“Unbeing dead isn’t being alive”
E.E. Cummings
We have all gone through moments when we lie down on the bed exhausted tired and drained, thinking about something that’s creating a deep sense of agony inside us. At that moment, we try not to feel negative. We try to get motivated, jump start again, and carry on with life. Beat ourselves up until we get up and do day to day things. We try to push ourselves because lying down being sad won’t sort the things out that we’re working on. Right?
And then we search for motivation. From people, stories, movies, series, social media posts, reels? YouTube videos and boom! We collide with this known saying-
“Being alive is the miracle you are looking for”
Is that true? Yes! Indeed. Life is unpredictable, full of uncertainty, and waking up every morning in a healthy physical state is a miracle, whereas people die in an accident or a heart attack in the blink of an eye.
But this is the very fact that is shining upon us like the Sun, that says life is an experience which we need to understand and indulge into. Life is a gift to us, and we must cherish it celebrating being alive.
These are all facts of life. But, the thing is, is it that simple getting out of our misery? Being happy thinking about the fact that “Yes!! I am alive. My heart is beating. I have another day full of possibilities to live for”
If that was the case, people living on the streets out of poverty would always be happy dancing around. No. They don’t. They have to think about how to figure out what to eat tomorrow? Where to go and sleep today?
Yes that’s what the famous Indian celebrity said-
“Don’t become a philosopher before you become rich!”
And a quote from poet Sukanta Bhattacharya-
হে মহাজীবন, আর এ কাব্য নয়
এবার কঠিন, কঠোর গদ্যে আনো,
পদ-লালিত্য-ঝঙ্কার মুছে যাক,
গদ্যের কড়া হাতুড়িকে আজ হানো ।
প্রয়োজন নেই, কবিতার স্নিগ্ধতা,
কবিতা তোমায় দিলাম আজকে ছুটি
ক্ষুধার রাজ্যে পৃথিবী-গদ্যময়:
পূর্ণিমা-চাঁদ যেন ঝলসানো রুটি ।
O Great Life no more of this poetry.
Bring on the hard, harsh prose instead.
Let the jingle of verse disappear
And the strong hammer of prose strike.
No need for the serenity of a poem;
Poetry, I give you a break today.
In the regime of hunger, the earth belongs to prose,
The full moon burns like a loaf of bread.
Yes, we can’t be philosophical in an empty stomach. So, being alive sometimes feels like a curse, not a miracle. Waking up in the morning with a fit and fine physical health but a devastated mind doesn’t feel like a blessing.
So the moral of the story. Life is merely not what a motivational quote says. It’s hard, it’s painful, it’s full of suffering. But still, we live, we laugh, and we struggle to make things right for ourselves or any greater cause. Because we were born, and that’s why we got to live through this beautiful rocky mountain to reach the top and enjoy the view. Because what I feel is, life is like a holiday trip. We do packing, we get ready and get into the train to reach the destination. We stay amongst that soulful view and create memories with our loved ones, take pictures, roam around, do adventure, and explore the new place only to get back to where we belong. And that’s what life and death is for me. Staying, exploring, struggling, enjoying, and then returning to the unending nothingness.
So next time you lie on your bed feeling empty and numb, thinking about will these all ever be OK? Will I ever succeed? Don’t push yourself to the flow of life. Instead, acknowledge, take your time, and get through it. One day at a time. One moment at a time rather. 💝😌
