Saturday, October 26, 2013
Happy Endings?
We are brought up watching Disney movies where it all ends Happily Ever After. When we are young, we dream big, aim high and plan far. We think of a point in the future where everything will be perfect. The truth is different. There is no such thing as a Happy Ending. The whole concept is a bag full of bull shit. We are brought up on a lie. Our childhood is full of lies. I might sound like a pessimist and this thought might be depressing but look back in your life. Look how far you have come and what difference did it make? 18-20 years of your life passed by in a flash; a few more decades will pass by quickly too. Then you will grow old and die. You are born, you struggle, study, go to college, get a job, get married, raise kids and then die. For some, this process may even end abruptly, and when it does, the lives of those around that person is affected in such a negatively heavy way that they soon realize it too that THERE IS NO HAPPY ENDING.
The sooner you realize this truth, the better it is for you. Because once you realize this, you will stop chasing the clouds trying to catch them. You will stop wasting your energy on a vain activity. But then this raises another question. If there is no Happy Ending, then what should we do with our lives? What should we chase after?
The answer is pretty simple. Live for others. It does not matter what kind of a Happy Ending you will have. What matters is how have you made a Happy Ending for someone else.
Monday, March 18, 2013
That Fragile Glass Cup...
A glass. A cup of thin glass. A fragile cup of thin glass. Fill it with boiling oil. How much will it take? Will it hold it? Or will it shatter into a thousand pieces? If it will hold then for how long will it hold? How long before it shatters? How much can this fragile glass cup take? It is just a matter of time before the heat from the oil becomes unbearable and shakes the glass down to its molecular level. And when it breaks, the small pieces will become dozens of small knives. Small knives so sharp that it will slice through skin and bone alike. But if the glass were alive and had a soul, will it be able to stop itself from breaking? Can it try to stay so strong that the heat doesn't affect it? The unbearable heat from the oil. Don't fill it further. It is enough. It is not strong enough. It cannot take it anymore. Show some mercy. It is a glass meant to hold only water. A gentle glass meant to sparkle under the light of the mighty chandeliers on a silk runner of an oak table. The glass is not meant to take the atrocities of the boiling oil. Not anymore. It cannot hold it in any longer. You filled it to the brim without mercy and keep filling it fresh hot oil.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Tolerance
You may have heard the word "Tolerance" a lot these days. Yet you fail to realize how crucial it is for the betterment of humanity as a whole. You use this word in the wrong sense. You tolerate the genocide of innocent people but you do not tolerate the beliefs of those people. You tolerate the silence and inefficiency of the authorities (like the government) but you fail to tolerate the protests and vigils of those affected. This reminds of the pre-Islamic Arabia when tolerance was used in the same way as today. Young girls were buried alive, tribes and clans brutality killed each other, power struggle was always bloody, etc. Don't you see the same today? My belief is better than yours or I am right and you are wrong or you deserve to die or it is my duty to clean this religion or you did not help us so how can we help you or this happens to everyone so get over it or you are not the only one or I rather not get involved in this. SO MANY COMMENTS, OPINIONS, SUGGESTIONS, EXCUSES! All bull-shit (do not mind my french, tolerate this now).
You fail to realize that how will the whole society become tolerant if you yourself are not tolerant at heart? How will. every accept other no matter what the differences if you yourself think you are superior than other? Did God personally come down and whisper in your ear that you are better than others? Did he personally tell you that you are superior? NO. Then why do you think your beliefs are better than others or your skin color is superior to others? God wants you to be humble and mind your own fucking business (tolerate my french once again). You have no authority to decide the fate of other people. You have no right to decide who lives and who dies. You have no right to take on the responsibility of racial, ethnic or sectarian cleansing. WHO ARE YOU? God's chosen people? AGAIN BULL-SHIT! Putting your head down on the ground five times a day and then going out calling other people non-believers does not make you a good person in the sight of God. It only makes you an idiot. You make a fool of yourself and your religion with your idiotic actions and words.
