Re-invention?

If discovery is the unveiling of something pre-existing but unknown and invention the mortal "creation" of something new, does re-invention truly qualify as anything noteworthy? The cliched catchphrase that advertising gurus have repeatedly shoved down the throats of the unsuspecting public seems to be more a glam cover-up for something that went wrong the first time. But then, havent we really become the society of second chances?
Human fraility has become so widely accepted that instead of a continnual striving for perfection, we seem resigned to expecting to go wrong multiple times before finally getting it right. Why is it then that we still expect praise for simply endeavouring at a correction of mistakes? Guess its just that all labors need a gentle nudge of acclaim to be the cherry on top that allows us to move on the greater things.
The whole idea of re-invention though came from the seemingly unenviable task that all election managers and spin doctors seem to take up- the creation of a persona whose sole purpose is to please the public, placate the press and promise providence while plying politics. It is indeed a surprise that there is a vestigeal individuality left behind of the candidate once he has passed through the ringer.
On a more personal level, i am curious as to whether it is possible to re-invent oneself? are changes in personality achievable and if so how drastic can they be .. and will those who remain constants in ones life ever accept such transformations or is the only alternative to walk through life with some people always looking at you like the larva though you have transformed into a butterfly? (figuratively of course!)

Lonely walker

I wake, I lie, I stumble and crawl
I hear the need of the clarion call
The first push and the path is shone
And then on out I walk alone.

A winding road that stretches out
So I sharpen wit and skills do hone
Strengthen will and rid all doubt
And keep on walking all alone.

I see other walkers pass on by
Treading their own calls of choice
Sometimes I let my thoughts just lie
Sometimes I choose to give them voice

The passion drives me forward still
A burning hunger from deep within
Each step forward a further thrill
Reaching forth for that elusive win

There is but one to satisfy
And he is too damn hard to please
It is his rare smile for which I vie
For the frown has a worrying crease

For perfection is worth the try
But all I have is one short lease
The goals set may be lofty high
But shall not bring me to my knees

I am him and he is me
All the same yet separate too
Rosy glasses through which to see
For a grayscale world a colorful hue

Bubble boy in bubble world
Just beware the needles hurled
Be not dejected nor forlorn
Just raise your head … just walk on!

999

wings of glory, wings of fire
fly, fly, fly O fly on higher
bring the rush nay bring the pain
bathe in blood then wash in rain
come down hard on the pitiful weak
glare down on in deep disdain

wings of glory, wings of fire
fly, fly, fly O fly on higher
When they dare you give them mirth
flames of passion warm the hearth
run them down into the ground
the meek shall ne'er inherit the earth

wings of glory, wings of fire
fly, fly, fly O fly on higher
unleash the blazing hounds of hell
comes the calling of the reapers knell
when the dust does cloud the skies
it is thy tale that the ravens tell

wings of glory, wings of fire
fly, fly, fly O fly on higher
black be the night but darker deeds
strong emotion but darkness breeds
thoughts race on and bodies follow
as fumes fuel the headless steeds

wings of glory, wings of fire
fly, fly, fly O fly on higher
lucifer smiles and wears his crown
a smile is but a turned up frown
the vanquished squint up to the glare
and see the demons number staring down!

Deep thoughts - simple answers!

Life is a journey of discovery
and I walk on in wide eyed wonderment.

Spend a little time to stop and stare,
a little more to love and care,
dally a little to give and share,
and just a bit to do and dare.

Sample and taste, pick and choose
for there is nothing for you to lose!

The clothes do maketh the man

Well - this post was inspired off a certain open ended statement I happened to post about trying to suit up for a corporate life style. Multiple unsolicited comments later, I came to realize that most people think I would never want to bind myself in the shackles of required dress codes.... hmmm... which also leads me to believe that the two available stereotypes I am probably pigeonholed under then are either lackadaisical absent-minded geek or granola eating tree-hugger. Having enough trust in people making good calls, I decide that is not a line of thought I want to take and instead focus in on the attire part.
Guess most of us are familiar with the oft-told tales of the Emperor's new clothes as well as a certain story attributed to Easwar chandra vidyasagar. I guess first impressions lasting so long is reason enough to alter them and "mislead" people into a portrayal they want to see irrespective of how quickly one wants to revert back to old habits when not under a focused examination! ... somewhere down that train, I also realize that "You clean up very well indeed" is an expression that is sooooo much more of a veiled insult than a compliment on ones Sunday best!

