MAY THE LIGHT LEAD US

 



“Nothing vast enters the life of mortals

without a curse.”

Sophocles

 

Mahima*, my eleventh-standard student, has been very particular about her commitment to my Zoom sessions. Also, she has been very particular about doing her homework. Ditto, I learnt, has been her commitment to her college and other tutors. So, last afternoon, when she did not connect on Zoom, I and some of her fellow students kept calling and messaging her – ‘What happened’? … ‘The session has started’… ‘We are waiting’… ‘Please join’…!” But, the messages were left unread and the calls were left unattended. Knowing her well, I concluded, that she must be really unwell. Thus, we continued with the session without Mahima.

This morning, there was a short e-mail from Mahima:

“Good Morning Sir,

I hope, you are doing well.

I couldn’t attend any class yesterday; or, even for that matter, I couldn’t use any device, as it has a screen. I was having a severe headache and doctor told me to take rest and not to use any device. I am sorry for not informing you side by side. Lastly, I will submit all my homework, latest by tonight, without fail.

Thank you,

Mahima.

 

A week ago, not seeing any of my Blogs, a friend and an old student, Krisha* had checked:

“Hope, all fine at your end, Sir. Get worried when you don’t blog and when I don’t see you online.”

I had replied:

“Hello Krisha, everything is okay at my end. Health is stable presently. Yes, occasionally, I get into this complete lack of motivation to do my routine things, which includes blogging. Whether it’s a kind of detachment or depression, I don’t know. But, I simply let it be. Maybe, it’s a kind of digital detox… Maybe, hibernation… Maybe, it’s a prompting to let go what I am passionate about doing all the time. So, I am just not reacting to what’s happening in and around me presently. Hope, I will get divine guidance on it.

All okay at home? Thanks for checking.

Loads of love.”

Krisha wrote back:

“Your reply reminded me of what my Dad used to tell me: “Too much is too bad; everything should be in moderation to enjoy.”





One of the worst things about the Social media, which I was able to see happening to me, was: I was getting addicted to it. Anything that controls me is my addiction. Yes, I don’t do drugs… I don’t drink alcohol… I don’t consume tobacco in any form… I don’t shop recklessly… I don’t buy things which I don’t need… I don’t watch TV at all… For last seven-eight months, I haven’t seen a newspaper… I am not into religious evangelism. My only access to Social media has been WhatsApp, Facebook (because of my daily blogging) and, yes, those relentless YouTube videos which used to enslave me, because I let them to. It’s funny to think about it! Even funnier thing is this: like me, all at home (including my 85-year-old father-in-law) were addicted to their respective devices. While my Father-in-law (and my 85-year-old Mother in my hometown) tried to justify their addiction,  saying that they only watched church services (Mass) – at least three or four of them,  back-to-back – my wife, son and I had justification for our own back-to-back screen-addiction. In the end, I was able to see what a slow- poisoning of mind, heart and soul that was! It was making all of us ill-tempered and depressed…

So, in the thick of this addiction, I chose to take a conscious break.

The world outside and the world inside are so beautiful, so peaceful without such meaningless ‘substances’. Truly, we do not need any of them. I said ‘any of them’… which includes my ‘Blogs’!

The key to the freedom is when we realize our slavery. Till we don’t realize it, we shall remain slaves… It’s as simple and as complicated as that, Sir.

Ashwin*, my T.Y. B. Com student, has been urging me to watch ‘Social Dilemma’ on NETFLIX. “Sir, it’s an amazing short-film about ninety minutes. Please watch,” he has been insisting.

So, my wife and I watched it, last evening.

It’s something that had fallen on our lap, when we were ‘ready for it’…  A teacher had appeared when the students were ready!

I highly recommend it to all of you, this Diwali…




May the light lead us!


*Names changed.

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic's.: pixabay

Video: Netflix

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