Did your Prophet (PBUH) teach you to kill anyone who disagrees with you? NO. Did your Prophet (PBUH) order you to stay silent when innocent people are killed? NO. Did your Prophet (PBUH) teach you to be intolerant? NO. NO. NO. He lived in Madinah with people from all kinds of backgrounds. His friends were from different ethnicity. His people were given protection by a Christian. So many examples where one system of beliefs helped another system of beliefs even though they disagreed. SHAME ON YOU ALL!
Our textbooks in elementary, middle and high school teaches kids about the wars of 1965 and 1971. They teach us about Jihad. They mention the basic beliefs of Islam. BUT SELDOM DO THEY TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF TOLERANCE AND DIVERSITY. The textbooks should focus more on stories where tolerance is the main theme than stories where one human being kills another human being. Besides that, teach your own kids that calling another human being a non-Muslim and then shunning him or her is not an authority given to them by God. Punish your kids if they do not follow the code of tolerance. You can punish them for not doing their homework or not listening to you but you cannot punish them when they think ill of a different sect or religion or ethnicity? Shame on you. You are no one to judge the fate of another human being. You are no one to publicly criticize the beliefs of another sect. Have peaceful dialogues and discussions among yourselves but do not focus on the difference but on the similarities. Pay attention towards learning more about each other than trying to prove the other person wrong. A debate that has not been resolved for past 1400 years will not be resolved even now so why even bother looking for a resolution? Share knowledge but do not ENFORCE your beliefs.
Be tolerant of other people's emotions, beliefs and faith. DO NOT TOLERATE MURDER AND GENOCIDE OR ANY CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY. Killing of anyone without a proper trial where his or her crime is proven is never justified.
And teach others about tolerance.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Sacrifice
Dear Humans of the World,
Sacrifice is an interesting concept. It is astonishing to see how mothers would sacrifice for their children or how lovers would sacrifice for each other. I believe that all our sacrifices should be for humanity. We should learn to be less selfish and more focused towards advancing humanity as a whole towards betterment. If you sacrifice your desires to steal, then your are not snatching the rights of someone else. If you sacrifice the urge to waste money on sex, drugs and alcohol, then these elements that degenerate a society will slowly diminish resulting in a healthier society. If you sacrifice your habit of playing with the emotions of someone else, then you will not make anyone depressed or ruin someone's life. Sometimes you have to sacrifice a lot of things for the betterment of humanity. My father sacrificed his life for the security of his people. My family sacrificed their dreams and hopes for the betterment of those same people. Imam Hussain AS sacrificed himself to protect the religion. Soldiers sacrifice everything every day for the safety of their country.
Dear people, learn to sacrifice and take humanity to a higher level of discipline and happiness.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Freedom of Choice?
Every human is free. Every human being has a freedom of choice. They have the right to make their own decisions concerning themselves. But with this freedom comes a great responsibility. Your decisions never affect you only as every human life is connected to another and the spider web of humanity is established. What you do may influence your society or some child a continent away. Therefore, think before you act. Ponder before you make your decisions or choose your words to express something. You may be an advocate of individualism, or you may talk a lot about "freedom of choice" but remember, nature has given you reason as well. Nature has given you the ability to ponder. More than anything, nature has given you will power. Freedom, reasoning and will power were given to you for a certain reason. Combine them all together when you live your life. Do not just live your life on the idea of freedom alone nor just live a life based on your logical reasoning. Combine all these together. You may say I am free to do or say whatever I want, but without reason you will not realise that your words may hurt someone else or start a dangerous domino effect in society. And without willpower you will not be able to control your tongue and keep your harmful words to yourself. Freedom, reasoning and willpower are nature's gift to humanity but humanity must utilise all three of these elements simultaneously while acting. If you give up on even a single of these three elements, then you will act out of pure selfishness. For example, if you choose to do drugs out of your freedom of choice without utilising your reasoning and willpower, then you will not only harm yourself but also the people surrounding you. If you choose to be a rebel against your parents or your society, then once again, depending on your reason to be rebellious, you may hurt the emotions of your parents who brought you up or you may result in becoming a part of the degeneration of your society. Here, you should use your willpower to control yourself and back off. Being rebellious my be useful if your reasoning tells you that it is necessary for the evolution and betterment of society and in that case use your willpower to stand steadfast and fight on.
