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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