6 K

Hum

• Kab
• Kahan
• Kisse
• Kiun
• Kese, aur
• Kitni der ke liye

milte hain - kuch bhi ittafaqiya nahi (nothing is accidental)

7 Orson Welles Quotes

I get introduced to Orson Welles after watching Farhan Akhtar's movie Lucknow Central (trailer here). It is one finest work of Farhan. I hope he does more movies. What a remarkable actor with a remarkable husky voice. In any case, there was a quote of Orson Welles in the movie which intrigued me so much that I start reading about his life and thoughts on the internet. Just posting his few quotes. First one is from the movie.

Nobody gets justice. People only get good luck or bad luck.

If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story. 

If there hadn't been women we'd still be squatting in a cave eating raw meat, because we made civilization in order to impress our girlfriends. 

I've spent most of my mature life trying to prove that I'm not irresponsible. 

I don't want to forgive myself. That's why I hate psychoanalysis I think if you're guilty of something you should live with it. Get rid of it - how can you get rid of a real guilt? I think people should live with it, face up to it. 

I have a great love and respect for religion, great love and respect for atheism. What I hate is agnosticism, people who do not choose. 

Personally, I don't like a girlfriend to have a husband. If she'll fool her husband, I figure she'll fool me.

On Tasneef-o-ta'leef (Writing & Editing)

When I was in pre-medical college, I developed an intense love of Urdu literature which persist till today (I still ask myself why I didn't do Masters in Urdu literature when I had time and was in heart of Karachi). One day I asked my Urdu teacher: "Sir main likhna Chahta hun" (Sir I want to write).

He replied with enormous love: "Zaroor likho! aaj se likho - magar ye jaan lo ke likhne se ziyada ye janna zaroori hai ke kiya nahi likhna - tasneef achhi cheez hai - magar taleef ka hunr us se bhi ziyada zaroori hai - Jese zindagi main ye janna itna zarooori nahi ke kiya kerna chahiye - bulke ye janna bohat zaroori hai - ke kiya nahi kerna chahiye". 

(Please write. Start writing today. But please understand that it is more important to know what not to write instead of what to write. Writing is a good thing but the art of editing is way more important. Alike in life, it is more important to know, what not to do than what to do".

It was such an important lesson I carry with me till today.

The psychology of Sleeves

I have a physician who is working in our ER for almost 20 years. Every time I see him, he is agile like a tiger. Since I am here I always see his sleeves folded. Sometimes it looks odd with a good dress shirt and an attractive tie.

One day I asked him about his habit of folded sleeves. He laughed and said: "As soon as I enter the ER, I fold my sleeves. This tells my brain: Let's start!"* - and I stay jovial, active and most importantly humorous - an essential skill in this massive stressful environment".

In last 2 weeks I tried his trick - and indeed I loved it!


* As we say in Urdu/Hindi: "Chal guru, ho ja shuru"

Woman and her men

From around Jesus era, murals were found in Latin America known as Murales de Los Bebedores. One of the murals which depicted the myth that every woman in this world may pretend or be married to a man but has a secret lover in her heart which she fed her actual juice of love. People have inference their own opinions like it is not a secret lover but her God with who she shares her inner secrets. In any case....

The Legend of Truth (Painting)

According to a 19th-century legend, the Truth and the Lie meet one day. The Lie says to the Truth: "It's a marvelous day today"! They spend a lot of time together, ultimately arriving beside a well. The Lie tells the Truth: "The water is very nice, let's take a bath together!" The Truth, suspicious, tests the water and discovers that it indeed is very nice. They undress and start bathing. Suddenly, the Lie comes out of the water, puts on the clothes of the Truth and runs away. The furious Truth comes out of the well and runs everywhere to find the Lie and to get her clothes back. The World, seeing the Truth naked, turns its gaze away, with contempt and rage. The poor Truth returns to the well and disappears forever, hiding therein its shame. Since then, the Lie travels around the world, dressed as the Truth, satisfying the needs of society, because, the World, in any case, harbors no wish at all to meet the naked Truth.

The world famous painting- "The Truth coming out of the well" Jean-Léon Gérôme, 1896.