Therefore, dear humanity, use your freedom, your reasoning and your willpower all together at the same time before acting.
Friday, March 1, 2013
And it begins...
Dear all,
Life has put me in a lot of stuff. Yet I do not blame life. I do not blame my fate or destiny. I blame the people. I blame the silence of these people. I blame the society. A lot has changed for me. A lot has changed for the remaining members of my family. A lot has changed for thousands of families. Our only crime, our beliefs.
From now on, besides the usual blogging, I will address the people of this world regarding certain issues and dilemmas. If you agree with what I write, go ahead and share it. But if you do not agree with what I write, then go ahead and stop reading.
Thank you.
Friday, December 28, 2012
YOU vs. Physics
Saturday, December 22, 2012
I Travel on...
Monday, December 10, 2012
A Fictional Tale of a Mad Man!
Here he is. Fluctuating between God and wine.
What has he become? What monster has he become? He needs peace of mind. He can't find it anywhere. Oh where should he go? To what should he turn? Wine or religion? Has he become so low that he has lost it? He was always sure of himself. Always. Yet now he stands nowhere. Yet now he is lost. Has he stooped so below the ground that he has become materialistic? This materialism isn't giving him what he needs. He needs peace. He needs solace. He needs satisfaction. This madness. Oh this madness!
(This is a fictional piece of writing with no connection to anyone I know.)
Saturday, November 24, 2012
The waves...of thoughts and sanity
Monday, November 12, 2012
Tic Toc...A Fictional Tale
Who is to be blamed?
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Random Realization no. 3: Life experiences
The secret to success is to have a life full of failures and obstacles and difficulties and pain and suffering. Once you have gone through such a life, you will only emerge as a stronger person with the skills, qualities and personality to succeed in any field in life. Every trouble is a teacher. You will be far better than the person who succeeded purely based on his luck or family background. So go out, and build a life-story, then that life-story will build YOU.
Just recently I have met some of the most amazing people in my life. They may have seemed weird at first but their life-stories gave me goosebumps. I learned so much from them and I have come to admire them. Life stories inspire me now. Besides building your own life story, go out and hear other people's stories. Those stories will have a thousand hidden lessons and tips and will be a source of inspiration for you. Moreover, their stories will tell you the magnificence of human strength and teach you that everyone is unique. Every life story is awesome. Every life is beautiful. Every human is marvelous.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Random Realization no. 2: Don't judge
Now, I will never judge people again till I have learned more about them.
...
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Random Realization no. 1: Parents
Parents are an extremely crucial part of our lives. They raise us, feed us, cloth us, love us, protect us, rebuke us, restrict us, and leave us all alone when they pass away. Yes, one day they will leave us. So do not waste this time and value them. They are precious! I have always loved my parents and grandparents but I just realized that I never loved them enough. I need to love them more. And now I do. When majority of my friends and colleagues left me all alone, my family stood by me. Society forsook me, my family embraced me. People forgot me, family celebrated me. When every selfish soul went away on their own path while leaving me on the roadside, my family held me and walked me to safety. Friends were always busy but my family always had time. If I give them time, they will always give me time as well.
Our parents bring us into this world and focus their attention towards us. They strive to give us a better future and sacrifice to give us comfort. Sometimes they fail to do some of that, but then it's not their fault. As humans, they were not strong enough. We should not blame them or fight them for their failure. Instead we should stand by them and face that failure together. They would do the same for your failure as well. Love them. I repeat, love them!
