To celebrate my love for writing. |
Home of the ramblings of a troubled soul who has a lot on his mind and believes in the power of words to be the best anesthetic. One can wish for no better reason to write than to soothe a troubled soul. Writing is not a, mere, hobby; it's an exercise that keeps one in the right state of mind by getting rid of all the junk that they've got stored up in their heads. Just like our homes, our minds need to be cleared of junk every once in a while. Some achieve clearance through talking, some through concentrating and some through...writing! ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
It was February the fourteenth; the day people remember as the day of love. Well, not me. For me, Valentine's day will always bring back memories of sadness, grief and sorrow, even if I have reason to feel otherwise. Such were my circumstances while the world celebrated love this year. "Are you a Bihari, Naveed?" "No, I'm not. Why do you ask?" "I don't know. I just feel that we are related to each other in some way." "But I don't need to be a Bihari to be related to you, or do I?" I remember the scenes of the thirteenth of February all to well. Coming home from university at around half past five in the evening. Taking a bath, changing into something comfortable and receiving a phone call; there's nothing extraordinary about this setting. But it was what followed that has inked the day on my mind. I was informed on phone, by a friend, that Adeel, one of the greatest friends I've ever had, had been in a serious accident and that I ought to get to the hospital immediately. I stuttered, panicked and immediately obliged with the advice and got to the hospital as soon as I could. "What happened?" I asked. "Bike accident. Broken skull and fractured spine. God help him." A friend answered. What followed were three hours of hoping against hope. We all knew what was going to happen, God knows we did; but there was denial at the same time. Even I, someone who doesn't believe in divine intervention, wholeheartedly, could be seen reciting prayers and denying the obvious. Now that I think about it, there's no doubt in my mind that I really knew, deep down in my heart, that Adeel was gone forever. Humans have a tendency to know something and still not believe it, I learned it that day. I also learned that doctors are apathetic. They are guilty of kindling hope when there is none. We were told that the operation was a success and that they were moving Adeel to a ward. I still remember the tears of joy I saw his mother shed on hearing this. But upon catching a glimpse of Adeel's busted face and piped up mouth, we all knew that we were being fed lies, even his mother. But still we kept on hoping for a miracle. "The Doc has said to keep hopes alive," was the call of the day. It seems like humans find joy and hope in being deceived. And then, an hour later, the inevitable news came. We buried him the next day. His face was a brutalized sight; one that I won't be able to forget, ever. As Eid approaches, I can't help but think that celebrations won't be the same ever. It doesn't matter who comes into my life from here on, I know that something will always be missing; a wide smile, a childlike laugh, a warm hug, a cheesy joke or a loving embrace. No matter where my life goes from here on, there's a little something that will always be missing, and that something is Adeel. May God have mercy on his soul. I wrote a song for him a few days after he dies. Feel free to check it out:
*This post has been a long time coming. I've been meaning to write it for so long now, but couldn't find the strength to.* |
Prompt: "A word is dead when it is said some say. I say it begins to live that day." Emily Dickinson How do you interpret this quote? "For you, a thousand times over." This line is at the top, or somewhere around that, on my list of greatest lines ever read. I'm certain that I'll remember this line, and a few others, for as long as I live, unless I get Alzheimer's, fall into dementia or anything else along those lines. Or, in other words, they'll continue to "live" inside of me for as long as I continue to live. Now, would that have been the case if this line had not been written (or spoken) by Khalid Hosseini? No, it wouldn't have. If he hadn't written it, I wouldn't have read it or fallen in love with it, or would I? Some people make it sound like words not spoken have great significance. At rare occasions, yes they do but in most cases words unspoken aren't significant at all. They are just...DEAD! They are a, mere, potentiality or a could have been. Nothing can be alive without being born first, or can it? Too many great words and revolutionary ideas die inside of people's heads because of their belief that the utterance would, somehow, make these words and ideas less significant than they already are. Do words die at the time of speech, or do words die without speech with time? For those who believe in the former: I'd love to see you try and propose to someone through the wondrous powers of your unspoken words ![]() |
