itch

A long time ago, when in school, we had moral science classes. In one of these classes, we were taught to look at the under-privileged before crying over our own lot. Therefore, if one did not have shoes, one had to look at one who did not have feet and be thankful that one had feet, albeit without shoes.

I wonder now, if all this while I have been following this very doctrine, unconsciously ofcourse, and in the process have come to sudden revelations. It has become important to understand if I have by any chance, not compared myself with the wrong people and having found myself better off, have thus far celebrated life. And even if I did, you might ask, what is wrong with the ensuing bliss?

I do not know. Far less, I do not even know if I have compared at all. Like I said, it might have been unconscious.

But if I were to be objective about it, and completely unbiased, I would have to say that I could have consciously compared with others who were better off. I would not have looked at the cripple without legs but at the legs that wore a new pair of trainers everyday. Or I could have looked at my highest paid mate and try and better him rather than pay any attention to another who earned less than me. Can it be possible that in the comparison of things one in fact gets a drive to do better and celebrate life thus?

Or it is possible, extremely lazy that I am, that I might have worked just hard enough to retain a certain threshold of exclusivity and thereafter reveled in my success by "unconsciously" comparing with people worse off. "It could have been worse", I would tell myself, "so and so has got married and is suffering. The Poor thing! I atleast do not have to worry about pleasing, or much worse, not annoying my spouse". I could, instead think, "so and so has searched far and wide for his apology of a wife. Surely, I can do better than that and in much lesser time". Only problem is that, in this particular case, in either way of thinking, I find myself not only with feet but with shoes as well.

Then there is the case of the cripple. What does he think? Who does he look at?I have always wanted to ask this question to my teacher but knowing full well that she would not have the answer, had thought the better of it and held my silence. Had it no been for this, I would not have had to try and rack my brains over what the one without the feet should look at, for thankfulness.

Obnoxious Couples

The greatest luxury of being a bachelor is that one does not get branded as being one in an obnoxious couple. Why obnoxious, one might ask.

Coupling is an art. But once two people agree they are a couple, there is no looking back or around for that matter. The entire world is seen as "us" rather than "I". I might as well emphasize for clarity that a couple is defined as "two people who have decided, in their larger interest, to be together most of the time, make appearances together; in short, convey to the entire world the fact that one is taken by the other". It is only the very best and adept in this art who can agree to be in a couple but still suppress the "I am taken" signal from ever going out to the wide world. But that is a subtlety that borders on infidelity and one must be careful to just leave everything at toying and do nothing beyond.

I had the infinite pleasure to observe quite a few couples in my time, some quite recently. And it goes wiuthout saying that they may be classified into various categories.

There are the couples formed after one has pined long and strong for a partner who immediately becomes a consort after coupling. Such couples have one or both rather desperate, if you will, at the appearances. They may be identified by the clear disregard for people around wherein they much love the attention they gain by being fully absorbed in each other. They will talk only to each other when in a group. They will incessantly hold hands or fondle (sometimes without decency).

Then there are couples that have been formed because of a supposed intellectual connection. Now, intellectual connection is perhaps, singly, quite important in a relationship. But such an imposter this one is that it is at times rather difficult to see whether it is an intellectual connection or a mere resignation to each other. However, I must say that it works, at least to a great extent.

One cannot forget the couples formed after one has pursued the other for quite some time. In most cases, the pursuer suffers the Monalisa complex. The pursued is at most times, in blissful oblivion. It is only after a certain amount of time has passed that one notices that the pursuer has tamed while the pursued has gone wild. Beautiful thing this coupling is.

I could go on. And it is easier because I am not an expert at relationships or coupling for that matter. But one will ask why obnoxious again? It is rather trivial really. To any 'single' person, quality time with friends means the spending of time in the 'old times' way. When friends had not coupled. Because, having done so, they fall into one of the many categories and in anyway you like it, are quite insufferable.