A peep into everyone's world!
One of the very good (or bad) things about Qatar is that you have a lot of time on your hands. You can do everything and anything you always wanted to do. Probably, in your own country either of the two is lacking in most normal cases.
In my case, though, it was niether of the two. I was earning ten times more than a driver in India does - a driver, who, in his salary pays the rent of his house, feeds three or four children of his, takes his wife out for movies occassionally, and still manages to save a hundred or a couple of hundred bucks at the end of the month.
I had no such commitments. Yeah, I had the money.
Time? I had loads of it. I stopped caring about 'hard work' about two years ago. I don't know why. I don't know everything. I am not God. But I assume it was because of the extremist in me. Whenever I start doing something, I do it obsessively, to such an extreme that I eventually get sick and bored of it. Maybe that's why.
I used to work no more than 7 hours a week. yes, I used to be in office those many hours a day, but didn't work more than an hour and a half a day - MAXIMUM! Didn't see a point. There was nowhere I wanted to reach, nothing I wanted to achieve.
So I had the time as well. The sad part was, I didn't know what to do with either the time or the money I had. I 'wasted' both.
I drifted away from the point of this post. I always do that. Restless mind. It thinks of a hundred things at one time.
Yesterday, after finishing off a story for the paper, which I finished in about half an hour, I had nothing to do. I read through all the blogs on my list...
And then surfed the blogosphere. Realised the strap above your blog which has a click that says, "next blog" actually leads you to other blogs.
I went on clicking.
I was amazed. There are so many. Everyone with a piece of their lives trying to open it up for the world. There were some who may have once created their blogs and then forgot all about it. Their last posts dated way back to 2003.
Some had been posting every single day for the past one year without a single comment on their posts. Not even one. yet, they go on posting.
Some had designed their blogs - put up their own templates - posted pictures of their friends, family, their fascination of sports cars or bikes.
Some cribbed about how they ABSOLUTELY HATE DELHI and would NEVER EVER go back to it even if it meant "giving up" going for holidays to Himachal Pradesh.
Some were heart broken - wrote about how they were missing their lovers who left them hanging in the middle of nowhere, and they still pray every single day for them to come back.
Some asked to be "saved", hoping this is where they'll find their saviour, because they were in despair.
Some were saying they celebrated their 6th birthday yesterday, and asked to be wished.
Some wrote about how they suffer from anxiety disorders and that weight had always been a problem with them - they are currently under medication, and at times have to lock themselves up in the room during their attacks so that they don't start beating up their kids...
You could almost imagine them returning from work, or school or college, leading their normal lives, and at the end of the day switching on their computers and writing. Some could very well be writing while you are reading about their lives.
It's a strange world, a world of its own.
Is everyone so lonely. Everyone with a story of their own. You can almost know them through their blogs - what they think, how their day went, what they ate, how much they love or hate someone...
But why do we blog about it? So many of us... What did we do before blogs existed? We wrote diaries, but we would kill anyone who read our diaries. Then why this?
Are we looking for something? Hoping for something? Trying to achieve something? Why do we want the world to know what's going on in our personal lives?
I think the world is changing. Slowly but surely. People are finding reasons and excuses to come closer to each other. Boundaries, religions, casts are losing their importance - they have stopped being a matter of any concern to anyone. The crazy, huge, creative, honest, and clean blogosphere is just too clear an indication.
I was amazed. It was humbling.
To know that I am one of the many.
In my case, though, it was niether of the two. I was earning ten times more than a driver in India does - a driver, who, in his salary pays the rent of his house, feeds three or four children of his, takes his wife out for movies occassionally, and still manages to save a hundred or a couple of hundred bucks at the end of the month.
I had no such commitments. Yeah, I had the money.
Time? I had loads of it. I stopped caring about 'hard work' about two years ago. I don't know why. I don't know everything. I am not God. But I assume it was because of the extremist in me. Whenever I start doing something, I do it obsessively, to such an extreme that I eventually get sick and bored of it. Maybe that's why.
I used to work no more than 7 hours a week. yes, I used to be in office those many hours a day, but didn't work more than an hour and a half a day - MAXIMUM! Didn't see a point. There was nowhere I wanted to reach, nothing I wanted to achieve.
So I had the time as well. The sad part was, I didn't know what to do with either the time or the money I had. I 'wasted' both.
I drifted away from the point of this post. I always do that. Restless mind. It thinks of a hundred things at one time.
