Self and Architecture

Its pretty sunny outside. Sunny to the extent of being Warm. But thanks to the architecture of this apartment building, I'm penning these lines down in the light of the energy savers.

Its the same with human self. As we grow, we develop a personality that is so much like the architecture of buildings! There are certain things that we want to be noticed more, so we put them on a more accessible public display, like high lighting a particular feature of a building, putting a spotlight in front of a Mughal arch; and there are others which we try to make not-so-public like the drainage pipes in the back alley. There are dark recesses and sun rooms, all within the confinement of what we call the personality. And time to time all of us invariably return to them for either running away from the realities of life, or else to gather courage from, to face these realities upfront.

When we have more dark nooks in our personality than the sunny galleries, it gets hard for the natural glee of life to reach us easily and consequently, slowly and gradually, the self, just like a building, begins to fall a victim to dampness. Mould reeks in.

A little more time passes and the plaster begins to peel off, leaving the walls naked and ugly. A little more time, and even passing by close to such a building you are forced to hold your breath for the fear of smelling that rotten smell that is so peculiar to dampness, rust and mould.

When we pull down the blinds on the windows of our soul, we not only cut off from the world outside but also ensure that there appears no new horizon. On the other hand, when you open up your doors, place your comfy zone in the sunlit veranda, the soul not only nourishes because of the sunbeams of the life but also relishes the cool quietness of a starry night.

So, in a nutshell, just don't harbour ill feelings. They ruin your self; deteriorate your personality. The anguish, sadness, all the fruits of bearing this mould of your personality, come to show on your face in a few years time.

Don't confine your self within yourself, seek interaction with the world around. Otherwise, the mites and mould spores would cause the growth of fungus within this precious self. Open your doors, roll up your blinds. Let air, light and noise drop in. They mark life. After all, you do want your Taj Mahal to be something more than a cemetery!