Van Chitgo - The Art of Life

In a few months I shall celebrate my birthday. For those of you who do not remember the date, suicide is not a bad option. For those who do, I expect gifts.

Returning to the point, in a few months I celebrate my birthday. What I had a revelation about recently was that a man’s age is no longer a parameter, a reflection on the numbers that 'age' represents , i.e the days or years one has lived. these numbers that are conventionally linked to wisdom and experience are in all honesty passe.

A very very close friend and constant critique to my core personality once told me that there is no individual on this planet who may be allowed to use the words “you are wasting time”. She said that as individuals everyone is entitled to utilize time the way they want to.

I want to sit and stare at the ceiling for 16 hours and contemplate why ladybugs have a red and black shell rather then mauve with off-white patches.

I want to change the very way we understand gender misbalance in war-torn areas of africa and I shall spend the next 52 months in libya fighting for the rights of pregnant women amidst a deteriorating state of national stability.

In adrienne’s books, both are fair game. Both are fine.

I have to say, I can’t find right nor wrong with this statement. I haven’t been able to. At one end, the first style of ‘living’ kicks me square in the nuts with the adversity it proclaims. Life must have meaning. Every action must have meaning. Meaning is the consequence your action (positive action, and I can just hear bee shouting – ‘positive is all in PERSPECTIVE’ – god I miss her philosophy, im digressing again btw) has on a third party, society, external body, internal ambitions etc etc. you get the point. Aimless, wandering actions of unintended, undesired output are …well meaningless. Right?

Wrong. On the other side of the spectrum, there is the thought that an individual (after a certain age where education, brainwashing through education, peer pressures, career pressures etc) realizes his purpose and it can be the simplistic pursuit of a life of peace and tranquility with no ‘greater’ aim (there’s that perspective again) then deep meditation that results in finding one’s inner self. That may sound extreme. To bring a more moderate argument to it – time (as a subset to life, which I dare say it is larger than, in a non-galactic/universal sense) is best utilized based on one’s desires. I sit right now hammering away at my keyboard and it is time well spent. I could be off fighting a war against the killing of the almost-extinct kingfisher bird or criss-crossing my legs in the attempt of building stronger inner thighs and that would be a fair utilization of time. My life could be an extension of seemingly useless activity. Why seemingly? Because in actuality if an action gives me (the person, the individual) happiness then who in gods frickin name are u to question my action, my thought , my life?

Let me lay a disclaimer here that I don’t subscribe to the second methodology. I am a man of output oriented action. As long as the output is to my desire and happiness-it’s all good. I am also very much in favor of staying clear of unasked for advice and wisdom on the correct path from random laymen/groups/individuals. Want to prescribe the road to enlightenment? Get a blog. I don’t necessarily want to hear about it.

Right, now that ive put that in perspective. Lets get back to the point. I was saying that a man’s age is no longer a reflection on the numbers this age represents. being 55 no longer means your wise ok? not in my books.

This year I want to celebrate not my 23rd bday…but actually my 329843290823rd experience. I don’t know how old I am in terms of experience but I do intend to make a personal catalogue of ass-kicking, filled with learning experiences and to-be experienced experiences for myself and loved ones (who care to use it).

Think about what a concept it could be.

“Hi, I’m KC Biffert (any resemblance to characters living or dead in Singapore is purely coincidental), im 34578 experiences old. I’ve traveled across the world, had an impromptu song written for me by a Swindian who can just about play the guitar and have been the inspiration and guiding light to a number of young people in my home country and beyond.”

That’s a life man! Not, hi im 40, I just hit the f-ing mid-life crisis, I stare at old college photographs and weep with agony over how much hair I had.

Hell, things change from 17-22. I can see it with my own eyes. I’ve put on weight, got a few more ageing marks on what used to be flawless skin, my glasses don’t look quite as perfect and my double crossover will probably cause severe knee-damage if I tried it today. But no, this 23rd bday, im not counting the years buddy, im counting the experiences, im counting the friends, im counting the kisses, im counting the hugs, the jokes, the fights, the raging tempers, the salsa dances and the globe-trotting adventures of a life once-ordinary.

As human beings, we constantly search for immortality…don’t we realize, that a limitless set of experiences await us – begging us to become immortal.
Begging us.

I read what I’ve just written back to myself. If you’re a stranger at this blog, you might think I’m some kungfu-yoga, sambero-dancing hippie Indian sky diving off the highest peak in Guayaquil. Sorry to dissapoint u, im far from it. I’m a well mannered, law-abiding young citizen of my country. I like wearing suits and nice ties and discussing profit making strategies for private equity firms in the off-shoring industry. I’m fairly funny (not even a roaring riot) and a good evening for me is dinner, a movie and some dancing. And yes, I love it.

I do however, have a zest for life. I do however, intend to maintain it. I do own a gun to shoot myself with in the far chance that I read this at 40 whilst crying over pictures of my graduating year from school. Dhruv at 22 to Dhruv at 40, “get a life b***h ! Get that second tattoo and finalize the plan to go deep-sea diving off the cost of the andaman. GO! NOW!

Here’s to immortality. Here’s to turning a gazillion experiences old, every single day.

Posted by chitgo on Thursday, August 10, 2006 at 8/10/2006 10:45:00 PM | Permalink