Bubble boy in needle world

No - for all the Seinfeld fanatics out there, I do not refer to a certai politically incorrect episode ;)
I refer instead to those few who walk on the clouds on a daily basis - no roots in practicality and non- chalant about it. I have been accused of being in that group way too often for me to not say something in a completely unasked for defense of the stereotype.
The rose tinted glasses, the thin easy ever present smile, the ever present hope and the repeated repressal of social pessimism. You couldn't not be a dreamy optimist to take frequent dissappointment in that gay springy stride and not lose a beat on the step.
I guess I do want these few to really achieve their hearts desires partly because I beleve in breaks and partly because I want to see what a oil sweetner can do to a person who manages satisfaction even in lean times.
Also, considering the seemingly increasing cynicism in the world today I guess we could all do with a few more people who remind us everything is OK. Don't know where I belong, but I sure would like it - would be an adjective used with pride in my book!

iMAN

Here is to a brand new beginning to writing posts that are more than a vented catharsis of emotions and more of a representation of my own personal microcosm. Soooo I recently acquired the gadget that's Steve jobs latest offering to a cultural change. I do not think macbook air can make that claim and I do not think the blackberry did enough- the iPhone though does offer a truly representative extension to todays yuppie -a blend of functionality, chic, performance and the ubiquitous apple deliverance of on the go. A new convert to the apple way of thinking, I must say that the famaticism is defenitely absent, but the promise is exciting.
Am yet to try out Loopt with friends when clandestine though, a promise I haven't been able to fulfill yet

A journey of discovery

As a child, i always wondered why autobiographies always seemed to deal with discoveries and journies and experiments and the like. I watched wonder years and all those shows on star world about college life as an expectant high schooler and thought about what "finding myself" meant - gave up on it as a wierd american thingy - they seemed to have more than one concept messed up about social life.
Wonder how ironic that is - now that I am actually in that very same country and consider the primary objective of my life to currently be to find out what I myself am before I can decide what I want from life. Those two seem inextricably tied to each other though -
all i am left with is the fact that though i do not think I am yet where I want to be in terms of what I see myself as, I guess I take baby steps in that direction each day.
Growing up is fun - seeing yourself grow up is not! There is a refreshing freedom in the first and a greater responsibility in the other.

Why do cliches seem real?

Media entertainment has always been a very strong medium of expression, especially of the owrld around us. There is a deeper meaning - a message hidden - a single truth in the woven tapestry that we routinely try to unravel while taking it all in. However, do we also go back to these messages and read our own lives in them - see the endings before our own stories reach their time?
Is it in the cliches that we try to find solutions that do not exist?
The stories are our own - the destinies as well :P The cliches are only clouds of judgement - there to check resolve - and they are driven into the social psyche by pure repetition! But that does not change them from alternate reality for pure story telling to something society uses as a crutch to fall back on or a justification - an excuse to explain what they otherwise could not. Or is it more than that- the germ of an idea rather than its recourse!
But then- not everything needs rationalization..........

Saving lines .. as time soothes all ails

Heart and soul do forever vie,
with what the brain says is but a lie
and thoughts and dreams do early die
however hard though I may try
once trampled, forever shy!
oh how the optimistic thoughts do cry-
for the world a cynical trade does ply
it tramples on and does leave you by!

The ages of man!

The cares of childhood are but few
as affectionate love does form a veil
we see life through a gilded view
and are allowed to falter never fail

The guidance lasts through adolescence
where the learning takes another route
we rebel against all experience
and every rule we dare to flout

And as the carefree youth does wane
do thoughts take on a serious light
when the path before you seems too plain
do you realise pleasure might carry plight

And these lessons learnt for many a year
come full circle in your stead
for does infancy turn another deaf ear
and common sense stays taught not bred.

The call of the wild

This is a moment of inspiration during this awesomely unforgettable trip to Lost Maples park in the hill country of texas - ala the impressionists

Was walking down lost maple wood
the trees did part and there she stood
An elfin presence the woodsy sprite
beyond all reason,at the edge of sight

On she beckoned with nary a look
her voice the touch of the burbling brook
on she called into those inviting woods
into her embrace ran the path i took

The trail was drawn for me to walk
the call of the wild was stronger still
was my enchantment all just talk
or was my answer backed by will?

