible to consume and digest. He is a slow reader who moves cautiously. He doesn’t comprehend the contents in a go, as most people do (as they claim!). For him, words behave like living human beings. They have a story and significance in a particular situation. Their style of storytelling is unique. Words in sentences are like different personalities in a family, each adding dimension. He wanted to have an in-depth knowledge of every word with its history and origin. It gives him a childlike pleasure when some new fact about a word comes to him. He silently squeals with a grin. After seven decades, he still has an urge to appreciate the beauty of words. It is one of his few likes. The first and foremost is the love and admiration for Nature.
Contemplation
Concentration is an issue for him. Words often jumble up and start dancing as he opens a book to read. Any idea or thought he read in the book sets off a chain reaction, igniting musings. Endless contemplation related to things described in the book leaves the contents of the reading material where they were. The chain of thoughts stops only with minor distractions. These include the fluttering of pages, the soft sound of a slipping pen, or often the song of a bird. Interestingly, these disturbances, especially related to Nature starts a new journey. Things pour in, start a new story or narration. Ultimately, the book is closed, leaving it partially read.
Penning the thoughts
The contemplation culminates in writing. He often writes ex tempore, typing on any medium, namely, a smartphone, a tablet or a laptop. Streams of thought come gushing into his mind, sometimes overwhelming them and jumbling them up. To overcome it, he tries to give it a break by starting a game. He prefers to play easy, everyday games. They distract his mind yet engage him in something different. This activity is incongruous with reading and writing. It sometimes becomes irritable, and no work is completed.
A bird in hand is worth two in the bush
Leaving one thing for the other new thing is not good. It indicates a shifting mind. It doesn’t lead to the completion of a task. He wished he could do away with this habit, but his mind wouldn’t give him a chance. It is why, as he often thinks, things are not arrayed, and he is not a successful person. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush. Knowing it well, though, it is difficult to shed it. He wished he could do things more meticulously, taking up one at a time.
Solitary nature
He often cogitates and soliloquises. The beauty of Nature and words play an important part. These and associated happenings mostly occupy his mind. While enjoying the natural drama, nature’s colour play, and colourful skyscapes at crepuscule, he is stirred by thought. He usually avoids crowded places and even social gatherings, trying to keep himself isolated. In unavoidable situations, he stands in a corner, preferring to watch things from a distance. He does not become part of the happenings. Relatives and family members often don’t notice him in their busyness.
Isolated life
Leaving behind the humdrum of life, he lives an isolated life, cut off from activity. His mind is always occupied with something or the other. No one is his friend or close. He feels equally for everyone. Living in a small self-owned house with his spouse, he prefers self-study and expanding his knowledge base to hone his writing skills. Occasionally, he was penning down his thoughts for future use to produce flawless and readable quality content. Yet, he is never satisfied with his writing and keeps on modifying and updating it. The only thing that he wants is to reach more people through his writing.
Work hard, not steal others’ labour
He often reads novels, but mainly he reads serious texts on bioscience, philosophy, and politics. As he often cogitates, the main thrust is self-improvement. He has in mind that he is an ordinary person. Feeling grounded, he never succumbed to self-obsession or boastfulness. At work, he always focused on his work without expecting praise from anyone. It was mainly because of the realisation that people try to drag rather than push upward.
The incident
He remembers an incident with a smile. One of his immediate superiors had a habit of retyping neatly handwritten notes using a fresh page. His immediate superior would then give “his” typed note to the management. It was his insecurity that forced him to show his “ability”. He imposed his “utility” at the cost of others’ labour. People lack healthy growth and competition and are plagued by a strong sense of insecurity. Despite encouragement, they try to pull down.
Computers, not humans
During his life’s journey, he adopted many creative habits. Over time, these habits deepened and evolved into a strong liking for the skill. Believing that the beauty of Nature and words are closely linked, he loves picture taking too. The technical aspects aside, he takes pictures for “self-satisfaction”. It would, though, be an over-exaggeration of a statement. He tried to capitalise his writing and photography but failed. Despite repeated failures, he has not lost hope and tries his best to improve through introspection. To do this, he also takes help from a computer. He doesn’t feel the need for human assistance. A little sceptical about human tendency, he relies more on a computing machine to improve his skills. Online courses helped him to keep abreast with the fast-changing world.
Nearness to Nature invigorates
He is in the final stages of his life’s race. The priority is to stay physically fit and mentally active. His life and routines are very simple. An early riser, he enjoys the nectar of Nature on his balcony. Sometimes he circumambulates the terrace or visits lavish parks. Strolling in green patches enhances his mood and energy level. Nearness to Nature pleases him a lot. Orderly things, clean, salubrious environment, pristine water bodies are a priority. He often raises these issues prominently in his writings.
In the end
Positive contribution to the world is essential. The beauty of words and Nature are the basis of expression. People share this world with millions of humans, countless animals, and many birds. “Being human” gives a sense of elation, but with responsibility. The whole living world gives something to sustain and support the world. The “most intelligent” and “prudent” human race does not give in return. It only takes. As a resposible human beings, people need to be sensitive about the cause of Nature. The colourful and invigorating natural world needs to be observed, appreciated and taken care of. It is our heritage. It needs to be handed over to Gen Z with a positive contribution.
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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 1200–1500 or more words regularly, Kamal is committed to refining his craft, expanding his audience, and building a sustainable space where thought and feeling meet.
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