Prompt: What are some things about yourself you hope never change? Every human being is unique to the other. Although you may find extreme similarities, at times, among a group of people, it's a certainty that you'll never find a cookie cutter group of individuals. Every person has a unique mix of traits that makes them...unique. But here's the thing about uniqueness: uniqueness, although worthy of being celebrated, is at times no less than a hardship. Or, in other words: there is a thin line between being unique and being peculiar. Peculiar individuals are the odd balls who stand out as someone strange, as soon as your first glance falls on a group. Everyone in the group is different to the other, yes; but there is only a one or two that appear different. And here's the thing about being the odd ball: it's hard. It's hard to explain love, or what makes you love to a person who doesn't understand your idea of love, right? Similarly, it's hard to explain why you're strange when the ones asking can only theorize at the idea of it. And so, the 'strange ones' are always looked at with eyes that are compassionate, at best, and at worst judgmental. It's hard to be the odd ball, especially in the early part of your life. Psychologists suggest that children after a certain age seek to conform with their peers and odd balls are no different. Odd balls have a need to belong, too, but they are unable to. And this fills them up with questions like: "Why am I so different" "Why do I have to act like this?" "Why am I not cool?" "How can they do this so easily?" and every once in a while, they'll ask themselves: "Why am I so strange?" The pitiful states of these uncanny individuals continue...until they find self acceptance. Until they understand who they are and what they can be, they continue to detest the idea of being different. But once they come to terms with themselves and understand how being different is not bad, they no longer crave to be 'like the others' ever again. This is when they take the world by storm and strive towards the actualization of the their potential that they know to be different from the masses. After going through a long and treacherous process of being broken and shattered because of being different and misread, I feel that I've finally reached the stage when I can take pride in who I am and what I am becoming. I hope that the fact that I am 'different' will never change about me. I wish that I'll continue to find satisfaction in being the odd ball. I wish that I'll never abandon my allegiance to the discovery of mathematics, philosophy, psychology, poetry and writing by making the rudiments of Finance the sole purpose of my life. I hope that I'll never turn my back on my dreams, of one day making an impact and striving for a change in Pakistan, because of getting a lucrative job like any 'other' finance graduate. I aspire to always have my different perspective on everything instead of just following the crowd. I hope that I'll always have my 'different' sense of humor and not be bugged by some people finding what I say to be offensive. I hope that I'll always have different ideas and never be ashamed for them being so. My ideals, ideas, dreams, ambitions, perspectives and opinions are different, yes; but that doesn't mean that they are meager. If the majority was always 'right' the world would have been a much better place to live in today. My 'different' dreams, sense of humor, ambitions and perspectives are the only things that are good about me and I fear the day when they are different no more, because when that happens, I'll be intellectually dead and my identity would be meaningless, even if I'm still found breathing. |
Motivational Monday! Former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, born on this day in 1882, once said "I'm not the smartest fellow in the world, but I can sure pick smart colleagues." How important to your success (in any part of your life) is it to surround yourself with talented, knowledgeable, and/or fun people? Well, I'm not sure if I'm successful, to be honest. I'm a disinterested Finance student with an average CGPA, who has NO idea of where he's heading or how life's going to be treating him in about an year's time. I have no idea of where I'm going to find an internship to fulfill the mandatory requirement for my degree, nor do I have any clue of how my 'career' would be starting off (that's the last of my worries, really, but the people around me make it hard for me to breathe sometimes). In short, I'm, probably, the opposite of successful. Some close friends even refer to people, who are in similar states as mine, as failures lol. I've never been a people's person, actually. People have never really had much of an impact on my life. It's not like people haven't cared for me; they have. It's just that they've cared a bit too much, without asking if I wanted the care or not. I'm not being unthankful here, but if they'd gotten their ways with me, I'd have been...well...not writing this blog ![]() Successful or not, I'm really happy with the person whom I am today, and