JUST FOR AN HOUR...










For most of us, one of the hardest things to do is to accept the idea that we are dispensable...

That, without us, the world can function perfectly well…  Life can go on perfectly well, as well.

On this July 24, my wife and I decided to quietly celebrate my 58th birthday in Pune, with Kenrick, our only son and Dr. Deepak, our close friend. What surprised me, that day, was a very simple fact I had not noted all these years, but Dr. Deepak pointed out. He said, “You are born on ‘twenty four/seven’!”

“Gosh! I did not know that!” I exclaimed…

“It’s okay,” Dr. Deepak calmed me down in his inimitable way, “You know it now.”


When do we use the phrase – ‘Twenty four/seven’?

A lot of truth is packed in it…

The mind is so addicted to thoughts and habits… that to live without those thoughts and habits seems impossible. The thoughts, mostly of negative nature … worry and anxiety, fear and clinging… fear of losing… insecurity, doubt, jealousy and anger… guilt and regress, shame, hopelessness. These thoughts, I think,  are responsible for making us hide behind the continuous addiction to texting, forwarding, commenting, responding, ‘searching’, tweeting,… liking and unliking… ceaseless partying, spending, shopping… smoking, drinking doing drugs, sexual excess… and so…

I say, ‘excessive’… ‘addictive’ thoughts and habits.

If alone the mind could experience the stillness of an hour!

Just for an hour or so, if we could see the reality, that life is beautiful even if we do not show that addictive restlessness to react and respond… to text, smoke, drink and spend…

Twenty-four is an hour!

An hour, if we are able to spend with our quiet strength, without the addictive hold… I, think, this life can be a wonderful experience…

Yes, the old prayer ‘Just for today’… is now broken down to ‘Just for an hour’… This hour in hand.

The next hour… day, week, month, year and life… even eternity… yes, they will all simply follow the hour… This hour.


GERALD D’CUNHA

 Pic.: Alex D.


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