Amar Piyaas

“Sir! Kiya aesa ho sakta hai ke khawab main insaan aesi zaban (language) bole aur samjhe – jo us ne zindagi main kabhi na suni ho?”

“Aesa parha to hai , magar kese hota hai – malum nahi? – Kiya huwa tumhare saath?”

“Sir! Thar ka sehra tha – aur kuch aesa tha jese – kisi ko ishq ki padash main sehra main akela choR diya gaya ho – aur woh  karabala ke 72 shaheedoN ke naam le le ker duhaii de raha ho – jese koi bhatkti ruh ho – kab se sehra main piyasi”

“Koi lafz yaad aata hai?”

“Nahi Sir! koi ajeeb hi zaban thi – jab aankh khuli to saare alwaz mehv ho gaye. Sir! Na Sindhi thi, na Saraiki thi! Aur na hi Thari  – koi bohat hi mukhtalif , koi muqami zaban thi”.

“Aur kiya kiya yaad hai?”

“Sir! Jab aankh khuli to gale main shadeed piyas se pha’ns chubh rahi thi – Piyas ka aesa shadeed aehsas tha – jese jaan nikal jaaye gi – aur kaanon main – udasi ki aik ajeeb been thi – jese dukh se kisi ki jaan nikal rahi ho. Sir! Bayan nahi ho sakta”

"The best explanation I can give you ----at the end of the day, we all are energy in the form of matter. Sometimes the energy of a given death is so immense that it continues to vibrate beyond time and space with a very high intensity  - and for reasons known or unknown - it coincides with someone's subconscious when it is not suppressed by conscious.  

~ Jese Somalia ke kisi chote se gaaun main bethe kisi shaks ka chota sa radio BBC ki wavelength pakaR le!"

On "going and ending up"

We don't go somewhere,
We end up somewhere
One is a destination,
Other is destined

The Raccoons of Toronto

Toronto is called the "Raccoon Capital of the World".

They were making life miserable for the city by messing up trash cans everywhere looking for their food. Eventually, the city came up with very powerful raccoon proof trash cans. For a while, raccoons start disappearing from the scarcity of food supply. But they re-appeared with the skill to break the so-called foolproof new trash cans!

Zindagi apna rasta khud dhund leti hai!

Read the interesting story here

https://bit.ly/2NDH1c0 

On 'first few days of soul after death'

"Kiya ye sach hai ke marne ke baad ruh tin din tak hamare aas paas ghumti rehti hai"?

"Koi kehta hai tin din, koi kehta hai chalees(40) din"

"Kiya ye sach hai?"

"Kisi din mar ke dekhain ge! Magar kitaboN main paRha hai, aur buzurgoN se suna hai ke - marne ke 3 din tak ruh is 'confusion' main rehti hai ke woh kis alam main hai? - Aur jin se bohat qareeb hoti hai unhe apne hone ka aehsaas dilalti hai - khawaboN main aake, hawa ki sansanhat se - naam pukar ker...................shayed ye sab cheezain 'event of death' se jo 'energy release' hoti hai, us ka shakhsaana hoti hain - werna ruh ko kab kis ne dekha hai!"

"Phir aesi halat main kiya kerna chahiye"

"Magfrat ki dua" --------- "aur hum ker bhi kiya sakte hain"

On a 'heart-full laughter'

During our residency, we had a choice to do an elective in psychiatry. All residents loved it as it tends to be a lighter rotation. I had a great time, and after a month, I had a completely different view of clinical psychiatry.

One day our attending asked us: "Have you ever laughed so much that it hurt your abdomen, but you still wanted to laugh more?"

Most of us replied: "Yes."

As per him: "If you had that experience even once in your lifetime, your chances of dying via depression and suicide is negligible"!

Today was one day when I laughed with my kids at something that much. I recalled my attending almost after 20 years.

*

A quote

Last week, I was reading an article from Hoodbhoy on poor prospects of basic sciences in Pakistani universities. I recalled this quote, which has always intrigued me. Link to Hoodbhoy article is here

“I must study Politicks and War that my sons may have liberty to study Mathematicks and Philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematicks and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, musick, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelaine.”

 John Adams, Letter to Abigail Adams, May 12, 1780.


Related post: Sir Zaheer

Happened as Rumi said!