whom I seem to be on the road to becoming. I'm, actually, pretty satisfied with being a 'contemporary' failure. And the credit of who I am today, good or bad, goes to one person and one person only- the person who, literally, changed my ideals. He was a friend, whom I met at my social internship an year and a half ago. You know what they say about chance meetings, right? Some meeting just cannot be explained. Similarly, we should NEVER have met, either. I'd gotten an interview call from the best hospital of Pakistan and I was pretty sure that I'd get the internship there. But then a person, whom I really liked at that time, was selected as an intern at a place called 'Oratoire' and I had my name on the list too. No logical or rational reasoning could justify my decision to join Oratoire but, because of my hormones ![]() ![]() Friendships don't last forever and ours wasn't any different. He left to study in Germany after a, mere, semester of friendship. But Abid continues to be the most knowledgeable and broadminded person I've ever met. I still refer to him as my greatest friend; one who helped me when even I wasn't aware of my need for a shoulder. Successful or not, Abid's the cause of most of the things that are good about me today. He didn't just change me into something 'good' (what the hell is that?), but he transformed me into something meaningful. The fact that the most important meeting of my life was...well...not meant to happen makes me think if there really is a grand design of things after all. What if I didn't have a huge crush on that girl back then? How different would I have been as a person today? One thing's for sure, that crush was the best thing that ever happened to me because if it wasn't for my hormones, I wouldn't be writing this blog post ![]() |
The Sunday News! Please, I don't care what you want to talk about today, just no politics. Find a story that makes you feel good about the world and tell us about it. When I first saw this prompt, I was disappointed to be honest. The forte of my blog posts is that they are a bit creative and funny. How could I be creative and funny about the boring, old news? And the worst part is that Fivesixer ![]() Link to the article: http://images.dawn.com/news/1177007/how-usman-riazs-the-glassworker-is-making-ha... Usman Riaz, Hmmm...the name rang a bell. It felt like I'd heard this guy's name before, but I just couldn't remember where or when I'd heard it. I tried hard to remember and it suddenly hit me that... I had heard this guy speak in TED Talks! Yes, he's the musical prodigy who'd played with 'the' Preston Reed at one of the sessions of TED. Everyone who follows TED Talks would have, probably, seen him. [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] But...animation? "How the hell's a musical genius into animating?" I thought. It turns out that he's a musician, animator and an artist too. I found another TEDx video of his on Youtube, but he was talking about animation this time. [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] I decided to give the article a read. This guy isn't only super talented, but he's super multi-talented. He can play, sing, compose, draw, animate, think and...represent. The words, I want to show the West we can make animation as well as them, says Usman Riaz hit me hard. Is there really more to my Pakistan than what's portrayed in the media? Apparently, there is. There are people like Usman Zahid, Arfa Karim, Zaidan Hamid, Saiyidain Roma and countless others individuals whose names have rarely been highlighted even on local media. It's a shame, really, that a handful of butt-heads are seen as the sole representatives of an, otherwise, super talented nation. "Animation students aspire to one day join an organisation like Disney but they’ll only be a small cog in a very large machine. On the other hand, should they choose to build the animation industry in Pakistan, they will be recognized as pioneers and their work will be well-known," says Usman Riaz These words of Usman won me over. A person of his talent would be wasting himself by choosing to remain in Pakistan, right? He could get a top job abroad and make a wonderful living for himself. A person like him could even get a foreign nationality and, literally, never have to see the face of Pakistan again. But this talented guy was, apparently, choosing to be the founder of something never before seen in Pakistan. He was choosing the path of struggle; the path that can't, possibly, hope to him what he deserves, seemingly. "He could've won an Academy Award or something, if he had done what's reasonable and logical for a person of his talents to do.", I said to myself. These are the kind of leaders Pakistan needs- people who'd say, "Pakistan First" instead of getting named in Panama papers. These are the kind of individuals whom I'd follow, for I'd know that they'd be better off if they'd chosen to not be leaders- and not the other way around. I'd follow them blindly, for I'd know that they'd still be someone of magnitude and recognition if they weren't...say...the Prime