Me and My Shadow

ME AND MY SHADOW

by

MURALI MURTHY

If our thoughts reflects our personality, I would like to depict our thoughts as our shadow.

Our shadow follows us everywhere, guides us, constantly mentors us, instructs us to behave and react to situations.

If a shadow's shape and size depends on the position of the Sun, our thoughts also changes it's perceptions depending on the situation.

Have you guys felt that your thoughts also change, based on the situation?

Mine does...all the time! 😊

The thoughts or views on a particular subject is not consistent.

Does the thoughts, perception views really change over time or is it our convenience that we change perception on few issues, topics depending on the situation?

I was apolitical for a very long time, but became a Bhakth for a brief period. Frustrated with the way everything is polarized and noises made with empty vessels, quickly moved from being a Hater, back to Apolitical.

That was just one example..

From hating people eating animals, considering myself to be morally better placed, to "what the heck, it's their choice. It's their way of life."

From vehemently opposing Lockdowns, downplaying Covid fatality arguing livelihood to be more critical, to "It's better to be safe, than sorry".

Do I convince myself that it's only informed decisions my thoughts are making, based on life inputs?

Many of us, including me forward Whatsapp Gyans. Do We really follow what we preach? Why do We assume our self thought through Gyan or Forwarded Gyan is useful to someone, while everyone have their own ego of gyan - eggyan!

It is our false notion that we believe We can influence others with our thoughts, with our perception of righteousness.

Being politically correct, it is easy to say "It's ok to learn from others. Be open to listen to great minds and learn from them".

And I am astonished with millions mesmerizingly following Gurus giving Gyans.

While I believe most of these life lessons and gyan published / distributed by the so-called accomplished Gurus are just their thoughts without life experience and completely philosophical.

It is different to follow and believe in philosophies and learnings shared by demonstrated Achievers, successful people.

But receiving thoughts and inputs from Gurus who just know how to create content, engaging content filled with righteous and one-sided moralities and have brilliant vocabulary, is appalling. 🤷🏻‍♂️

If that's the criteria, I qualify to be a Gyan distributing Guru, as I have written enough Thought provoking blogs. 😇

The only Gyan I would want to give is, do not let your Shadow grow bigger than you.

If I were to attend such a Gyan administering session, and someone trying to convince me that Monogamy is Indian way of life and is in general good health of the society, giving examples of Sri Ramachandra, I would nod in agreement with folded hands, as I involuntarily letch at a attractive woman on the other side while my Wife is next to me. I would convince my thoughts "Men are wired this way, it's not my mistake or I am not distracted". 😋
The irony is that my wife gets my attention to an attractive woman passing by or a woman in revealing clothes! 😉😍

The point here is, does our thoughts get influenced with changing environment, changing situation or simply by being with different set of people.

Our mind is the best example of self learning. After all, that's the inspiration why the concepts of Artificial Neural Networks or Artificial Intelligence are being studied and developed, to make a system learn from the usage condition and train itself to change!

If we humans are trying to replicate our Mind's ability to self-learn and improvise in form of AI/ANN, then if mind itself Changes It's thoughts cannot be wrong then, isn't it?

End of the day, as long as we have a shadow to look back that follows us and guides us all the time, we are healthy. It is better to have a Shadow that changes it's shape and size, instead of No Shadow!

Am I the only one worried or concerned about changing thoughts or is it normal? 🤔

Disclaimer: I am leaving out the learnings and influences on our thoughts from our parents and teachers, am only refering to the external factors that influence our thoughts.

We need those healthy influences of thoughts from our Parents and teachers, which forms the foundation for our Shadows.

Bearmans

 Bearmans!

Early days of the Pandemic

The world saw onset of a Pandemic. The Governments across the world took measures to curb the spread of a deadly virus.

People around the world first downplayed the virus and it's affects, as it started started infecting only the weak and vulnerable population.

The epidemiologists suggested stringent measures. As the infected numbers went up to 1% of the population, Governments had no choice but to heed to the suggestions by the epidemiologists, and various countries imposed Lockdowns at varied levels.

Middle class and the poorer section of the society, who earn and live by the day were the most impacted.

Local Governments and NGOs provided aid and support as much as possible.

The virus spread kept growing and had a major impact on the health infrastructure.

Scenes of burning pile of dead bodies disturbed the people, and soon realising the deep impact of the Virus, people started taking the situation seriously and followed the guidelines.

As the infected cases went up to 10% of the global population, people, medical staff and the Governments panicked and did their best to control the situation and increasing medical infrastructure.

6 months passed by, and the case load slowly started seeing a decline. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, people started to gather themselves and hesitantly restarted their work and social life.

Pharma majors also came up with vaccines to beat the Virus threat. Industries, Businesses slowly started to bounce back.

This respite was not to be meant to last long, as the second wave of the virus spread kicked in. This time, Governments and People were vary of the situation and could not afford to shut themselves down again. If the rich worried about their Social life and mental health, middle and pooper classes worried about their livelihood.

Epidemiologists warned that the second wave can be even worse and even more stringent measures will have to be taken. But Governments fearing backlash and affordability of common man to survive another Lockdown.

