5:15

I've always loved train journeys. Partly because of the chance encounters I have with interesting characters. On the one from New Delhi, I met Rahul. He's this guy from a lower middle class family and a master of emotions. He loves to love, he loves to fall in love, and then keeps groveling when he's in that love-sludge. We were discussing yesterday the two most important components for love. Since he's a technocrat, he prefers mathematical formulations. His theory is: love = attraction + respect/admiration + extreme fondness.
He also told me, like many others before him have, that I have no hope of falling in love with anyone because I cannot have all the three components satisfied for anyone. [No hope despite Barrack Obama being nobel-ed for his Hope Campaign and KCR going the Srimamulu way to get Telangana.]
On my train journey to New Delhi, I was left thinking about all this, and I delved deeper into Rahul's character. He's one of those crazy romantics, who may serve as the perfect mascot for popular cinema, especially the 90s cinema. I loved him in Yes Boss and Dil To Pagal Hai. But the one I'm referring to here is the spineless, obsessive and madcap in Darr. He's not a practical lover (if ever there is such a thing) like his other school-friends, who would treat love as a decision, and once made, they'll consider it blasphemous and unbecoming - to change such a decision. Unless, of course, the decision involves changing to someone who's perhaps slightly more endowed in terms of finances, or has a relatively settled life/certain future. That is so true. Why would a person like Rahul's friend do anything about the love she has for an illiterate, poor person when a person with a lot of cash, a settled life who can afford a flamboyant lifestyle, is in love with her? Apart from nipping it in the bud, of course!
I can think of all this myself only when I'm in a small town - a town where leading life fruitfully (fruit=wealth) is all one must look for. I completely agree with such a point of view. I am convinced there is no such thing as love. Those three things can never come together, and even if they do, it's impossible that they'll last beyond a flash. Maybe that's why I'm always in love - I do find those three components very easily, but they never last. The third one is the one which lasts the longest and the second one is the one which flickers the most. But what does one do when there are second and third components on a sustained basis, but there is no amount of the first?
Then I remembered what Alan Shore said in Boston Legal:
"Life's hard, love's harder."
And I expanded it:
"Life's hard, love's harder;
Falling in love even harder, knowing that you are in love is the hardest."
Alternatively:
"Life's lovely, love's lovelier;
Falling in love even lovelier, and knowing that you've fallen in love is the loveliest."
It's not about cynicism, it's about pragmatism.

I look from the wings at the play you are staging
While my guitar gently weeps
As I'm sitting here doing nothing but aging
Still my guitar gently weeps

Blues

It's such a shame that a course like Evidence Law, which seems more interesting than anything else currently, has been destroyed because of a snooty teacher, who randomly decides to concentrate on CopyRights and a lack of replacement for Mr. Ape-resh - a mongrel dog who has left me and my compatriots helpless, not just clueless. Hoping that this vacation will finally see the construction of that destroyed building called "The Law of Evidence". Prior promises in relation to other wrecks like Property Law, Contract Law, Administrative Law never materialized. But then again, there's always a first time.
Apart from that, there are those old-age blues, which I have always experienced in June but are exalted this time by the fact that I'll soon be a great grandfather.
Old. Rankwise. Rollwise. Wisdom-wise, hopefully.

On a brighter side, I've realized that My Back Pages (Bob Dylan: Another Side of Bob Dylan) and In My Life (The Beatles: Rubber Soul) are splendid, one filled with hope and revival- "Coming Back To Life" types; and the other of good memories, and a romantic past.

Music

Time to brag a little.

“Great music that is not in the mainstream needs a host – someone to bring you into the fold.” –John Mayer

And as part of a dedication to that host, I’ve downloaded arguably some of the greatest music I’ve had, in the last 50-odd hours.

The Song and Dance Man

Since I’ve been quoting Dylan so madly on this blog, I believe it’s appropriate to make a mention of his recent acquisition – a special citation from the Pulitzer Board. Possibly that sort-of recognizes (if any was necessary, that is) his songs as 'literature' and will prompt the Swedish Academy to honour him in the near future for an award he was first nominated in 1996.

For one of the most profound songwriters, who has revolutionized the way songs are written, it's an honour most deserving and fitting. More than being just a great song and dance man, the most incredible aspect of his life is that it is in so many distinct stages. (For atleast six of them, see the film I'm Not There.)

A man of exceptional wit as well. It's a recent incident narrated by one of my classmates which I later googled and verified. At an L.A. Party, to which Dylan was invited, Peter Grant offered Dylan a warm handshake and introduced himself, "I'm Peter Grant, the manager of Led Zeppelin." Dylan replied, looking at him queerly, "I don't come to you with my problems, do I?".

And now for, what I believe, is a good observation on Bobby, Zimmy, or as George Harrison would like to call him, 'Lucky':

"He walks out there alone. He comes back off that stage alone. He writes those songs alone. He is his own man. He stands proud in his own shoes. He don't need nobody to do nothin'.."

- Carole Childs, as quoted in his biography by Howard Sounes, Down the Highway: The Life of Bob Dylan.

Don't Think Twice

"But goodbye's too good a word, gal
So I'll just say fare thee well
I ain't sayin' you treated me unkind
You could have done better but I don't mind
You just kinda wasted my precious time
But don't think twice, it's all right"

- Bob Dylan in "Don't Think Twice"

I know this blog is becoming quite a lyrics blog. Yet, I can't help when I find what I feel so accurately replicated in a song. Life is becoming increasingly beautiful! I'm much more composed and much happier than a fortnight ago. :)

All Along The Watchtower

Probably one of the most meaningful songs I've come across in a long time.
All Along The Watchtower (written: Bob Dylan; guitar: Jimi Hendrix) is about the joker and the thief (possibly two of the most timeless characters), who realize that they need a new life and head towards a castle occupied by the princes, women and barefoot servants and which is well-guarded. In three verses, Dylan manages to create such amazing drama, which is brief, yet full.
The joker wants to escape because "there's too much confusion"; he feels used ("by businessmen" and "plowmen"). The thief can however appreciate the worth of all his efforts and is sympathetic towards the joker. Both of them understand the value of each other. But the last lines of the lyric show how despite the fact that they desperately want to begin new valuable lives, having realized that life is not a joke, they can't possibly enter the castle, and are left outside with the growling wildcat.

Just Like a Woman

"Nobody has to guess
That baby can't be blessed
Till she finally sees that she's like all the rest".

They have more than one meaning. Think again.