Minister of Pakistan. I could write so much here, but the prompt says, "no politics",lol ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Creation Saturday!Pick one of the following scenarios and expand on it: 1) An animal you can humanely wear while it's still alive; or 2) A house you can live comfortably in that is made entirely of edible materials. A fancy, living animal suit or an edible house in which I can live comfortably; which one would I like to write on? Before I make up my mind, I just have to mention a dilemma that I noticed in the last part of this prompt. How would a foodie be able to 'live' in an edible house 'comfortably'? He won't be able to live at all, lol, because he'll probably eat the house as he's building it up ![]() ![]() Which animal would I like to wear while it's still alive, and that too in a humane manner? I can't think of such an animal, to be honest, but I can think of such 'animals', lol. It's been a childhood dream of mine to be a superhero...someone like Superman. I've always wanted to fly, have extreme speed, be indestructible and have venom and webs firing out of my fingers like it happens with Spiderman. It didn't seem possible, for obvious reasons, until now. But as soon as I read this prompt, I realized that I might not be superhero material alone, but if I could combine myself with the powers of nature, I could become...TADATADATADATADA...'THE COOL, NATURAL, SUPERHERO DUDE'! First of all, I'd need an armor. Which animal's armor seems impenetrable in cartoons? Well, a turtle's of course. And the best part is that he's lazy and tame too, so he won't move much. So, I'd place a large turtle on my head, tie a large turtle to my chest and then have small, baby turtles tied with small threads to my knees and elbows. I'd like to see any nemesis of mine penetrating that armor, lol ![]() Now that I've got my safety out of the way, I need some speed. The superhero would be of no use if he couldn't outrun the vehicles of the bad guys, right? So, I'd need some 'natural' support for my feet as well. I don't really know which small animal's the fastest, but I do remember the story of the hare and tortoise. So, a hare it's going to be. I'll get two hares and feed them to make them big and strong. I'll have to train them too to run and stop at my command. Once they are trained and strong enough to run at full speed with my weight, I'll place them on the top of my feet and make sure that they stay there. To do that, I'll probably have to use some super glue or... I haven't quite figured that part out yet. I'll order them to run, they'll run and, as a result, carry me with them. Simple, no? ![]() Next, I'd need some weapons. If given the choice, I'd want the powers of Spiderman and Reptile (from MortalKombat) combined. But how would that be possible? How can I have the powers of web and venom combined? Under ordinary circumstances, it wouldn't be possible of course, but since I've got the power of nature at my disposal here, anything's possible. I'd have a big, venomous snake on my left hand (Nagini preferably ![]() ![]() The superhero me looks good, but he's missing something. He just doesn't look quite...perfect. Hmmmm...Oh yes! I've got it now. He needs to fly! Everyone needs to fly actually ![]() ![]() I've realized just now that we all can fly, if we really want to. All that we need to do is sing: I believe I can flyyyyy... I believe I can touch the skyyyyy!!! Okay, sorry for that ![]() Have you ever seen such a 'natural' superhero? I very much doubt it ![]() |
Fun Fact Friday! On this day in 1926 a Scottish inventor named John Baird demonstrated a pictorial transmission machine called the television. Do you remember seeing your first television...the one your parents had when you were a kid? What were some of your favorite shows? Do you still watch any of the old programs you enjoyed as a teenager? ALL HAIL THE GREAT TELEVISION! Oh where would the world be without it? It'd probably be stuck somewhere in the 'Stone Age', lol ![]() ![]() ![]() I was born in 1996, whether you believe it or not. I turned twenty in the August of 2016, and I'm twenty and a half-ish at the moment, lol ![]() ![]() ![]() My earliest memories are of watching 'The Adam's Family", lol. Perhaps that's the reason of why I'm spooky and even a bit...sadistic lol. My mom's responsible for that ![]() ![]() Then I found "Toonami". Pokemon, Duel Masters, and DragonBall Z were the last of my animated loves. I watched them for a long, long time. I still watch "DragonBall Super", actually (the new arc begins in February. Yayyy!!! ![]() I will always miss those innocent and carefree days. They aren't coming back, I know- but at least I'll always live with the memory of the beautiful good, old days! |
