Cupid doesn’t seem to like too many people these days. He just hits them with an arrow dipped in a liquid that evaporates faster than acetone. I think Cupid is suffering from a terminal illness and doesn’t have the strength to hit people hard enough. Yes, when nothing else seems to make sense, blame it all on chubby Mr. Cupid.
So, gone are the days when you'd see happy couples at cafes conversing for hours. Now all you see are lonely youngsters, sometimes even oldsters, each to themselves, pretty busy texting (read: flirting with) 5 people at the same time on Whatsapp or We chat or Hike or where ever! Loads of options available here too. Wow!
Currently the population of the world has soared to its highest and yet more and more people are finding themselves at the butt end of loneliness. It should in fact be an opportunity for everyone to choose from the different kinds of people around to connect with, but it is becoming more difficult than ever to find that one striking connection that truly satiates us. Just one conversation that feels as good as drinking a hot cup of coffee in the rain, or reading the last page of a book and not wanting it to end, or jumping into the swimming pool on a cold winter night. Only if love was as easy and enthralling. But why do some of us hit the jackpot, while most of us wonder how the hell did we lose when we had 3 friggin Aces? Is it because we are too greedy as a generation? Or are our expectations too high in general?
Technology is supposed to bring us closer. But the irony is that it has made us more distant. Through Facebook we know about an acquaintance who took a vacation to New Zealand, but we hardly know what's going on in our neighbor's life. We are so busy looking at our smartphones, that we completely miss the person sitting next to us. (My phone is anything but smart. It conks off exactly when I need it and deletes data without my permission. Well, it is whimsical too.) But anyway, we are so occupied playing games on our expensive i-pads, that we forget to appreciate a beautiful sunset, the chirping of birds, the soft breeze, the smell of freshly brewed coffee, the rustling of trees, starry skies, etc. In short, even the beauty of nature escapes most of us.
In an age of instant noodles and instant coffee, most people are looking for instant gratification, instant relationships, even an instant soul mate. Eons back, a guy used to woo a girl by giving her attention, admiring her laugh while she talked to her friends, stealing a glance when no one was looking and by waiting for hours just to see her for 5 minutes. Now if you want a date, all you need to do is log onto Facebook and look at the available options as if going through a menu card.
Well, life is tough and everyone is very ambitious. No one really has the time to take things slow or fall in love at ease. But certain things don’t work any other way for some people. They come with a disclaimer, ‘Take it slow or watch it go.’ Most people lose interest in things as quickly as they get interested in them. So, although we have a plethora of options available today, we are still a lonely bunch of people. And those who can’t stand being lonely, sometimes decide to compromise and spend their lives with people they have almost zero connection or no compatibility with. For the rest of us who do not wish to settle for anything less than extra-ordinary, we just have to bear the sweet pangs of loneliness a bit longer.
Personally, I love solitude immensely. But even as a lover of solitude, I find myself sometimes missing out on those moments of being with someone effortlessly. The feeling of just being with that one person you connect with on all levels. The comfort that comes with knowing that this person understands you and doesn’t have unreasonable expectations of you.
I guess we just have to live with the way things are and hope that what we are looking for is looking for us too, and is probably just around the corner or sitting at the opposite table furiously punching away into their laptops or devouring a walnut brownie. Until that happens, making solitude a welcome companion is the best we can do for ourselves. Because, it is better to be alone than string along with someone who doesn’t make you weak in the knees.
Disclaimer: These are my personal views. If your love life is really awesome and has always been that way then please get yourself checked. You could be a dinosaur.
So, gone are the days when you'd see happy couples at cafes conversing for hours. Now all you see are lonely youngsters, sometimes even oldsters, each to themselves, pretty busy texting (read: flirting with) 5 people at the same time on Whatsapp or We chat or Hike or where ever! Loads of options available here too. Wow!
Currently the population of the world has soared to its highest and yet more and more people are finding themselves at the butt end of loneliness. It should in fact be an opportunity for everyone to choose from the different kinds of people around to connect with, but it is becoming more difficult than ever to find that one striking connection that truly satiates us. Just one conversation that feels as good as drinking a hot cup of coffee in the rain, or reading the last page of a book and not wanting it to end, or jumping into the swimming pool on a cold winter night. Only if love was as easy and enthralling. But why do some of us hit the jackpot, while most of us wonder how the hell did we lose when we had 3 friggin Aces? Is it because we are too greedy as a generation? Or are our expectations too high in general?
Technology is supposed to bring us closer. But the irony is that it has made us more distant. Through Facebook we know about an acquaintance who took a vacation to New Zealand, but we hardly know what's going on in our neighbor's life. We are so busy looking at our smartphones, that we completely miss the person sitting next to us. (My phone is anything but smart. It conks off exactly when I need it and deletes data without my permission. Well, it is whimsical too.) But anyway, we are so occupied playing games on our expensive i-pads, that we forget to appreciate a beautiful sunset, the chirping of birds, the soft breeze, the smell of freshly brewed coffee, the rustling of trees, starry skies, etc. In short, even the beauty of nature escapes most of us.
In an age of instant noodles and instant coffee, most people are looking for instant gratification, instant relationships, even an instant soul mate. Eons back, a guy used to woo a girl by giving her attention, admiring her laugh while she talked to her friends, stealing a glance when no one was looking and by waiting for hours just to see her for 5 minutes. Now if you want a date, all you need to do is log onto Facebook and look at the available options as if going through a menu card.
Well, life is tough and everyone is very ambitious. No one really has the time to take things slow or fall in love at ease. But certain things don’t work any other way for some people. They come with a disclaimer, ‘Take it slow or watch it go.’ Most people lose interest in things as quickly as they get interested in them. So, although we have a plethora of options available today, we are still a lonely bunch of people. And those who can’t stand being lonely, sometimes decide to compromise and spend their lives with people they have almost zero connection or no compatibility with. For the rest of us who do not wish to settle for anything less than extra-ordinary, we just have to bear the sweet pangs of loneliness a bit longer.
Personally, I love solitude immensely. But even as a lover of solitude, I find myself sometimes missing out on those moments of being with someone effortlessly. The feeling of just being with that one person you connect with on all levels. The comfort that comes with knowing that this person understands you and doesn’t have unreasonable expectations of you.
I guess we just have to live with the way things are and hope that what we are looking for is looking for us too, and is probably just around the corner or sitting at the opposite table furiously punching away into their laptops or devouring a walnut brownie. Until that happens, making solitude a welcome companion is the best we can do for ourselves. Because, it is better to be alone than string along with someone who doesn’t make you weak in the knees.
Disclaimer: These are my personal views. If your love life is really awesome and has always been that way then please get yourself checked. You could be a dinosaur.
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