Many are the times, when my ego, stutters and stammers between gloating, self -aggrandizement and pitiful morbidity. Often, I find myself viciously fighting the,” I am always right ” syndrome. The pompous feeling of the ”Miss – Know – It – All” is at times, at loggerheads with, the humble, pathetic brain, that wishes it knew much more than it actually does. This ping-pong battle, inside, has a high decibel, deafening sound. It screeches in shrill tones to explain to me, that it is not ‘okay’ to flare one’s nostrils with puffed up pride. The synonyms, I learnt in the Hindi grammar classes flash ominously.”abhimaan” as opposed to ”ghamand”, never truly registered, me thinks. ”Fareeda, je tu akal lateef, kaale likh na lekh, aapanade girebaan mein sirr nivaan kar dekh” said Baba Farid. When the preening and pouting start tormenting, it is easy to understand my friend. Bhagat Kabir’s wise quip “Kabir garv na keejiye, ooncha dekh avaas, Kaal parho bhoo letna, oopar jamsi ghaas”.
Life has a nasty and sneaky way of taking us by surprise. Maybe it feels like a prankster when it deals us blows. I think it just wants us to keep humble and thankful instead of flying high.
The loss of dear ones to the sharp claws of death is one such wake up call. It hits you with a deadly certainty, knocking you off your majestic pedestal from where you viewed the world with haughty disdain. Remember the story of the magnificent golden oak tree who grew immensely proud standing in full glory in the forest. He looked down at the pine calling it drab and mocking at the willow for her weak branches. He was puffed up due to his strength and looks. The wise owl tried to counsel him that actual strength lies in flexibility. One day a howling thunderstorm hit the forest with frightening winds. The willow bent and the pine swayed but the oak stood rigid and vain. Slowly his branches snapped with the intense gale. His rigid trunk couldn’t bear the pressure. The golden oak was uprooted with a terrifying roar. The smaller trees were still standing though bruised. Pride goes before a fall. Arrogance blinds us to our limitations. Samuel Johnson’s critiques the disastrous effects of the pursuit of power and fame ending in sorrow and shame in his poem, The Vanity of Human Wishes
“Now Beauty falls
betray’d, despis’d, distress’d,
And hissing infamy
proclaims the rest.”
Lily Swarn is an internationally acclaimed poet, novelist, and essayist, author of 10 books. She is the 2023-24 International Beat Poet Laureate India and a Peace and Humanity ambassador. She can be reached at sukhish83@gmail.com.
