After watching a recently released Hindi movie "Dasvidaniya", I was awed by the brilliance with which the script has been written. The work of the cast is also beyond excellence, especially the protagonist. I could not but praise the work of every single person involved in it's making. However, the movie did lead to a few hours of sleep-deprivation for me. Not because, it gave me a head-ache or anything.
My gray cells were perturbed by a thought, rather the question mark that this movie had etched on my forehead. And I couldn't help but wonder, what would I do if I knew I only have a few months left to live. Would I like to make a "List of things to do before I die"? Or, would I just wake up each day and do whatever I wish. I think I am more of a list person. But, then there are some lists you wish you never have to make. Is this one of those lists? Would I ever like to know how much time I have left?
I think most of us are better off living in an oblivion - of not knowing how much time we have left! Because, not everyone is well-equipped to handle that situation. And they don't even teach that in Disaster Management!
Well, where I started was whether I would like to know beforehand or not, and whether I would make "the" list? The answer, I guess, would be - no, I would not like to know, rather I would like to go away by surprising even myself - all of a sudden. One moment you're there, and the next you're not. That would be my coveted end. However, I do realize that I might sound very selfish here. But, gotta be true to myself.
And the answer to the second question is - I, kind of, already have a list. But, unlike the character in the movie, I do not have a list that only shrinks. Instead, I have a list that keeps shrinking and expanding. I learn about many more things every day. Each day, I make new aspirations, and add them to my list. And, at the same time, thankfully, I keep crossing things out from it. I am happy that I am lucky enough to have a dynamic list. I am sure this list would not be empty the day I depart, but then if I had done everything I wanted to, I would have ceased to have a purpose to live anyways. That's the last thing I want.
So here's a wish, that may my list be ever-growing, dynamic, and non-empty until the day I breathe.
"My to-do list is so long that it doesn't have an end; it has an event horizon".
-- Craig Bruce
