Lethargy

I am educated enough to talk myself out of any work. Why write when there are more writers today than readers? I ask myself when I feel lethargic to write. Or I’ll invent other excuses. Like: you’ve grown old, man, you’re out of touch with new trends. Sometimes I feel like Santiago of The Old Man and the Sea: “Bed is my friend. Just bed…. Bed will be a great thing.”

One of the movie maestros of Kerala, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, complained the other day that the digital camera has made almost everyone a movie director. He lamented the death of movie as an art. Sometimes I feel like Adoor and lament the death of standard in blogging.

Have we created an art out of mediocrity? I think we have. Look at the best sellers today.

But that’s no excuse for avoiding your duty. You have to do your job whatever the outcome. Didn’t Krishna say something like that to Arjuna? According to the religion I inherited at birth, lethargy is one of the seven deadly sins. Diligence is prescribed as its antidote.

Right now I’m in no mood for diligence. Let me relax now just for the heck of it. I’m tired too. I don’t need other excuses now. This weariness today is not lethargy. It’s just weariness which needs a good sleep. I shall wake up early as usual tomorrow. “Why do old men wake so early? Is it to have one longer day?” Well, tomorrow I shall follow the example of Santiago and push my boat out into the ocean with renewed vigour.