The modern society persuades us to be independent and selfish. The problem is that our parents will suffer the most as a consequence. Were they selfish when you were just a small baby crying day and night? No. Then why should you be selfish when they are old and cranky? Our life should revolve around them just like their life revolved around us when we were infants and toddlers. You can have all the independence you want once these parents have passed away. Then you will miss them. You will regret not giving them enough time. You will despise yourself for fighting them. You will abhor your being for arguing with them. You will consider yourself a monster for not respecting them.
Go ahead, and give time to your family, specially your parents. You are very lucky if you have them. Some unfortunate souls lose their parents very early in life, so be grateful that you are not one of them. Friends social, novels, Facebook, games can wait, but your parents have a limited life. Learn from them but also teach them just like they taught you. Protect and comfort them. Hug them and tell them you love them. Kiss them and tell them they are precious. Do it now, before it's too late.
...
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Education in Pakistan? Ha Ha Ha
Starting from the private education institutions to public schools and colleges, everything is adding to the potential failure of Pakistan as a nation and as a state.
You call it Education? I call it ignorance.
Pakistan is on the verge of self-destruction. I do not blame corruption nor do I blame extremism. I just blame our education system. There are many flaws in Pakistan's education system which are slowly corroding the pillars of this country and eating through the foundation of Pakistan like termites.
Matric or Cambridge?
Why is there a dual system in this country in the first place? Have you ever wondered it's consequences? First of all, this system is creating a huge class difference in our society. The rich study in the Cambridge system because they can afford it and because their idiotic children can give as many re-takes as possible while the poor study in the Matriculation system because it is affordable and will land them in an average public college, university or a government job. The rich get into better universities while the poor get an extremely hard time trying to fit into the academic scenario of Pakistan. The rich kids usually land themselves into a good paying job and hence their children also get to study in expensive Cambridge system. While the others who had a not-so-high-quality education have to struggle a lot to get a job that would feed their family; their off-springs are also forced to become a part of the same cycle of public schools and average universities. A class division inevitably forms. The rich get richer. The poor keep on struggling.
School or business?
Education is the right of every individual and education should not become a business. Alas, in Pakistan it has become a very thriving business. Parents are concerned about their child's future and thus opt for private schools. Just go and check how many students study in a single private school and how high is the fee of every child. The owners of the popular school chains of Pakistan drive Mercedes and BMW while my parents were forced to sell their cars to pay for my education. I am not the only one. I have seen my friends and their parents struggle to keep up with the monetary demands of the schools. After that, do not forget the high Cambridge Exam Registration fee. Every year in the month of January, parents from all over Pakistan have to empty their pockets and register their child for these exams. On the other hand, these parents also have to spend a fortune on books and school supplies. Our public school textbooks are too outdated and our private school books are too expensive. Public schools don't have quality. Private schools only produce stuck-up, character-less individuals with no desire to give back to the society. Why does a school asks it's students to buy new books every year when the school itself could provide those books through it's system of a library? Oh, I forgot, because these school have contracts with publishers. Another money-making technique. Have these businessmen stooped so low as to exploit the citizens of Pakistan even through education? And then we wonder why Pakistan is not moving forward! We blame corruption, we curse our leadership, but we never come out on streets for atrocities of this type.
Tuitions, Tutions, Tutions
In my high school experience, I have always avoided tuitions. Even though I often needed them, I still had to stop myself because of the extra financial burden it would put on my parents' shoulders. However, one can stop and observe how the system of schools and system of tuition centers work together with fluidity. In schools, the teachers pay less attention to every student and as a result the student has to join a tuition centre. A teacher earns money not only from the institution but also from tuitions. Moreover, I have seldom heard about a school which has put a restriction on it's teachers giving tuitions. These same teachers will often blackmail the school staff and even join other institutions of their demands are not met. Seeing this whole scenario, I detest the profession of a teacher. They are also on the road to exploit every poor soul hungry for knowledge. Knowledge is supposed to be free or at least affordable. If an institution is charging a huge sum of money, then they must also make sure that none of their students should even feel the need for tuitions. Even if some students need help, then the institution should arrange extra classes free of cost--every opportunity should not be used to make more money!