The second wave was indeed more severe, as the no.of infected population was rampant. The virus was spreading in the air, making the spread uncontrollable aa scores of people were infected within weeks, leaving Lakhs dead.

No Amount of technologícal advancement or medical prowess could stop this deadly virus.

After 3 months of fatal outlash, the cases miraculously slowed down.

Confused yet happy, people thought it was end of the Pandemic and restarted their lives yet another time.

Experts, Epidemiologists, Astrologers all gave hope to the world that the bad times are over and people can settle now. With 50% of world population either already infected and recovered, or ben vaccinated, there were theories of herd immunity going rounds.

3 years after the second wave ended

The earth is going through it's 8th wave. Each wave eating up millions of lives, and leaving millions more homeless. If Lakhs of them were dying of the virus, equal number committing suicide unable to bare starvation and moneylessness.

As each wave hit, people lock themselves home stocking up food for 6 months and when the virus leaves grip, people make all possible arrangements to earn and stock.

By the passage of each wave, the virus got stronger and lethal. Experts, Pharmas, Governments gave up hope and were running for their own lives.

As the 10th wave hit the world, people shun humanity and stop being civilized. Rich are no more rich. Whatever money they had, were being robbed, shops and malls being ransacked. All these were desperation of people for survival. The survival of the fittest was the game.

The world lost count of the waves by now. There are no humans to be seen on the streets. Empty streets, empty shops, abandoned houses and buildings donned the scenes.

Humans had evolved and adapted a bear-like lifestyle. Humans learnt to hibernate for 3 to 6 months, when the tide was high. They just shut down their biological systems, slept for months together with absolutely no physical activity, to save energy. Humans had naturally evolved to modify their physical state to slow down heart rate, metabolism and body heat.

And while the tide was low, people came out near forests, rivers to hunt and pick whatever food they could grab on.

Hunting or picking edible plants was not easy, as there were thousands of them eyeing on the same source, which usually ended in fist fight to get food.

This also happened because this evolution to hibernate was usually solitary and isolated, made Humans socially inactive and mentally unfit to cooperate and co-exist.

Humans had become Bears - Bearmans!

The Logic Of Lockdown

The logic of Lockdown

If the idea of a Lockdown / Semi Lockdown is to stop Crowding, cut down social interaction and maintain physical distance and in turn curtail the Covid Spread, then why was there a sharp dip in the Covid numbers since 6 months?

In a country like India, elections, rallies, festivals, processions, cultural and religious programs attracts large gatherings. A Politician's or an Actor's visit to an event make people go crazy and surround them in 1000s climbing over each other for a Selfie.

A curse to our society - Protests and Bundhs! 

If cutting off social interaction, people-to-people contact by way of Lockdown and enforcing wearing masks could reduce the spread, then those protests, elections should have added not less than 25 Lakhs cases everyday!

We saw some of the biggest protests and riots, and not even a single face amidst lakhs of them, had a Mask!

It is logic defying that crowding and not wearing masks will spread the virus, as none of protests, elections and VIP thronging made any dent to the infected cases.

Be it CAA, Farmers, Teachers, Labour unions, Govt Employees, Bank Employees, Fight for Reservations, people just come out in lakhs on the streets. People come out on streets and cause inconvenience to everyone in the name of Protests. They think it's their right to abuse other's rights in the name of Democracy. What do they achieve, has any such protests yielded anything? Apart from the huge traffic jams, causing immense inconvenience to the helpless and vulnerable common citizen. What do we do? How do we protest a protest!?

Lockdown is only a curse to majority of the Society. Businesses, Shops, Small Industries, Service Industries, Hospitality, Entertainment, Gyms, Labours, employees of the unorganized sectors are the ones who will suffer the most, as it's their livelihood that is directly challenged and threatened.

For them, their work is ESSENTIAL! 

Not sure who would encourage and approve of such measures - only those who would still get salaries sitting at the comfort of home, and the only possible, real complain could be - It's boring!

It's frustrating when handful of people who can afford to sit at home, be paranoid, and say "Look at them, no one is wearing mask, Govt should.lockdown to control this indisciplined lot", without an iota of idea on the consequences.

One of my C.A cousin was sharing how she has helped record no.of people withdrawing their P.F last year to survive a no-income phase.

At what cost should these restrictions and Lockdown be imposed? For the fear of being infected, when 0.85% population are infected, with 99% recovery rate and 1% mortality rate?

Shouldn't livelihood, survival and earning the bread, be of higher and obvious priority?

Bottom line - Social distancing is a joke, if such large Protests and elections were held and yet had no impact on the Covid cases, but we are made to believe Lockdown will ease the cases!

For Media and Politics, it's a fun fair.

For Medical professionals and scientists, it's research & experiment.

The sufferer will continue to suffer!

People who claim to be experts should really find the root cause of sudden surge in cases and wave, and not to blindly blame on crowding, social distancing and mask wearing norms, as We Indians have disproved the theory beyond doubt. And it is more of desperation and fight to survive and earn, rather than an intent to break rule or being irresponsible.