Rumi said: "Words will reach to you when you need them". The last couple of weeks were somewhat of little despondency and stress. A good friend sends the following poem at the right time, and it helped me.

*جو تم مایوس ہو جاو*،

*تو رب سے گفتگو کرنا*

وفا کی آرزو کرنا

سفر کی جستجو کرنا ......!!

یہ اکثر ہو بھی جاتا ہے

کہ کوئی کھو بھی جاتا ہے

مقدر کو برا جانو گےتو 

یہ سو بھی جاتا ہے......!!

اگر تم حوصلہ رکهو

وفا کا سلسہ رکهو

جسے تم خالق سمجھتے ہو

تو اس سے رابطہ رکهو

میں یہ دعوے سے کہتا ہوں

کبھی ناکام نہ ہو گے .........!!

جو تم مایوس ہو جاو،

تو رب سے گفتگو کرنا ......!

کبھی مایوس مت ھونا.....

وہاں انصاف کی چکی......

ذرا دھیرے ھی چلتی ھے.....

مگر چکی کے پاٹوں میں.....

بہت باریک پستا ھے.....

تمہارے ایک کا بدلہ.....

وہاں ستر سے زیادہ ھے.....

نیت تلتی ھے پلڑوں میں...

عمل ناپے نہیں جاتے...

وہاں جو ہاتھ اٹھتے ہیں۔۔

کبھی خالی نہیں جاتے۔۔

ذراسی دیرلگتی ہے۔۔۔

مگر وہ دے کے رہتا ہے

*جو تم مایوس ہو جاو*،

*تو رب سے گفتگو کرنا*

Pardah aur Gawahi

"Sir! Zindagi ka aik kaRa imtihan aa paRa hai

Merri zindagi ke sab se achhe dost - jo meri har mussebat ka saathi raha - jo bhaaiyyoN se bhi baRh ker hai - us ki biwi, dost se chup ker, har kisi se paise udhar leti hai - aur kabhi wapas nahi kerti. Main is se pehle bhi choti moti raqam murawwat main udhar de ker bhool chuka hun.  Aesa hi baqi log kerte rahe hain - halanke sab jaante hain ghar main har tarah ki aasahish maujood hai. Dost ki naik naami, achhe chaal chalan (character) aur har dilazizi ki wajah se sab hi chup kerte rahe. Waqt ke saath saath us ki biwi ki himmat  ab itni barh gai hai ke us ne lambi lambi raqmoN ka taqaza kerna shuru ker diya hai. Barson se ye silsila chal raha hai - nahi malum dost ko is baat ka kitna ilm hai. Batata hun to us ki azwaji zindagi pe bura asar paRta hai - nahi batata hun to dost se be-wafaii ka gumaan guzarta hai - Kiya karun?"

"Dekho jis cheez ka pardah Allah ne ab tak rakkha huwa hai - tum kaun hote ho us ko faash kerne waale? Itne barsoN se agar ye baat chupi hai - to is main mere rab ki koi maslahat hai - ya dost ne hi darguzar ki rah pakRi hui hai. Mashwara to yahi hai ke khamosh raho. Haan! agar kabhi aesi nobat aa jaye ke gawahi deni paR jaaye - to phir apni puri imandaari se sach bol dena".

On "Obligations, Entitlements, and Responsibilities "

(The following post is controversial, but the idea is to ignite the thoughts of understanding human behavior).

Over the years, I have learned that we are neither obligated to do any good to anyone nor entitled to someone to do good for us.

Yeah, pretty blatant! - But let me explain.

The only obligation we have - is not to do any harm to fellow humans! This is the most considerable good you can do for humanity. That speaks of your character if you rise and go beyond to help any other person without expecting anything in return.

Conversely, you are not entitled to any other human to do good for you. You are responsible for your well-being. But if someone has helped you, you should be highly thankful to that person. If your spouse makes soup for you in your sickness, you are not entitled to it. You should be grateful to your spouse!

Fortunately (or unfortunately), innate human nature, as we call it in Urdu 'sarshast,' goes beyond this primary tenant of behavior. Humans can't resist helping another human, but on the same token will not take a second to turn into a selfish, harming pig to benefit themselves.