Yesterday, after finishing off a story for the paper, which I finished in about half an hour, I had nothing to do. I read through all the blogs on my list...
And then surfed the blogosphere. Realised the strap above your blog which has a click that says, "next blog" actually leads you to other blogs.
I went on clicking.
I was amazed. There are so many. Everyone with a piece of their lives trying to open it up for the world. There were some who may have once created their blogs and then forgot all about it. Their last posts dated way back to 2003.
Some had been posting every single day for the past one year without a single comment on their posts. Not even one. yet, they go on posting.
Some had designed their blogs - put up their own templates - posted pictures of their friends, family, their fascination of sports cars or bikes.
Some cribbed about how they ABSOLUTELY HATE DELHI and would NEVER EVER go back to it even if it meant "giving up" going for holidays to Himachal Pradesh.
Some were heart broken - wrote about how they were missing their lovers who left them hanging in the middle of nowhere, and they still pray every single day for them to come back.
Some asked to be "saved", hoping this is where they'll find their saviour, because they were in despair.
Some were saying they celebrated their 6th birthday yesterday, and asked to be wished.
Some wrote about how they suffer from anxiety disorders and that weight had always been a problem with them - they are currently under medication, and at times have to lock themselves up in the room during their attacks so that they don't start beating up their kids...
You could almost imagine them returning from work, or school or college, leading their normal lives, and at the end of the day switching on their computers and writing. Some could very well be writing while you are reading about their lives.
It's a strange world, a world of its own.
Is everyone so lonely. Everyone with a story of their own. You can almost know them through their blogs - what they think, how their day went, what they ate, how much they love or hate someone...
But why do we blog about it? So many of us... What did we do before blogs existed? We wrote diaries, but we would kill anyone who read our diaries. Then why this?
Are we looking for something? Hoping for something? Trying to achieve something? Why do we want the world to know what's going on in our personal lives?
I think the world is changing. Slowly but surely. People are finding reasons and excuses to come closer to each other. Boundaries, religions, casts are losing their importance - they have stopped being a matter of any concern to anyone. The crazy, huge, creative, honest, and clean blogosphere is just too clear an indication.
I was amazed. It was humbling.
To know that I am one of the many.
And for the first time in my life, the fact felt good.
posted by Once the Conman at 12:39 PM
9 Comments:
i like the way you write, glad you stumbled upon my blog. it has given me a chance to visit yours.
:)
i did not like this piece of writing. it had a sense of redundancy to it.. sort of feels like one of mine.. the redundant nature, i mean! :)
Sorry you didn't like it Thetis...
You sure had lots of time, looking at your last post....
Not everyone that post on a blog is lonely....
It is a way of expressing yourself
Thanks for clearing that out 'PAW'(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
the reaching out against barriers bit makes most sense.
i for one, keep blogging just as a personal space to which all are welcome. guess there are many more like me.
Whether or not somebody comments on my posts ain't much of a big deal. Sure, it's definitely nice when it happens. :)
One reason I blog is to sort through the things thrown at me, the thoughts I have racing through my mind, exploring issues and just general talk about writings or whatever. And I do it for the whole world to see. Also, since I've left "home," it's a good way for my family and friends to stay on the up-and-up with me these days. Well, it's one step out of my former life living in a shell, at least.
I really liked this post. Yes, this blogosphere truly is amazing. Thank you for visiting mine. :)
As i'd mentioned earlier, ur keen observation's rather impressive.
Perhaps, it's not about how much time one has on one's hands - but more how we choose to utilise it - eg. to get to know more pple etc.
yeah, i agree with poems and writings' view tt blogs can be a good space/platform for one's creative expression too - albeit, an electronic one as U've observed.
Like your closing lines.. on blurring (divisive) boundaries - U sure sound like you've the makings of a gd ol' "global soul" (concerned about breaking down barriers between pple etc.).
Do U read.. U might wanna check up this great book i recommend to gd friends -- "The Global Soul: Jet Lag, Shopping Malls and the Search for Home" by contemporary travel writer, Pico Iyer.
Do take care & wishes, Minerva.
p.s. btw, perhaps, U could pick up more great reads or chk out gd music in ur free time too:)
that's sad..
but, U do write well:)
sometimes, good reads can be tantamount to opening totally new worlds - yet undiscovered trails to explore, i believe.
Still, glad that U stay thoughtfully informed of world happenings too.
Do take care & keep writing,
Minerva*
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