What is in an Image ???

I have been listening to a very wise man lately. Offlate, one of the profound statements which he has made has really provoked my inner echleons of conscience and thought. The statement goes this way - "Image is your greatest strength and your greatest enemy". I had been a strong believer only in the first part of this statement... but the 2nd part somehow stirred and shook me. My mind again went into an introspection mode for really figuring out this conundrum and i must admit that it really took me a sleepless night to figure out what really it meant ..... Hope the following paragraph might save another night for you :-) (i can't gurantee though)

The first part of the statement is really a GANDHIAN statement and requires no explanation. Image is a greatest enemy ... Well !!! Truly speaking i could really look at my own life backwards and could really interpret it's true inner meaning. People took me for granted at every point of time. My life started moving from One Certainity to another certainity to another certainity. My choice of clothes, choice of books, choice of foods, choice of activities and everything was more or less decided ... There was absolutely no fun .. People would predict what i would do next and albeit most of them were really successful at it ...

Then came a time of my freedom ... I was away from home for about 6 long years .. enough to shatter all images at all points of time. My Mother saw a different Keshav each time i came home. .. I must affirm that the goodness remained at all points and at no point i compromised on something wrong ... It was just that i started beginning to discover that i could do a lot more than what i or a matter of fact others traditionally believed ...
This started a powerful process of introspection .. A tool for which i again profusely thank a wise old man for initiating it ... I could talk and almost easily converse with any tom,dick harry on street and this led to some interesting incidents and stories .... (obviously for my grand-children in the future !! :-) )

I started dabbling into various activities .. .My good-ol friend lamented on the fact that i am although full of energy but i lack focus .. i again went into introspection for this answer and the answer itself came to me that i was focussed in what i was doing .... i gave 120% in every activity that i indulged into (Even ;-) at one point of time ... i think other people can affirm this fact .. hehehehe ) it's another matter that it might not have given any intended results .. but the experience is worth more than anything else put togethar ...

to put it short that's life. .. NOBODY or rather Noone should bind you or lock your potential and capabilities ... As it is rightly said " You only think what you are and you can do what you think you can really do " ....

My life has changed from unpredictability to unpredictability to unpredictability .. Several things happened ... People never believed that a fat old person like me can run ... I tried my level best in finishing the 21Km marathon ...End result !! I was far too slow .. but the finish gave me immense confidence ... People gave me a slim chance in other sports ... i really feel i do a decent job than most others .. My own folks felt i was an introvert ... things changed over a period of time ...
Somehow only Music eludes me during all this time .. Inspite of having a trained carnatic singer as my mother .. i still am not able to grasp it at a higher level .. This is my next venture now ....

Believe me .. i cherish and enjoy every moment of it ... I somehow revel these days in unpredictability .. I simply say WOW at it and !!! and move on ....


PS: My attempt at writing philosophical stuff for the first time .... Let's see . poetry's next as and when a suitable inspiration arrives ;-)