Monday, July 26, 2004
Guest Post : One Life To LiveHere’s a guest post from a friend — Tafosi — a confessed cynic with a dry wit. When not preoccupied with self-deprecation, he can be found spending most of his free (as well as paid) time appreciating Hollywood cinema, listening to classic rock or worshipping the Ferrari racing team. (His pen-name refers to what Italian fans of the team call themselves — Tifosi, although the misspelling of it can be attributed to alcohol-induced stupor.)
This post marks his entry into the world of cyber-lit. Hoping for lots of feedback to convince him to start a blog of his own! (Update — Mission accomplished. Tafosi now has a blog.)
One Life To Live
I’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints
the sinners are much more fun…
— Billy Joel (Only The Good Die Young)
It is often that one is struck by an impulse to do something, which they perceive is miles away from ordinary behavior — or so they imagine. I have noticed this particularly with those youth who feel stuck in a limbo between ‘cool’ and ‘mature age’. It is that scary time of your life when you are hanging out with people who were born in a decade after yours. It is then when your mind starts wandering and towards the visions of your deathbed. At this ripe old age of late twenties, you coin the phrase, ‘Screw it man, we have only one life.‘ By pulling a veil of illusion over your eyes, you try to make as much of the sorry existence which you have remaining.
It is then that you console your guilt of having that extra slice of pizza and missing that tennis session with your friends. The summer hours are more devoted to planning for the weekends rather than pending work and your arrival time in office is pushed back each day, till Friday comes and you try to make it in time for lunch. When the voice of conscience starts assuming 6.1 DTS capability in your mind, those simple 8 words throw you a lifeline. After all, you tell yourself that yours is a sorry tale, with each minute bringing you closer to judgment day. You of all people deserve some happiness in life. Why should it be reserved for that twit who is 5 years your junior and makes the same as you. So you say to yourself, its all right to buy that cool DVD player or those expensive sneakers. After all that’s why credit cards were invented. This carefree attitude usually hits you once a month.
But then, guilt has a way of finally developing enough courage to launch another attack on your morals. This time it usually wins and drives you deeper into the never ending well of shame and misery. Just like the moon, your life enters a new phase where you start feeling sorry for neglecting all that work. The refrigerator is filled with fruits rather than cheese and you convince yourself that hunger is best way to lose all those extra pounds that you had gained. These insecurities usually culminate into a weekend of utter despondency where all you want to do is watch sad films and listen to blues.
But sure enough, as day follows night, things start looking better. Perhaps it is because the cricket team is winning or a movie that you were looking forward to is going to be released, but you are actually starting to appreciate life. The birds are chirping, sun is shining, work is producing results and … and … and that twit is driving a new BMW. Its just not fair. Now all the girls will flock near him. Maybe I should get that new plasma TV; after all we have only one life.




Heres a thought to cheer you! Buy that plasma TV, maybe just maybe The twit driving the BMW would finding himself on the wrong side of a cliff while being chased by the LAPD (wondering if there are cliffs near L.A) and you can watch it live on some news network with the bevy of girls who came to check out your new plasma TV ;-)
P.S why cant I blog anonymous.. foul I cry, whatever happened to freedom of speech with thecomfort of anonymity..this would force me to take the fifth more often than not!
P.S.S to the twit (since I had to reveal myself to post this comment) It wasnt you who I was talking about..its the other twit with the newer BMW
Monday, July 26, 2004 @ 9:01 AM
Hi,
Guilt is much like the credit card sales guys. It keeps hitting on you till you give in and then its too late to realise that you are in the middle of a sad joke and you try to shrug it off with a sad laughter and say those 8 words. That is, if you made the wise decision of not listening to your conscience at work:)
Cricket team winning? Hmmmm…i wonder if guilt could probably make them do that in the next match.
And nice article. Your friend could definetely do with a blog of his own, though that might have certain repercussions on the no. of hits on your page:)
Monday, July 26, 2004 @ 9:33 AM
Way to go Tafosi dude … will look forward to more of your posts. You are a natural. Maybe you should start your own blog and send me a link to that :) Seeing you and Megha write, I may become more enthusiastic to blog as well …. Cheers mate !!!
Monday, July 26, 2004 @ 9:37 AM
Thank you fellows for your encouraging comments. Although all of you may regret this if I get “full of it” and start hogging the cyberspace with my random and at times irrelevant musings. Also, special thanks to Megha for shouldering the burden of my column. Finally a shout out to the “2 Cent King” Venu for introducing me to this facinating universe.
Monday, July 26, 2004 @ 6:53 PM
Hmm.. Sorta unrelated comment, but anyways…
Came here after I saw someone refered to my blog from here, though i simply can’t figure out how! Anyways, promises to be a good read. Can I add you / this blog on to my roll?
Will be back here in leisure to read through!
Tuesday, July 27, 2004 @ 8:06 PM
Tafosi,
Billy Joel’s comment in the beginning reminds me of Lucifer’s quote “It is Better to Reign in Hell than to Serve in Heaven” from Milton’s “Paradise Lost” (1667).As he also said “To reason is a choice”.Those who do reign and those who do not serve.
Either way nice way to start blogging.Kudos to you.
Tuesday, July 27, 2004 @ 9:50 PM
You know what I thot after reading this!! THANK God I have passed that phase!! nad yes, I have been there and your post reminded me of how that feels!! So in case u r worried, i will pass!! Good reading.
Thursday, September 13, 2007 @ 6:01 AM