A Personal Experience
My parents have always supported me in my educational endeavors. However, I have always felt guilty for asking too much. They sent me to another city to study and that move proved beneficial. But my family had to struggle every day of every month just so that I could get good education as they didn't want to see me "wasted." I got into Oxford, but could not go due to financial restrictions. At that moment, my school gave me hope and told me they will make sure that I go by finding me sponsors. They advertised me. They sold me on billboards. And they got a huge load of new admissions. But when the time came for actually helping me, they just vanished. They said they cannot do anything and I must forget about Oxford and move on. It felt as if my 17 year old girlfriend dumped me for a 31 year old guy. My hatred for the education system of Pakistan increased ten folds. Next year someone else got into Oxbridge and the cycle continued. These institutions only look good on pamphlets, advertisements and billboards, but one must actually go through the whole system to realize how flawed everything is. A school will advertise about how many students got As in their Cambridge result, but they fail to tell that those As are just one percent of the total student body. These advertisements do not mention the 70% students who either fail or get bad grades and have to give re-takes.
Moral of the Story?
Now we come to the fun part: we idiots are all to blame. It is our fault that things have gotten out of control because we all succumbed to the deep pit of this system. We acted dumb and we whined but we did not do anything about it. I did my part by writing about and having countless fights with all the institutions that I attended. What part will you play? Will you let these leeches suck out more money or will you actually say NO for once. Education is supposed to be a birth-right of every individual but now people have transformed it into an expensive commodity. And then we wonder why our Pakistan society is declining? Private schools suck your money like thirsty leeches. Teachers and administration exploit our need for knowledge but do not give us the right kind of knowledge. They just give us facts but do not train us for independent thinking. On the other hand, the public school system is just another shame we have to stick with.
Signing off,
Syed Shehroz Hussain
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Sheeshaholic
Sheesha came and brought with it the much awaited revolution. You do not need to attend any Jalsa for that, just smoke sheesha. Cough Cough.
I have had the opportunity to spend time in all the major cities of Pakistan. One thing that was common everywhere were Sheesha lounges filled with teenagers. They sit and chat and smoke their way into the night. That is so cool! NOT. Every teenager spends around 200 to 500 rupees during a single Sheesha session. Have you ever wondered how many people can be fed with the same amount of money? Ah well, how would you know because you have never really peeked out your window and witnessed a person carrying heavy bricks on his shoulders for a hundred rupees to feed his family of eight. Trust me and try thinking about how much money you waste on such useless activities. Trust me further and try giving a 100 rupee note to a random beggar and see how you feel. You will feel better than what you feel while smoking Sheesha. It's the expressions of surprise when they see the note which gives me a head-rush. This act of giving often intoxicates and eventually becomes addictive. Believe me, this addiction is way better than ANY other addiction you know about.
I will not talk about the health issues associated with Sheesha because I am a sheesh a smoker too. My main aim is to make you realize how much time and money you waste in such an activity. Imagine how many books you would have finished reading if you had read instead of wasting time in a lounge. Imagine how many community service projects you could have implemented if you had actually used that time to plan a project to help the unfortunate members of our society. Moreover, think about the money you would have saved. In short, all the Sheesha smokers are idiots. Sorry to pop the bubble but you have been a useless citizen of Pakistan and you need to wake up for an actual revolution. Just by sitting and talking about the deteriorating conditions of Pakistan while making smoke-circles will only make things worse. Furthermore, just by attending a single Jalsa will also do you no good. I have noticed how attending Jalsas and smoking Sheesa has become more of a fashion statement in Pakistan. Please grow up Pakistanis. Stop destroying yourself.
