THE HOPEWAY

He saw a stela upon the hill. He was a boy with tousled hair. He planned to double back to the hotel. A frieze was worn around his body. He knew that people here would try to bamboozle him if they spotted him alone in this place downhill. Once, he remembered, his father had picked an oyster from shoal of a river and gave it to him. Suddenly, he saw a shrivelled old man approaching towards him. Obviously no teleology of the world could assure him why the man was coming near him at this strange hour in this stranger place. His memory tried to rewind once again to that river bank with his father. Submersed in shallow water, his feet had been drenching. He had at first thought not to give the game away to his mother, yet he could not help his excitement of his little exploration. Later on that day, having got back to their hotel room, he had a heart to heart talk with his beautiful mother; perhaps, that was the last time, they had a talk per se. But his father had fallen short of bringing ...

The social theorists talk about breaking the status quo and bring in revolutionary ideas into implementation. They think that as a citizen, everybody of us must be active in exploring every avenue to usher in some changes, however slight they seem to be. The power or the authority, by fair or foul means, tries invariably to repress out free thinking either ideologically or by forceful means or by applying both. The government and ruling parties try to force upon the citizens. They think that people will operate at their beck and call. Whenever heroic persons embrace martyrdom on some red letter day, it is by denying the draconian rules and repressions of the state machinery. But the authority always has some secret conspiracy against the rebels up their sleeve. The freedom fighters act somewhat impulsively on the spur of the moment. Sometimes, they are accused if or mocked at as they build castle in the air in the sense that the revolutionary persons dream of organizing a utopian socie...

Many people have secrets up their sleeves. However, sometimes, on the spur of the moment, they happen to talk about those secrets. We should not build castle in the air. Rather, we must begin working for fulfilling our sought after dreams. If you think that you are all at sea, think and think more about it, spend time on it. Never hit anybody below the belt. If you have courage, fight face to face. Don't go to any pot luck dinner. Those who pull strings and get things done are never reliable. They exploit you for small benefits. Try to keep your head calm and quiet. We all are running in the same groove. Nobody knows when, where, or how, a friend and enemy will come across each other. Try to look at situations from bird's eye view. We often slip up in fits and starts. If you finish working on something, close the book. Many memories cut no ice. Still, we keep remembering them unnecessarily. We have to cut our teeth in many aspects, because as much we would gain experience about...

If you think yourself brave, never hit below the belt, but fight face to face. Don't arrange a pot luck dinner where the invitees have to bring their own food. Don't depend on some politiian pulling strings to get your job. Always try to keep your head in adverse situations. This world is not that big and we oftentimes run in the same groove. Always try to look at life from bird's eye view. Don't do anything in fits and starts if you have taken its responsibility. Before closing the book permanently, observe and evaluate every nook and cranny of the work. If it cuts no ice, only then declare the work as finished, but not prior to that. You have to cut teeth in certain field in this life. But if you fear its carrot and stick before doing it, you can never complete it. Never grease anybody's palms to get some position. If you deserve that, you will nonetheless achieve even at sixes and seven. Don't rely on close shaves all the times. People will be hostile to us, ...

I always try to observe life from bird's eye view. We slip up in fits and starts in this life many times indeliberately. But we should close the book of the past that cuts no ice in our present. We must be ready everytime to cut teeth and live afresh. I know I shall face both carrot and stick from a venture. But it should not necessarily compel me to lose head or bear bad blood to someone. I will never grease palms to get something done or achieve some position that I do not deserve. There is no use in crying over the spilt milk. You will have close shave from danger; nonetheless, never rush in where angels fear to tread. Never leave someone in the lurch if you have promised to be at sixes and seven beside that person. We have no right to sit in judgment and take someone to task on account of his or her mistakes. Never forget all mortals are prone to err and nobody knows what awaits in the offing for us. You may stand now as the delegate of the ideal perfect human on earth, but lif...

The policy of carrot and stick is implemented by teachers to teach pupils lessons. Some unworthy students try to grease teachers' palms to get good marks. Backbenchers like to have a close shave from failing the exam. Sometimes there is bad blood among the top category studious pupils and the lower marks students. It is no use to cry over spilt milk because after getting the marksheet in hand one can't do anything about it. If someone consistently fails in an exam, family also leaves him or her in the lurch. Relatives then gather around to sit in judgment. Along with them, the neighbours also take her to task. In such a devastating scenario, a student, if he is worthy to be called a student, must not lose head. Whenever life is at sixes and seven, one must keep calm. Always the student must remember that s/he is not a delegate of anyone else. If one does not have sufficient latitude in life, snatch it. Everybody slips up in life. When you think eschatology, all your fears withe...