Ever heard of this joke? Use king and queen in a sentence. Shoot: “Dali! Dali! The Queen is in a hari…” You’d probably trade your favorite mudshaker to anyone who’d spare this gag a few laughs sans the sarcasm to the one who delivered the pun.
Pun or no-pun, you wonder, why is the queen in such hari? Making the question a little more collective: why are we oftentimes immersed in such hurry?
Every day of our fleeting subsistence, we go about our daily grind in a superficially ultra fast speed. You have your instant coffee (or milk or tea), fast food in every street corner, boulevard or avenue, one-stop convenience stores; instant noodles, ulam, etc. They say everything is part of being global—the world is swiftly becoming smaller by the nanosecond, and people should adapt to the changing times. Amid the advent of new technologies, everything you need is right at your fingertips. Or so you thought. (And what do you really need? Guess that’s another story…)
Perhaps some people would call it adaptability. We are compelled to make haste because of the need to keep up with everything else that surrounds us (Don’t they say, haste makes waste?). In these times when we are swept by social controversies and personal struggles, who would care to take things slow and as others would put it—take time to smell the roses…? The man on the street worries about his kids’ next meal while one lady has a country to run, albeit devoid of authority. You have your own work to do. Deadlines to beat. People busy themselves with a lot of things. The next-door neighbor has children to feed. The others have babies to nurse, machines to operate, businesses to manage. Some have work-ups to examine and patients to attend to and an entire sashay of hard work for just about everybody (at least for those fortunate enough to even be employed, that is). They could actually be right: in the real world and in these times, one must come out geared up, primed and all-set, ready to face the monstrosities ahead, but isn’t there such a thing called moderation?
No matter how pretentiously and overly idealistic it may sound, we do need to slow things down from time to time. (Think David Blaine’s Vertigo special—literally standing still in the busy streets of New York, talk about pure irony.) It’s not to discourage an equally substantial amount of drive and passion, but what do you think, life isn’t just about what most people think as consequential concerns of making a living. How about trying to make a life? Yes. Let’s make our lives. At the end of the day, what runs in your mind? Probably a more interesting question would be—what adds value to your every waking moment? The answer would most definitely vary. You daresay it would all depend on what one person deems important.
It could be finishing first in class…getting that dream job…moments with your inamorata…a well-deserved increase…long-drives with your family…reading a good book…a nice warm bath after a long day of bummers…a child innocently waiting at your doorstep, giving you a warm hug after a day’s work…occasional good news from the television for a change…waking up happy and energized by no more than the sight of the one person you chose to spend your eternity with…beating the traffic…a sweet note from your sister…your mother’s touch…your baby’s smile…a slice of your favorite cheesecake…having real friends…good food and great music…receiving an unexpected call…doing what you love best…extending help to a stranger…listening to a friend…forgiving the person who hurt you…getting a second chance…giving a second chance…coloring the world with your kindness…trusting again…loving again…hot chocolate, instant or not, on a rainy morning…a walk with a friend… cheerful conversations with longtime friends…sharing a hearty laugh…a word of encouragement or affirmation…a calmly deep slumber…simply having the feeling that you are right where you are supposed to be…
This list could go on forever but one thing becomes clear, life indeed, is still worth living.
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