(PS: I still smoke Sheesha. But at the same time, I give charity as well to balance the whole scenario)
Monday, April 9, 2012
My Dear Daddy, please come back to your Shehroz...
Dear Daddy,
I miss you Daddy. I wish I could do something to bring you back! People say you would be happier now since you are at a better place. But what about me? My best place was with you; beside you. Will you hold my hand again and take me around the house? Or teach me how to tie a double knot? Or discuss politics and world issues with me? Or entertain me with your extraordinary life stories?
You may be happy, but what about me? How could you just leave me like that? My dear Daddy, WHO will kiss me goodnight now? WHO will protect me from the wicked world outside? Oh my dear Daddy, I am incomplete now. I need you now. Daddy, you did everything I asked you to; now I am asking you to come back! Please come back Daddy. Will you not fulfill this wish of mine? Will you turn me down now? Will you just stand up there watch my tears wet my shirt and my pillow? Will you not hug me and console me that you are right here with me? I love you Daddy. You were my mentor. You were my teacher. You were my backbone. Now you have crossed into the other world leaving me exposed and vulnerable. My backbone is broken now. I am shattered into a thousand pieces. Just call my name once more and I will recollect myself. Just hug me once and I will be whole again. Just kiss my cheek and I will be complete once more...
I cannot believe that you are gone. It is impossible to imagine a life without you. Every hour I look towards your room and expect you to walk out in your crisp shalwar kameez and adorn the air with the sweet aroma of Aramis cologne. I expect to hear your heavy voice calling out "Shehroz Shehroz, Let's go out and get some fruits!" Daddy, who will buy me apples and oranges and melons and watermelons and mangoes? Who will give me company on the lunch table to finish off a whole melon? I just cannot believe you are gone! Even though I washed your lifeless body myself and buried you with my own hands, I cannot believe that you are gone! I refuse to believe that. Please prove everyone wrong and come back! I beg you Daddy. This is all just a dream, please call my name and wake me from this painful nightmare. Daddy I am DYING without you. Your absence is slowly killing me...
Although you were my grandfather in relation, but you were more than a father to me. Our relation exceeded beyond the realm of language! How could you just leave me? You brought me up and taught me everything. You adopted me from your own daughter and loved me more than anyone. You believed in me when the world criticized me. You motivated me when I had given up. You made me who I am today! I want to see you once more, to touch you once more and to tell you once more that I love you. I miss you. I miss you. I miss you. Please take me with you. I don't want this world. I want YOU.
Words cannot describe our relation nor can words describe the emptiness I feel without you.
With love,
Your favorite,
Shehroz.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
What Matters??
In this life full of beauty and charm and corruption and death, what is it that truly matters? Is it the big house or the sexy car? Is it the girlfriend who dumped you or the family that supports you? Is it the friends who would die for you or the friends who would back bite? Is it the good grades you need or the hot girls you want? The list is long and never ending. We want so many things but what is it we actually need? What truly matters? I wanted everything I just mentioned. I wanted money, fame, respect, girls, comfort and power. But now I want what I actually need and what actually matters. I already had money, fame, respect, girls and power. I had everything I wanted or at least a bit of everything. Now, after everything was taken away from me, I realized these things are temporary. They are like that spring breeze which caress your hair and slide over you skin giving you feelings of euphoria but eventually thrusts you into the burning heat of the summers. Everything must end one day; "life" being the certain of all.
The question remains: what matters? I may have an idea, but my quest has just begun. I may end up more lost than before or I may end up disappearing off the face of the Earth but my quest will only reach it's destination when I have found a satisfactory answer. Is it God? Or is it spiritual comfort? If it's either of these, then how can I find them? Is it love for humanity or is it the life Hereafter? If it's either of these, then how should I act about?
What matters?
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
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