Plug time! What are some of the WDC events you'll be taking part in during the month of February? February is going to be a really busy month for us 'Rising Star' candidates. Gabriella and Hannah (our beloved mentors and motivators) have got A LOT planned for us. "The Dialogue 500" is the first on our hit lists. I've never entered that contest, particularly because I'm not very comfortable nor good with including dialogues in my stories, but I'm really looking forward to entering it, surprisingly. Next up is the activity to which I'm looking forward the most: The RS Candidates Music Challenge. It's an activity specifically for us, Rising Star candidates (feeling jealous yet? ![]() ![]() Because you (the reader) are reading my blog, let me recommend you a song. YOU'RE GONNA LOVE IT!!! ![]() [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] If you hadn't listened to this already, you can thank me later ![]() ![]() If you aren't jealous yet, you will be, after you hear what Gabs has planned for us in the last part of February. We are going to have a Poetry Slam. YAAAAYYYYY!!! ![]() ![]() ![]() Gabs has also planned some other stuff for us, but I haven't read their description yet fully. So I'm unable to mention them here ![]() I'll be, definitely, entering the 'Offical WDC Contest'. I want to win it so badly. Winning it would be, like, my greatest achievement yet, lol. I've also taken a liking to blogging. I began blogging because of the '30 Day Blogging Challenge' and I've found it to be, absolutely, awesome. I mean, where else can you write complete gibberish and be praised for it? ![]() All of this combined with college, tuition, gym and...umm...life will make February a really busy month. But I have a feeling that it's going to be awesome ![]() |
Do you believe in miracles? Speculate on your idea of a miracle you'd like to see happen. Do I believe in miracles? Yes, I do. I believe in miracles, although I'm a pretty skeptical and rational kind of a person. My belief in them often fades, but it is then rejuvenated with an experience which, for me, cannot be a mere coincidence. Let's make one thing clear here: Miracles hold different meanings for different people. Some believe that miracles are feats that are performed by angels. Some believe that miracles involve blinding moonlight accompanied by an invisible 'Hand of god' or something along those lines. Some believe that things like love are miraculous. These are all potent claims, really, and I'll make no comment on them (no sarcasm intended, lol ![]() Miracles are all around us, I've begun to believe. From the beginning of it all to where we all are today, we, ourselves, are no less than miracles I feel. The mere existence of life is a miraculous feat. Math, music, physics...they all are miracles if you actually think about it. Math is the only thing that's...constant and understandable about this universe. Physics gives the idea of cause and effect. It's not only the absence of a causal relationship that's miraculous, but even the very idea of a causal relationship (that reactions are predictable every, single time) is a miracle. No things happen the same way twice, we all tend to believe- but they do! Isn't that a miracle? But then, just like perfection, imperfection is also a miracle. Music...well how can sounds take me away to a completely different world, altogether, I'll never understand. Miracles change the course of history, too. And the place that can use a 'change' is Pakistan, certainly. A change in Pakistan is the miracle that I hope I live to see. Pakistan, sadly, is a place that's spoiled to the core. There's no place from where you can hope to cause a revolution or change. Education, politics, health, taxation, government, law, order, awareness and, the worst of all, morality- all of the institutions are crumbling. It's pretty much impossible for a person of average intelligence, like me, to even think of an end from where a renaissance may hope to find its way. It would, truly, take a miracle to improve the state of Pakistan, sadly. An extra-ordinary leader, a brilliant mind, a mass awakening of the masses or, may be, some divine intervention- I don't know. All I know is that a miracle is what Pakistan, and its people, need. |
If you had a "spirit animal" that wasn't an animal, what would yours be? (Pretty sure mine's a burrito in case anyone asks, but no one is and I could be totally wrong *Laugh*). And what would you think some of your fellow bloggers' "spirit animals (that aren't animals)" are? This is tough, honestly. Which non-animal character am I most familiar to? I don't know, really. I'm an introverted, socially awkward college student whose only positive is that he knows some s***. Which other character shares these characteristics with me? Umm...Oh yeah! I've got it. I'm just like Ferb from 'Phineas and Ferb' ![]() Phineas: Enjoy it while it lasts, Candace. Fame is fleeting. Ferb: But the Internet is forever. Now, for my wonderful friends. THIS.IS.GONNA.BE.FUN! ![]() Jay O'Toole ![]() ![]() ![]() SB Musing ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() AlyCatAuthor HAPPY 4th! ![]() ![]() ![]() Schnujo's Doing Homework ![]() ![]() Lostwordsmith ![]() ![]() ![]() Here's a video from my favorite episode of "Phineas and Ferb". I used to loved this song. It brings back so many memories from the good, old days! [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] |