The subtle art of not giving a 'fish'


The title for this post is actually inspired by a book by the same name..But I have modified the last word to avoid defiling my blog space with unparliamentary language, assuming my daughter will read my blogs some day.. (By the way, the last word on the (modified) title of my blog rhymes with 'duck'- for those of you who couldn't get it the first time.. lol)

So, not many people know this about me but book shops are my favourite haunts to visit.. I can spend hours walking through those aisles, browsing through the books, and more often than not I end up buying atleast a couple of books.. So today, after an entertaining and fun filled brunch meet with friends from work, I thought it was also time I stimulated the 'nerd' in me and so I stepped into a nearby bookshop.. And the first book that caught my eye was titled "The subtle art of not giving a 'fish'".. The title amused me a lot.. Not so much because of the content but for the fact that such a book even exists! Going by the increasing suicide rates in our country guess this book should be on everyone's bucket list of books to be read.. But speaking from experience I can safely say we have already mastered the art of not giving a 'fish' and not in a 'subtle' manner as the title of this books suggests.. It's an open display of indifference to another's feelings.. Maybe 'indifference' is too harsh a word.. Let's just say we're oblivious to others feelings.. We would rather talk about superficial things like clothes/appearances, movies, or share memes and have endless conversations making plans for the next trip/outing/movie date/dinner party so on and so forth.. Even the question "How are you?" is just a superficial question and designed to elicit the response "I'm fine"... Next time someone asks you "How are you?", reply saying "I'm undergoing treatment for depression".. Watch how this person (who until now seemed interested to know how you are) makes a hasty exit from the scene..

Well, I understand the reason for this 'indifference'.. Each of us is fighting a battle of our own.. So while our Social Media posts may be filled with happy pictures of happy moments spent with family/friends, our reality is totally different.. So you may be feeling lonely or ignored.. But you cant expect sympathy from someone who is separated from their spouse and is battling a messy divorce..

People are overwhelmed with 'burdens' of their own.. So how they choose to overcome these burdens is left to them.. If a few minutes of talking about superficial topics would help someone get through the day, I'm game.. Although I don't 'enjoy' such conversations I'd still engage in them if I feel it makes the other person happy.. Like I said, we're all fighting battles of our own.. So we should try to be nice to the others around..

They say, Life is as easy or as difficult one makes it out to be.. And over the years I've realised that a positive attitude goes a long way in dealing with life's difficulties.. So its time we try to master the 'subtle art of not giving a fish'.. Like a wise man once said "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade".. To all the alcohol lovers, "When life hands you lemons, add salt and Tequila".. ;-)

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