'So what would you like to be or want to be if given a chance to start over again or another life?' asks my friend out of curiosity. This was the question crossing over the bridge connecting my left and right halves of the brain quiet frequently. And it is also not the first time I’m staring into this question. Often, I used to have the same question for myself and it would be like looking at a still water body. As one would guess all you can see will be your reflection on the water surface. And every time I dared to dip my face under the surface to see beyond the reflection, I always saw myself in a new avatar.
May be an astronaut? That was I wanted to be. But nah, before venturing out in space let’s clean up the home! Well engineering is the way to go –design and build. Oh crap, but already there are very good engineers and great designs made, but still the problems are around. Why? Oh yeah, because I have to look at the source of the problem but not where it is affecting. So, let’s get into social sciences.
C’mmon now, everybody knows there are problems, everybody knows people are dying out of hunger, poverty. It is nothing new, it has been happening since centuries, so something is wrong somewhere. It is not the policies, not the governance but something is wrong with the ability of oneself to comply with their self-conscious. Surrendering oneself to the materialistic desires, riding high on the opium and coc(aine) of building social status and dreaming (more than we sleep) about the what to gather to pass on to your blood and flesh. They say Buddha tried to tackle this very problem and got enlightened but I wonder if the message got lost in translation! Or it is us who even after sitting through all the moral science classes in our formative years, listening about good Vs evil in the interesting and dramatic mythologies have gone through those phases as if sitting through a movie.
Yeah, by the way, where was I..oh, social sciences, I guess that was the gist of all the social sciences. It’s connected to moral sciences and I don’t want to be any saint or preacher to take up the job. It’s only because people don’t want to realize and if I’m getting another chance, should I let it go imitating few great people who have walked the earth time and again. Subodh..always, why so serious?..my point exactly. So without wasting time, let me indulge in the world of arts and literature. Sports..an athlete winning at Olympics!! Or Music seems to be great! Mastering some kind of instrument, composing great harmonies would be a way to go. Connecting people across the globe with common thread of music definitely looks a noble quality. I might want to be a conductor for a philharmonic group and giving great background scores to movies. Movies..movies..I wonder if I make a good director. This bug started crawling inside me from childhood from the moment I heard my granny started comparing me to aamir khan! Now please don’t make fun of her innocence. Ab daddi-jaan unke thajurbe ke mutaabik kuch bola hoga tho kuch na kuch tho baat rahi hogi na :-p.
Well before scaring you off to come before camera, let me assume the position of the role of one behind the camera. If I want to direct, I want to make sure how the frame should look like etc so I’ll be the cameraman myself. Also this is a fantastic way to audition for Nat geo or discovery and be a part of their expedition trips and film those amazing wild life documentaries. This option definitely looks enticing. Making documentaries or sensible thought provoking movies would quench my thirst of presenting and addressing the social issues and as well as entertain the artist inside me. If I make it big, money will follow which will enable for enormous charities…but hey aren’t there charities around? So charities are not the answer but a way to achieve an answer.
Wait..hang on..am I again falling into this vicious circle? Aren’t all the Jolies, Federers, Gates, Bonos and others like them who have enormous appeal among the people trying to do the same? But has it caused impact on us? I guess it would be so immature of me to raise the latter question. If all of the above people would have raised the second question and stopped what they are presently doing..wouldn’t that have multiplied the needy. Now that I realize it, I guess there shouldn’t be any second thoughts. In fact no second thoughts on anything, whoever I am, no matter whatever I do or whatever I want to become in another chance of living again, I wish I can remember this simple lesson of doing what I can in my capacity instead of waiting to be someone and then do something.
Now once I start adopting the above ideal, doesn’t the very first question of ‘what you want to become’ become irrelevant? So did I answer the question or not or am I answering the question with another question?! If at all you have a chance, why not be someone who can re-structure the entire system? Since people are crippled because of the limitations and rules of the system, let me create a parallel system. How about being a don whose underworld would try to bring the brightness to outside world…fill the gaps that cannot be seen or ignored by the conventional system. Feel the power..power of having control over the things. Men are always hungry for power, aren’t they? Hey but does that convey in anyway I want to be a man again in second chance.…nope I’ve never committed to such a thing, I’ve got no such preferences.
The couple of magic words that will directly answer which you would say I should have put in the beginning and end the matter there itself saving you all the time , are ‘film-maker/cameraman/photo journalist’ (60% wildlife, 40 % mainstream). But it some times makes me wonder if I’m being impartial to people who are visually challenged…to deal with it how about part time chef!..everybody can enjoy your services and skills! So yeah there it is blend of film-making/photography and a chef, an epicurean. But do I really need a second chance to fill the above shoes…there’s always another beginning..tomorrow is a new day!! So, did I answer the question or is it still unanswered! :-p
