Mortality

Book: Mortality

Author: Christopher Hitchens

Mode: Physical Copy

Reading: Recommended, Re-Reading: Not Recommended if the topic gets to the reader

I picked this book to read as it was the smallest (least pages) one in my set of books around 'Death' that I had ordered. Also, the red cover with a switch helped.

It revolves around the last few months of the author who was diagnosed with Esophageal cancer. The author (and the patient) is surrounded by people who can majorly be divided into 2 groups. The first is the one that criticizes him for writing and saying things against God, and attribute this cancer to be a consequence of the same (the irony that it damages the throat is pretty clear). The second is the group that intends to pray for him despite the fact that they are aware he is not a believer. The author still maintains his views and believes as long as chemotherapy is accompanied by a prayer it is alright as we know for sure that one of these work towards the treatment. The issue is when we replace treatment with prayer and as long as that's not the case it doesn't worry him.

'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger' is strongly debunked here as just something people say however do not inherently believe in. For instance, radiation and chemotherapy didn't kill Christopher and it definitely just made him weak. I really find this to be a very strong statement as most of our habits, actions do not kill us (not instantly) however they could very well slowly be doing that which is to say it is definitely not making us 'strong'. It was possibly a combination of genetics and the lifestyle choice (eating, smoking and drinking habits) which led to the author's cancer.

Christopher was a passionate writer and speaker. He kept writing as well as entertaining the people around him until he couldn't do it anymore. This book is quite literally the thing he wrote on his death bed. He was keen on ensuring that he doesn't lose his ability to write as he loved it.

The afterword of this book is written by Christopher's wife Carol who talks about their time together, the fact that she misses him and how he still has the last word whenever she gets into his library and reads through his books and notes. She also talks about how Chris would divert the attention of his kids when they would talk of 'getting the bee started' in their early ages and he still kept doing the same when he was the one going to die. Some things don't change.

I would love to come back to this book someday. It needs a wise person (I ain't that, not yet) as a reader.

2024 - A New Year Ahead!

Happy New Year 2024!

New Year has always been a time for us to connect with family and wish them a prosperous year ahead. I recall the time when we used to buy STD scratch cards for our BSNL Landline to call the members of our family. Mom and Dad used to return from the temple and then we used to start calling our family and friends. Now that everyone has a smartphone lying on the side of the bed, things are still not the same and we do not talk to all the people we used to. Guess technologically cannot change the truth about people eventually getting busy in their life and drifting apart.

Last year I sent 'Happy New Year' text messages to 11 people, this time its 0. I might call a few close ones and that's that. I don't know what it means, I just know it means things change and possibly that's the only constant.

I want this new year to be a a combination of continuing with all the good and reducing the shitty things in life. Let's list it down:

1. Physical Health - Walk, Workout, and eat more at home. Stop all forms of shit intake - in all states of matter
2. Mental Health - Vacation, Treks, Meditation
3. Family - Eat dinner at home, together. Be in touch with grandparents
4. Reading and Writing - Read up on specific topics to create an elaborate Blog Post. Write about all the books being read

It is interesting how even a calendar allows for a restart (if we choose to).

Found one interesting song while googling new year resolutions on Google. Credit to a tweet on twitter (now X) - Humble and Kind by Tim McGraw

The New World

While I still belong to the Gen Y (or millennial - bloody hell, never knew that had 2 n's), somehow there's a lot to what is the textbook 'normal' for this generation which does not seem to work (at all) for me. This blog is to have a look at them, not defend myself rather just present what I feel and why.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Pros
Connecting the world, reminds me of the old BSNL Tag Line - BSNL Connecting India

Cons
A bit too much of connectivity. Most people are connected only because it is easy to be in touch and once the road gets bumpy (when and not if it does), the effort to be in touch is miniscule if at all. Gone are the days where people used to write down telephone numbers in a small book by the phone - the Telephone Directory and I knew the people who mattered as I never had to look up their numbers.

My mom wishing me Happy Birthday on a WhatsApp status - I like the effort. Everything else about it is just absolutely bizarre (even this has 2 r's).

SOCIAL STATUS

That toiling forever to have the 3BHK in a posh location (a gated community) with a SUV, ideally a German, sitting in your parking space is sad. If all I want is a place with beautiful sunrise and sunset around people who matter and care, why I can't have that in my native place? I can, it's just the bunch of people who never gave a damn about me won't approve and boy do I need them to.
Same goes with weddings, spend all you can to feed and impress people who have come their to judge me, my partner and the paneer. Next time I will meet them is some one else's wedding where both of us will be playing the same role.

OPINIONS 

'Opinions are like assholes, everyone's got one and it generally stinks'. We are literally surrounded by stinking assholes flaunted proudly. Social Media and Internet get the credit for this. This is now a misinformation era which is algorithmically curated to bias our views. Once we do not know what the other half thinks we mistake opinions for facts and we can only go downhill from there. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, however, once someone starts to believe the earth is flat - just stop.
There's something grave that originates with people'e opinions (on everything) combined with free time and cheap internet - and that is - getting offended with everything and everyone. It's as if people are just waiting for someone to speak, write, tweet or post something and then there's a heavy downpour on how our views are anti-feminist, misogynist, racist, sexist, fascist, communist, and the list goes on.

I am sure if these were not the issues before my time, there were other pretty serious ones and people still found a reason to get offended, write about it, do something about it or just live with it. I am just putting my thoughts on a blog.

What am I doing about it?

1. I do not have any social media account as of today.
2. I don't have a 3 BHK (which I can't afford) and a car (which I can afford). I am not married so we are still to tackle how 'big and fat' that would turn out to be.
3. I have opinions, I am putting them as a blog I expect no one to ever read. I believe in science.

Enough for today. Enjoy your life. If you are reading this - you clearly need to get one first. Love your loved one's because that's all that matters.

Tuesdays with Morrie

Book: Tuesdays with Morrie

Author: Mitch Albom

Mode: Kindle

Reading: Recommended, Re-reading: Recommended

This book had been sitting in my Kindle for quite some time now, possibly one of the recommendations which came along in either a book or a video somewhere. And I am glad I picked it up to read for the first time in the Christmas week of 2023 when office was unofficially closed and I was in Bhagalpur with my parents.

This is a book about the last few months of the life of a teacher who got reconnected with his student after 16 years. There are majorly lessons and wisdom on life along with what old age has in store.

• What is actually important in life? Gives an interesting segue into what is not?
• If it were your last day and you could do anything you want, what would you do?
• Death - What next? Life - What more?
• Regrets and the importance of forgiving / seeking forgiveness and living or dying in peace?
• The acceptance of dependency with disease and old age and the vigour to still be positive.
• Helping and growing the community we are a part of. Also, not getting away rather being in our society and working on improving the things which are not great as every society has its flaws.
• Being connected with people who you value, having that person (living or dead) to go to with all of our questions about life - and its going to be a lot.

The set up of this book was pretty interesting and so was the affection shown by the teacher for his old student along with the willingness to have sessions while literally being on the death bed. This also bring up the idea that sometimes some people just click and it goes a long way towards shaping the life of people (student).

I will read this book again someday, ideally a hard copy.

Planning to switch to full time paper based reading soon with only resorting to Kindle when on a long trip.