Natures fashion is a beautiful thing
on tallest tress that change attire:
from greens and browns of early spring
to orange in fall - the shades of fire

From dawns first light to dusken set
all day long the hues do change
what you once see you may not get
for there is no limit to her range

The brook that lazes on along her course
has cut through mountains in her wake
immovable object and unstoppable force
locked in battle that will eons take

A finches call is a pleasing sound
but it shakes me out of my reverie
i realize then the silence around
what in daily life one cannot see

do we really stop to stand and stare
all the beauty that she does wear
can we shirk? oh, do we dare?
to walk on in without a care!

The man behind the mask

Disguises - the elaborate personas constructed with the sole purpose of masking true purpose or identity. What fascination do we have about what might have been, what could be and what is in our imaginations that we try to take refuge in it the minute we feel that we are unable to face a situation armed simply with what we are.
It is the well known adage of the ostritch sticking its head in the sand in the face of coming danger ... yet.. that doesnt stop us from trying:
"...... it might.. i mean .. who is to say.. maybe this is the lucky charm.. the other 16 times that failed so royally that they blew up in my face were just a learning experience.. but now...."
Well.. i dont need to write any further, and none of you needs to be the storyteller to figure out the likely outcome.
Still - its always worth a shot. Heyyy.. hold on a minute- I think I digressed. Lets make escapism and its different manifestations tomm's discussion. Coming back to the topic of disguises - they can be as mundanely enticing as masquerade balls (not the "eyes wide shut" variety mind you) as routinely harmless as the proxy that gets you attendence at class, as false as the sober weldressed front man who represents organized crime or as deceptive as identity theft. Hmm.. wonder about the recurring crime theme in todays talk... and no.. all those shows of COPS late night yesterday had NOTHING to do with it!!
Are all disguises as obvious as the clown in the suit at a kids bday party???
is every mask hiding something insidious - take all those face masks that are some of the most treasured artefacts of historical civilizations (mayan and incan death masks, african war masks) - or are they a form of art... the japanese kabuko shows and the kathakali performers back home.
Whatever else they might or might not be, the diguise and its art is like one of those grails - the ideal of being to take in everyone for some reason entices our senses, and piques our interest, because we all want to someday prove that we are so much better than our peers that we could easily take them in. ahhh... ego trips!

The pursuit of politics

The election season in the US in 2008 is pretty electric - the one distinct difference i have actually considered between the parliamentary form of governement and a presidential one is the impact the personality of a single individual has on the governance of the country, the tone set in policy and the identity of the nation for a period of history.
Dont get me wrong - distinctively iconoclastic individuals do steer nations irrespective of the type of legislative and beaurocratic setup by sheer dint of personality - but above and beyond that the choice of a captain is far more critical when the course to be steered traverses uncharted waters. Do we really want a man of the masses - taking into account how many flaws and fallacies we individually have, or do we hold these individuals to a higher standard when we really think about it?
It is after all professional excellence - it is the same concept that allows couch potatoes to critisize atheletes for not performing. You are supposed to get good at what you do for a living, if you aspire to greatness - irrespective of the field.
Yet, there is something more than just that - we all think with our heads, but usually choose from the heart. Let me elaborate - I propose that the human population has reached a stage on this planet, where there are many individuals who can do the job exceedingly well - so once the grains are separated from the chaff and the herd is culled to the few excellent specimens we desire, the remaining choice becomes academic. So, i feel that we only pick on issues to a particular level and beyond that , the unknown called "the gut" takes over. Which is why the fates of politicians often hang on that indecipherable unknown political pundits call charisma and appeal. And that is how some people get away with promising "everyone everything" and having them all believe they have got the best deal.

wait a second - how many used car salesmen have run for president again???

Distractions vs. Deliberations

A lot of "hardcore research" and alternate procrastination based off phd comics brought me around to deabting another reason why I search for more outlets.
The basic question being whether or not it is possible to actually have "single minded devotion".
I argue that it is pretty much out of the question - and I shall buttress my claims using the single phrase "mad scientist" :P
What I am trying to drive at is the fact that there needs to be a foil to every lunge - a shadow to show us the glory of light. Can we really appreciate the heights of joy without feeling the pangs of sorrow?
Similarly, every task is easier done not shared but forgotten. It is similar to the drink of gatorade after an exhausting football game, the sinking into the couch to watch the idiot box or that complete feeling of release in the hot bath tub at the end of a long day. So, the greater the stress the greater the distraction needed to forget it and hence allow us to tackle it better.
So, it is forever the game of poker, where each hand in turn needs to beat the other for a fun game - and the game would be life... if you missed it in all my metaphors!