THE LONG ROAD
I have
been very fond of Mark Knopfler’s music. Among his many amazing creations,
there was one I would listen to and soak in over and again - ‘The Long Road’.
This piece was, like Knopfler’s songs and music are, very evocative and therapeutic.
I had, always, come out refreshed and healed… So powerful and hypnotizing it had
been!
After a long time, I happened to come across an amazingly
captivating video featuring ‘The Long Road’ (instrumental). In this video, I
was overawed by the astounding beauty of God’s creation, which we simply take
for granted. This video and Knopfler’s music compelled me think aloud: Is life
so complicated as it is made out to be? Are ‘big things’ really needed to feel
the happiness in our bosoms? Are not childhood, friendship, love, intimacy,
forgiveness, even the so-called ‘success’ – yes, are these not all ‘simple
things’ with tremendous impact on our lives?”
A
couple of days’ ago, I found myself on the receiving end of a young man. He was
hard-selling to me the idea - why it was important to monetize every ‘bit’ of
my work. Well, when I was much younger than his age, I had been so hugely
impacted by Napoleon Hill’s ‘Think and Grow Rich’, that, I found nothing weird
about which gospel this young man was trying to hard- sell me. “There are only
two things we ‘sell’ in life to earn money,” Napoleon Hill pointed in the book,
“Goods (Merchandise) and services.” Ever since then, it was clear to me, that I
had to sell my ‘services’ and make whatever growth I wanted to achieve. Interestingly,
‘Think and Grow Rich’ talked about how Mahatma Gandhi, with literally owning
nothing, leave alone wealth or army, wielded such stupendous power which was
enough to bring the British Rulers to their knees!
Mahatma
Gandhi, too, ‘sold’ to the masses of our country – the dream of living with
freedom and self-respect!
"Earth (Nature) provides enough to satisfy every man's need
but not every man's greed." Perhaps,
the young man, who was trying to sell his ‘big-bang theory’ to me, wasn’t aware
of it. Well, ‘The Long Road’, that we all have to walk, you see, to ‘own’ this
simple wisdom… “Hello, happiness lies right around your breastbone… Knopfler
writes in ‘The Long Road’:
“The
sun will rise another day,
We
all walk the long road… Cannot stay!”
The
road is long… But, why aren’t we able to look at the abounding beauty of God’s
creation… the wild and virgin?
Probably
many haven’t heard of – leave alone watched – the English movie by the name ‘Cal’
(1984). Mark Knopfler gave music to this movie and wrote the song – ‘The Long
Road’. It’s a touching love story. I highly recommend this movie and the legendary
Mark Knopfler’s music…
And,
yes, to the young man who laughed when I told him, ““Hello, happiness lies
right around your breastbone!
GERALD
D’CUNHA
Pic.:
Uttom Ghosh
Video: Andreea Petcu/YouTube
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