 ~ aur bus yahin se saara khel shuru ho jaata hai

Now, it turns to talk about responsibilities. When we voluntarily sign up to become a parent, teacher, physician, artist, politician, or whatever - we sign up to fulfill related obligations, keep the decor and norm of such roles, and remain to adhere to basic ethics to weave the threads of the society. Again, the primary obligation is not to harm!

~ magar aesa hota nahi hai

I understand religions, philosophies, ontologies, epistemologies, arts, literature, functionalists, reformers, revolutionaries, etc., have gone to extremes to create ideal humans, their bondings, and societies.

 - par  insaan ki guddi ab tak koi nahi pakaR paya

*

Prisoners of taste buds

This is one observation I gathered over the years while working as a physician, and near to deathbeds of many human beings. Patients who know that death is imminent for them (like hospice patients), love to ask for their favorite food and desserts.

Compounding that, a few years ago, I met a physician who worked at a prison where they execute death row prisoners. He told me that one reason we provide food to those prisoners of their own choice before their execution as it makes their death more palatable to them. While they consume food, they forget about their incoming death or at least become numb, and sometimes even hopeful that death is not that near.

One of the consultants in our hospital regularly brings donuts, food, and snacks for house staff and nursing staff. Last week, he jokingly informed me that, humans are prisoners of their own taste buds.

I pondered on this for many years. This is like an anomalous observation in the present-day paradigm of psychology science, for which at least at this point, I don't have any clear explanation!



This link may be of interest to you: Last meal requests:: https://cbsn.ws/2wgUNKa

Leenah Nasir blog

In the last few months, life has taken a toll on my time and I don't blog regularly (though many times I really want to). Meanwhile, I browse various 'desi' blogs while waiting for my flights or in between my other work. I came across this beautiful blog of a Pakistani lady. As I love real-life stories, her blog attracted me as a mirror image of my blog, but she is more refined and has a gift of writing skills. I was in ave after reading her stories: Survival and "Rahat ke Intzar ka Rog".

http://leenahnasir.blogspot.com/

An important lesson

It took me decades to learn this simple lesson as a physician. Modern medicine tends to train the physicians to treat the diseases, not to heal the humans. There is a huge difference.

Racism and Prejudice

Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, including the USA, racism is taking a toll on everyday human lives. I am very concerned and worried about the world we leave behind for future generations. My only hope is that our children are more intelligent than us and will figure it out in a better way. Today I talked with an African-American woman who further educated me on it. I met her while waiting to get my car fixed at the local dealership.

"I am 67 years old. I have been a teacher at a local community college for 30 years. I raised two daughters into functional professional members of this society. I experienced the civil rights movement of the 1960s and the racism in America firsthand. I learned that there is a bigger curse than racism in society and its prejudice. As far as you have this notion in your head that your white, black, brown, yellow, red, pink, or blue skin - or - your faith is better than the other person, it's tolerable. It's OK and may be acceptable as we all have been made to believe in it. You can go on in your life with it. But once it climbs the ladder of prejudice, it becomes blind. It kills your power to logic. It becomes violent. It justifies any harm to other humans under various pretexts. And, when and if your kind does not agree with you, you even turn against them. We are suffering today not merely racism but very quickly climbing the stairs toward prejudice." 

*

Motherhood in the Age of Fear

Very interesting point of view, published in the New York Times. It explains a lot about our own follies, insecurities and no common sense.

 - What a beautiful article.

"We now live in a country where it is seen as abnormal, or even criminal, to allow children to be away from direct adult supervision, even for a second. We read, in the news or on social media, about children who have been kidnapped, raped and killed, about children forgotten for hours in broiling cars. We do not think about the statistical probabilities or compare the likelihood of such events with far more present dangers, like increasing rates of childhood diabetes or depression. 

.... And so now children do not walk to school or play in a park on their own. They do not wait in cars. They do not take long walks through the woods or ride bikes along paths or build secret forts while we are inside working or cooking or leading our lives.

.....As one mother put it to me, “I don’t know if I’m afraid for my kids, or if I’m afraid other people will be afraid and will judge me for my lack of fear.” In other words, risk assessment and moral judgment are intertwined....."


Read the full article here https://nyti.ms/2mSuGF6