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Individual -stories Buried Within

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by HariLakhera, Nov 5, 2018.

  1. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    INDIVIDUAL- STORIES BURIED WITHIN

    Each individual is a storehouse of stories. This is because he can see, listen, feel, touch and smell. As the years add on, this storehouse is crammed with stories. Little wonder that story writers marinate their stories with some of their own stories. Every experience is a material for a story. It’s like excavating the ruins of pre-historic period. The deeper we dig, the more surprises surface on earth. It’s like counting the stars in the sky-every time you miss some making it impossible to figure out which was counted and which was left out. It’s like peeling an onion layer after layers. The problem is each individual is different and so are his/her interpretations and inferences. It becomes all the more complicated because in all these situations-the excavator of the ruins, the enumerator of stars and the peeler of the onion is the same persons though performing these acts at the same time or different times.

    Excavating the past pops up surprises, good and bad. It helps in knowing who we were and what we have become. It helps in assessing success and failures. It helps in building newer edifices for better tomorrow. Our past turns into ruins if not maintained properly. There is no way we can distance ourselves from our past. We are a product of our past-our roots, our conditioning, our achievements, our failures-everything about us and our relationships with people and places we came in touch with.

    Along with goes our present and future in the form of a sky full of stars. Our choices for the present are limited to the range of our capacity to count the stars spread before us. Our dreams for future look for brighter stars and we include them in our kitty. We only want to seen with the brightest star.

    Talking of peeling an onion may be reason for unstopping flow of tears in the eyes of the peeler. It all depends how big or how many the onions are-more the layers more the tears. Life is not a bed of roses. It has its own share of ups and downs, love and hate, compromises and revenge. It is easy to laugh and feel contended over the happy moments of life but recounting the sad moments is more tedious than peeling an onion.

    It is difficult to give matching words to these feelings of happiness or despair and that is where the writer in us awakens. All what we need is a piece of paper or a desktop/laptop/tablet and start scribbling. There will be similarities in the stories written by others but there will be some special flavor of individuality in each of these stories.
     
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  2. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    A great interpretation.Peeling of onion need not bring tears always.There are ways to do it.Either you smear a few drops of oil over the onions or just immerse the onions in water.In the same way the past or present sad experiences need not bring tears provided we keep calm and cool just as by immersing in water.
    Hari Sir,Thank you for the nice snippet.

    Jayasala 42
     
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  3. shyamala1234

    shyamala1234 Platinum IL'ite

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    Dear Hariji,
    Past, present and future are intermingled and dependent on each other. Live in the moment is a very common phrase which many use. But is not the present a product of past and future based on today...of course with a ray of hope.
    Yes.....everyone has many stories. Each is different and their interpretation also is different. Everyone's experiences are unique.
    Syamala
     
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  4. gopalan1937

    gopalan1937 Silver IL'ite

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    Well said Ms Harilakhera. Your writing has enabled me to dig out a story of my own which i am posting soon.
     
  5. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    Thank you, Mam. Yes it is possible to lesson the pain by keeping calm and cool.
    There are both good and bad. I am rather of the view that it is no harm in analyzing them and share. Above all experience is what old age is all about.
     
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  6. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    Very true. That's why probably people tell the same story in different words. I believe there are as many stories as number of people on earth past or present. There will always be some common thread but experience will be different.
    You are right. Live in the present. But do share those stories for the benefit of others.
     
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  7. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    Oh great! waiting.
     
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  8. Rihana

    Rihana Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    "Maintain the past"? But why, Hari ji, but why?

    The only thing I am reminded off when I read the snippet is the endless meetings elders such as uncles and aunts used to have for decades trying to resolve property division.

    Anyway, I get what you were saying. We are the product of our past and continue to be so. We are changing and how we view the past also changes.

    But maintaining the past can be draining. Instead of maintaining that garden like a baghban (maali), one can (yatri) visit it like going to Shalimar, Nishat, Brindavan, Pinjore, Lal Bagh or even Jallianwala Bagh. : )
     
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  9. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Hariji,

    Yes. We are the product of the past lives and that is from where thoughts come to our mind. This unknown part added with known recalling of the past current life bad experiences only places us in a miserable position like peeling of the onions. Life is not an interview where we need to share all our past experiences nor it is an archeological excavation to find something we never known before.

    All experiences are for refining us as a human beings. Let us retain only the lessons and live life in the present moment in pursuit of happiness. When old sad experiences are recalled from the subconscious mind, let us compress the reaction time and eliminate it as quickly as possible. Positivity gives hope and will, to pursue life towards happiness.

    Viswa
     
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  10. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    Rihanaji,
    Yes carrying the baggage of the past, as they say, can be hugely draining. But that is what the issue is. When I say we are a product of our past, I mean we cannot wish away the experiences, good or bad. We can only learn from them. And I am talking of past of an individual who has the direct and unique experience of that. No one can take it away from him or her. No one would really conceive the impact as he or she felt.
    Become a traveler by all means, because that is the destiny. But can someone wash away his own footprints left behind?
     

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