The Art of being Men without Nonsense

Hello and a great Sunday to you. This might well be reflective notes to myself. But, I'd like to share the two or three long dhirams with you too.

I love the print ads of the old, especially this particular Coca-cola ad. et idem, the Marlboro ads, the be "The Classic man", "The True Man" etc. What is this idea of the "true man." What a wonderfully misused term, especially in our society, which has its head so far up its own backside that it can’t tell the difference between a man of substance and a man of shiny packaging. A true man, dear friends, is not the fellow who spends his days strutting about like a peacock in his overpriced suit or clicking selfies in front of his luxury car. No, a true man doesn’t give two flaming farts about society’s approval. He is one who has the courage to tell society to buzz off and marches to the beat of his own drum, even if that drum happens to be out of tune.

Society, with all its so-called wisdom, seems to be the biggest fraud there is. It’ll tell you to climb all the ladders .. career ladders, social ladders, imaginary ladders. Wear the suit. Why? "To be successful". What is success? Society has and will constantly convince us that success is measured in square footage and the number of zeros in our bank accounts. Are we just called to be slaves to this? To slog and work, then retire at 60? All for the few acreage gained .. but lost when we leave earth. Be this, be that, You should do this, And by God never do that. This mindset might be very asio-desi to some of you. But, this was taught and ingrained in me. I'm starting to see the unvarnished truth: none of these things really brings peace when I'm lying in bed at night, staring at the ceiling, thinking about the work of tomorrow and wondering why my life feels like a dull, insipid soup.

As much as I'm in the same boat, working my way, paycheck to paycheck, to create an igloo of solace when I get to 60 and stop the grind. I also see that, true men ..they don’t chase society’s mirages. They satisfy their souls. And satisfying the soul doesn’t mean performing grand, heroic acts or indulging in pseudo-out of this world nonsense. I mean, its sometimes about finding joy in the ordinary, the absurd, and the wildly unconventional. It could mean becoming a village poet, growing cucumbers, or spending your evenings guzzling karak and debating sports with friends. Some love collecting, others are artists. And the very special rare ones? They are able to do humanity's real work, unbeknown to most of us, the patience and will to care for others and the lost .. all behind closed doors. What I'm saying is: If it stirs your heart, it’s worth doing. Just dont be Jack-the-ripper.

Of course, society will not approve. It never does. It hates this kind of independence. "Fit in!" they scream, while stuffing you into the same cookie-cutter mold that leaves you bored, bitter, and buying stuff you don’t need just to feel something. You know who society loves? The guy with the lifestyle he can’t afford, the six-pack abs that only last until he turns 30, and the big, fake smile plastered over his deep existential dread. You see it? I see it. It rewards the sycophants, the pretenders, and the overgrown boys who mistake possessions for personality.

The true man? He laughs at these charades. He knows that life is too short to waste on the applause of fools. He lives for himself, not for the crowd. He is able to shut out all that noise, a kind of peace amidst all the chaos. He laughs at society’s rules, wipes his feet on its expectations, and then goes home to do whatever the hell makes him happy.

Because the actual truth? Is that the world doesn’t need more men chasing status. It needs more men chasing their souls.

Me? I'll admit .. I'm sailing, where the wind blows.

But, here's to someone who has the courage to break out and do what I'm mustering the courage to do.

Some men and women bravely tread dredging waters and build a whole new horizon different from societal norm.