The Adoration of Rhett Butler

I am now beginning to fully realise the benefits of having named my blog "Nothing Very Specific". You see, this kind of a name lets you write about just anything and everything you ever wanted to write about (now that's what you call smart thinking, no?). 

This latest post concerns itself, as the title suggests, with the one and only Rhett Butler. Yes, all you "Gone With The Wind" lovers, even I am one of you! I fell in love with this book (and not to mention, the afore-mentioned character), the very first time I read it, which was way back in 2005 when I had just cleared my Class XII CBSE Board exams. It's been five years since then and I've re-read this book about 15-16 times, and I'm sure I wouldn't mind reading it all again.

Now coming to the topic of Rhett Butler, what I really like about this character, is his total disregard (a mild term, of course) for just anything that does not fit into the realm of rational thinking and common sense. 


He is this eternal enigma which has never failed to arouse the curiosity of people, especially women, all over the planet, even after all these years. He is absolutely selfish, but still respects the quality of selflessness in others; he's no "gentleman", but he's capable of giving due respect to a "lady"; he ridicules the efforts of his own people, and then goes on and joins the war when they are about to lose; he despises Southern customs, but then embraces them nevertheless for the sake of his daughter; he loves Scarlet, but wouldn't let her know lest she begins to use this against him; he loves her madly, but still urges her to use her "charms" to find a husband for herself when she needs the money to save Tara; he abandons her midway while on her way to home when anybody would've "got her" even though he'd risked his life to get her out of Atlanta in the first place; he loves her even when he knows that she loves Ashley...


He personifies impunity, ardour, charm, foresight, rationality and practicality. He's a curious mix of apathy and concern; love and hatred; thoughtfulness and thoughtlessness; passion and placidness. What really takes the cake is the fact that almost nothing seems to bother him, "ruffle his feathers", or even, surprise him for that matter. He can be as composed as The Pacific or as torrential as a tempest. He makes you wonder if there ever could be something that would make him give two hoots to it (remember "frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn"?).


He can easily make you hate him, and then make you love him again the very next moment, effortlessly. 


One moment, you would be tempted to call him a cad and then voilà, the next moment you'd be encouraging his generosity. In fact, Rhett Butler is someone who can charm you into loving him even when your mind would repeatedly warn you against doing anything of this sort.


Some character, this one!!

Why I'm Not Going to do an Independence Day Special

Before you reach any conclusions about me being a sceptic or some kind of a "non-patriot", let me begin by saying that my reasons for not doing an Independence Day Special, do not fall into any such category(you see, I have this habit of clarifying things so as to avoid any kind of misunderstandings later on). But then, that doesn't mean that I'm not going to wish you a Happy Independence Day.

To start with it, I don't believe in living my life by clichés. I mean, isn't it something very obvious to do - write something grand and opulent about our great heritage, vibrant cultures, our unity-in-diversity, our booming economy, our world-power-in-the-making status; or about how we should try and break our way-too-many shackles of  social-economic injustice, social taboos, regressive thinking, poor habits; or may be about how we as a nation are letting a gang of "politicians" take us for a ride and plunder our collective wealth, abuse our collective being and laugh at us while doing it all in broad daylight with absolute impunity. I guess, all this has been written about several times in the past, still continues to be written about at this precise moment and in fact, will also get written about in the ages to come. There's nothing new, path-breaking or revolutionary about it(now this doesn't mean that I mean to bring about some kind of a revolution out here!).

Instead, I try to steer away myself from what is touted as the "tried-and-tested" ways of life. I believe in living by my own rules and principles, one of them being "Be Different and Make a Difference". This was the whole-and-sole reason why I decided not to post something about our Independence Day, but instead, to emphasis the need to discover your own person and uphold your own personal freedom and INDEPENDENCE every day while you are alive. The question is, that should one really do something only because the custom or the occasion demands it, or should something be done only because there lies deep within you, a strong willingness to do it.

I think you should try and take some time out on this Independence Day to think about what Independence really means to you. Is it all about singing patriotic songs, unfurling the Tricolour, listening to zealous speeches, making customary noises about how we need to pay more attention towards the pressing issues which our country faces and then forgetting about it all the very next day or instead, is it about discovering your personal self, being able to think independently about what YOU really want, and celebrating an Independence Day everyday. I ask this question because it is only an Independent MIND which can lead an individual and a society to a truly Independent Existence.

Do think about it!

Freedom

The Philosophical Side of Things

If you guys remember the first post of this blog, I'd mentioned about how sometimes some random philosophical thoughts do tend to make their way past several hurdles in order to enter the blessed human mind, and then you might even recall that I had, sort of, assured all of you that such thoughts hardly ever manage to permeate MY thick skull!!

But then, horror of all horrors, that near impossible event is going to take place right here, right now, in front of your very own eyes!!(It's ACTUALLY hard to be serious guys!! Just try doing it if you don't believe me.)

Believe it or not, even I do sometimes just sit down near the window of my room during the quiet mornings(and that is when I do manage to get up at such an early hour) and look outside at the still-serene surroundings, the trees, the chirpy birds the sometimes-cloudy blue sky, the pretty colourful flowers, the green grass, the red rising sun, the picturesque hills; in short, nature in its full glory. These are some of those rare moments when even my mind, which is pretty much always engrossed in thinking about material stuff and is pretty much immune to this thinker-type thinking(hey, now that's some alliteration, no?), tends to shift focus towards the "philosophical side of things".

During such moments I tend to wonder as to who I actually am; for what particular purpose was I born; what is my destiny; what part am I expected to play in the universal scheme of things; why can I not have everything that I desire; why is it that I HAVE to stick to the rules and regulations as imposed upon me by this society of ours; why can I not just live my life peacefully and not be bothered by Toms who would just not stop Peeping into my life; why is it always me who's expected to learn to make sacrifices for a "better marital life"; and lastly, why can't i just dash it all and go off and live my own life??

Darned difficult questions, what?? Even I think so.

And then, finally, comes the moment when I come out of this reverie and curse myself for having let such thoughts come into my mind!! Then, I thank the Lord Almighty for having bestowed me with enough good sense which does not let me allow such thoughts to go circling around in my mind for a very long time!!(After reading the above paragraph, I'm sure you'd agree with me)

In fact, I feel quite sure that such ideas are just not meant for a mind like mine which revels in thinking about the more worldly, materialistic, tangible and glamorous side of life!!

Wouldn't you join in the chorus and say "yessssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

No end in sight for these circles