By Subrahmanian Namboodiri
re·bel·lion/riˈbelyən/
Noun:
An act of violent or open resistance to an established government or ruler. The action or process of resisting authority, control, or convention: “an act of teenage rebellion”
Noun:
An act of violent or open resistance to an established government or ruler. The action or process of resisting authority, control, or convention: “an act of teenage rebellion”
Rebellion. It wasn’t easy to think of something to write about when it came to rebellion. We live in a time and in a place where we do not face a lot of oppression and resistance is often only left to activists and left wing knob-heads. Something did cross my mind though. Apart from our youth, all those or at least most of us that read this, share something in common. All of us, at some point in our growing years, have had to sit mum and obey. And I don’t mean just do something that we did not want. We’ve had to make a choice that was against our better judgement and listen, most probably, to a parent who thinks that he/she knows best. Yes? At this point I’m just going to assume you agree with all that I have to say.
Why did we do this? Well, because someone else was in power. There was this time where every bone in my body said that I should abandon studying in college lecture rooms and run away to, oh I don’t know, Ranthambore maybe? Or some South - Indian wildlife sanctuary and pursue what I’ve always wanted to do. I couldn’t, because my folks thought it rubbish and got me to finish that year in junior college, which I failed by the way, and then another because I needed to study and get a degree. Yeah, that was 4 years back. And today, another, albeit successful Jr. college year and four jobs later I still don’t have a degree or a decent job. I did still learn loads between then and now, but I’m sure I would have been a lot happier with no degree and loads of snakes around me instead. Point? I should’ve been allowed to pursue my happiness. As should you. And if any of us end it by screwing up, I think we should be allowed that too.
Why, why, do you want to control where we go. I am not trying to say that it’s oppression. It is, however, suppressing our wants, desires, hell I’d even if it were whims. But the point here, is that we should be given some control of what happens to us. And it’s not only parents. No, there’s lawmakers, educationists, activists even, all of them trying to stop us from heading to wherever we are going and work towards a ‘loftier’ goal. Good of the nation, people, family, ‘your own good’ but all of these reasons need you to curb that creative flair in you. Why? Because art doesn’t pay? Because your dad wants you to take over his business, make something out of the family legacy. Yeah, makes sense doesn’t it. Yeah, it does, in emotional soap operas it does. Remind me to ridicule them when there’s a chance.
Anyway, here’s what, you’re not going to be happy. I cannot, can-not imagine living a sedentary or a cubicle based life. I want to create and thankfully, I now have enough backing me, I can do exactly that. So I’m quitting work and getting a graduation, but for different reasons than what were forced on me earlier. But it shouldn’t have to wait that long. I have lost 4 valuable, precious years whilst I could have been doing something that would’ve made a difference to me. You cannot let it get to that.
And I think letting those creative juices flood your life is just going to make it so, so much better. You can do the boring bit but I implore you to flex those gray cells and think. Connect those dots on a starry night, design a masterpiece. See how animals can shape up in those clouds. See how pretty women would look without their oh, ahem, *cough* um I meant, pretty woman that can, you know, look prettier in your head. See how those creepers can form intriguing patterns across walls. The cracks in stone can be crevasses that can be as deep as your imagination, the sounds waves can make while crashing on rocks. Adventures you cook up in an idle mind. Oh and one of my favourites, how standing on mosaic tiles looks like your way up in the air. And take it all down and one day when you think you’re ready to put it down on paper or canvas or your neighbours walls, draw, write, sing, but express!
And it’s by flexing those very creative gray cells that this was written:
Lay down your weapons and hush those fighting voices,
The time has come to rebel with more than those two choices.
Take up a pen, a pencil, a can of paint.
And let your eyes follow as your hands go wild and your thoughts go quaint.
Imagine, create, express.
For an idle mind will only invite distress.
And as time winds,
you will loosen your binds.
For with spirit that sets free,
A new rebellion will emerge for all to see,
Changing culture with the thoughts we’d nurture.
A life filled with colour, and bridging divides with fervor.
There shan’t be any reason to fight,
Since we create with all our might.
Thus redeemed of all the gore,
This will become the utopia of lore.
Think, that’s all I ask of those that read this.
Why did we do this? Well, because someone else was in power. There was this time where every bone in my body said that I should abandon studying in college lecture rooms and run away to, oh I don’t know, Ranthambore maybe? Or some South - Indian wildlife sanctuary and pursue what I’ve always wanted to do. I couldn’t, because my folks thought it rubbish and got me to finish that year in junior college, which I failed by the way, and then another because I needed to study and get a degree. Yeah, that was 4 years back. And today, another, albeit successful Jr. college year and four jobs later I still don’t have a degree or a decent job. I did still learn loads between then and now, but I’m sure I would have been a lot happier with no degree and loads of snakes around me instead. Point? I should’ve been allowed to pursue my happiness. As should you. And if any of us end it by screwing up, I think we should be allowed that too.
Why, why, do you want to control where we go. I am not trying to say that it’s oppression. It is, however, suppressing our wants, desires, hell I’d even if it were whims. But the point here, is that we should be given some control of what happens to us. And it’s not only parents. No, there’s lawmakers, educationists, activists even, all of them trying to stop us from heading to wherever we are going and work towards a ‘loftier’ goal. Good of the nation, people, family, ‘your own good’ but all of these reasons need you to curb that creative flair in you. Why? Because art doesn’t pay? Because your dad wants you to take over his business, make something out of the family legacy. Yeah, makes sense doesn’t it. Yeah, it does, in emotional soap operas it does. Remind me to ridicule them when there’s a chance.
Anyway, here’s what, you’re not going to be happy. I cannot, can-not imagine living a sedentary or a cubicle based life. I want to create and thankfully, I now have enough backing me, I can do exactly that. So I’m quitting work and getting a graduation, but for different reasons than what were forced on me earlier. But it shouldn’t have to wait that long. I have lost 4 valuable, precious years whilst I could have been doing something that would’ve made a difference to me. You cannot let it get to that.
And I think letting those creative juices flood your life is just going to make it so, so much better. You can do the boring bit but I implore you to flex those gray cells and think. Connect those dots on a starry night, design a masterpiece. See how animals can shape up in those clouds. See how pretty women would look without their oh, ahem, *cough* um I meant, pretty woman that can, you know, look prettier in your head. See how those creepers can form intriguing patterns across walls. The cracks in stone can be crevasses that can be as deep as your imagination, the sounds waves can make while crashing on rocks. Adventures you cook up in an idle mind. Oh and one of my favourites, how standing on mosaic tiles looks like your way up in the air. And take it all down and one day when you think you’re ready to put it down on paper or canvas or your neighbours walls, draw, write, sing, but express!
And it’s by flexing those very creative gray cells that this was written:
Lay down your weapons and hush those fighting voices,
The time has come to rebel with more than those two choices.
Take up a pen, a pencil, a can of paint.
And let your eyes follow as your hands go wild and your thoughts go quaint.
Imagine, create, express.
For an idle mind will only invite distress.
And as time winds,
you will loosen your binds.
For with spirit that sets free,
A new rebellion will emerge for all to see,
Changing culture with the thoughts we’d nurture.
A life filled with colour, and bridging divides with fervor.
There shan’t be any reason to fight,
Since we create with all our might.
Thus redeemed of all the gore,
This will become the utopia of lore.
Think, that’s all I ask of those that read this.
