Aesthetics and Nostalgia: A Step towards Loving Self

 

"But how deeply, painfully, irreparably had he wounded her and upset her life, and how restless and violent she was in her determination to re-shape her destiny and start afresh!" ___Boris Pasternak in Dr Zhivago

 As I reread this quote I smell the beauty of truth and love. An old book having eternal flame of truth. The smell is mildly pungent, of tobacco and paper soaked in the spirits of literature. Classics are classics. As I douse my hunger down the pages, a surprise awaits. A huge bonus that makes my day and turns me richer. A surprise gift. The story ends to live in your memory. But then there is a beginning once more. There are 43 pages of poetry, taking the last page of the book to dreamy depths, to last forever. That's how Boris Pasternak surprises and gives a bonus to his humble reader in Dr Zhivago. 

The most profoundly charming things are not about money, power and authority. They are about sweet memories. Create such moments. These may come in a book, in a movie, or anywhere on the broad stage of life. These are the ripe fruits for you. Pluck them. You won't be disappointed.

Even in the darkest phase of life, these little lamps can show you the path. Keep your store of such cozy moments well stacked. They make a very comfortable lounge chair when you are weak, debilitated and feeling low.

Life's grand events, even if they are very paying otherwise, are still noisy and don't give the comfort that a tiny sip of a pleasant memory can give you. Don't just take huge swigs, take little-little sips of solace on offer. Life's real worth is measured by such small sinews.

Your fabric of happiness is spun with the threads of such pleasing moments. As you run on the stage of life, don't miss to pick up these pleasantries and weave your carpet of happiness. It is possible. Nostalgia draws out such brief, suave moments, not huge episodes and gala events of life. Just reflect, even most extraordinary events will not give that soft balmy touch as will a tiny episode of love, care and gratitude. If you don't have the heart to spot beauty in the ordinary, no decked up specialness will be sufficient to make your heart go ga ga. As Rose Kennedy says, “Life isn't a matter of milestones, but of moments.”

Orson Welles: “We're born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we're not alone.”

Well, the golden aesthetics of love and friendliness are the anchor support for our soul as the external self gets tossed in the treacherous bay. The sepia-toned nostalgia of such tiny episodes prepares you to be pleasantly surprised and innocently overawed by the smallest of a thing. It strengthens the basic unit of your being. You don’t lose your footing when you come face to face against the mammoth structures of life. It may sound surprising, but that’s how it operates. A tiny miracle! Enjoy it!