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Okay the title might (most definitely) be an oxymoron. Spoiler alert...Love is not gonna save the world. Little harsh I know but something I more than whole heartedly believe in. And you know what? The word 'love', much like so many other words, holds significantly less meaning than they did a while back. 'The while' is subjective to individuals. And love is on top of the list of these words. 'Wow! Love this', 'Love that', 'Love you forever' Yeah right! And what is love anyway? And I'm not looking at this or asking in a philosophical sense, no, just the definition of what is supposedly the most powerful word in the world is so vague and honestly vain. It's so vague, it might as well be uncertain. So how can such an unclear word be potent enough to rescue the oh! so mighty humankind? I mean with all these muddy waters...Is it even real? If yes, then how would you define it? I'm sure every person has their own versions and interpretations. So very subjective, and this sure is a ramble honestly but ask yourself what defines love for you? what about people around you? and then do you stick to it? or does it change after you cheat on your partner with another person? Does it then sound something like say, it was a meaningless mistake, that affair and I love my partner so much but I was lonely since she was going through something and I didn't wanna burden her. Also I love my spouse so much I didn't tell her because it would hurt her. How about non-romantic love? Do you love your kids? Or does it change after you realize they are not your carbon copy? That they have their own goals, ambitions, choices, preferences and life? Or do you bound, imprison and abuse them in the name of that love? You love your kid with your whole heart but then realize he is, say, gay...What are you gonna say? Kid, I absolutely love you except I hate the most fundamental part of your existence and I refuse to accept you instead I shun you for your own good, do you wanna come to a priest so he could exorcist this ghost out of you (which most definitely is not the demons I gave you by the way) or would you follow me to this insane asylum real quick to cure your mental illness, I'm sure you'll be cured of being who you are and I can go live with my homophobia in peace. Or Kid, I love you but I would not let you pursue something you love, something that makes you happy and clearly have talent for because I'm not comfortable with it nor am I open-minded. Is that love? Or a corporate contract? With provisions, exceptions and reservations? Or Is it that you just love animals and nature? or is it the same after you go hunting for sport, to show you are tough? or when you eat any animal you can just because you can? Or you cut trees for your own gain? and wouldn't care to stop anyone else who would either? Or when you burn crackers and pollute the fuck out of environment for no reason? I'm sorry but all this for one is so freaking hypocritical and two shows that love comes with terms and conditions that change faster than Taylor's genres through years and albums. Is it really love then? Which brings me back to that same question...What is love? Conflicting? Then how is it gonna save us from destroying ourselves? Those were the smallest, very common and yet the most fundamental examples of how treacherous love can be. I can count countless such cases, and so can you. So how do you trust and how can you say that love is the most powerful thing in the world, unless these are one of those words that are so overused that they have lost their meaning or dare I say, power? Irony, am I right? Now I've got a better plan...maybe it won't work as well but what is the harm in trying? How about we replace the word Love with some more specific words? Like Kindness, Compassion, Empathy, Respect, Understanding, mercy and gentleness. How does that sound? Convening enough? Yes, some might argue that love includes all these qualities as well for most people but I would have to disagree because actions speaks much much louder than words and their actions clearly state otherwise. So can we stop pretending and drop the guise that we carry as we hide our most ugly with the façade, the word 'love' has been providing for the longest time. Can we just for god's sake for once just stop loving and rather start caring instead, start respecting and understanding and empathizing and sharing instead? Because we know the end is not too far...and love ain't doing shit nor has it done anything to stop or delay it. So why not just try something selfless instead.

He had no relation to me, not by blood or otherwise. Didn't even know my family much before I arrived. Just a neighbor, a few houses down from where I lived. He lived there with his wife and daughter. My cranky Grandfather's age, who would lay it on him for just standing outside our house. And yet he would take all that everyday and still show up to take me on walks and show me places. I used to spend the whole day, everyday at his house with him, his wife and daughter. They made me part of their little family. He would take me to school at kindergarten and pick me up after. I often wonder...why me? Was it just pure luck, to have someone love me so selflessly. It baffles me how pure and altruistic his doting was. I mean, not to sound like a jerk but what reasons did he have to love me so freaking much despite having no biological or any other sort of connection to me? Why give me so much of himself and not expect anything in return? He would tell me stories, epics of Mahabharata, Ramayana and Panchatantra, he taught me to take God's name and truly believe in him/her. Along with the morals behind these religious texts. To love my country and my culture. He told me about the most wise people of my country, who fought to free it and to cure it. People like Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Lala Lajpat Rai, Sarojini Naidu, Savitribai Pule, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and A.P.J Abdul Kalam, etc. In a world full of, 'I'm not loving anyone I'm not legally required to...', the biggest lesson he taught me was, you don't need blood ties or genes to be family, you just have to let yourself love others. He passed away in 2015, the only person I've ever really lost. But this conversation isn't about that. Recently, my mother said something that really struck me, even hurt me to an extent (which to be honest is almost everything she says, I should clearly be used to this by now but considering I'm not, joke's on me). It also sent me into a spiral of thoughts. She said, 'Remember how gramps taught you ethics? how he integrated benevolence in you as a kid? how he taught you prayers and hymns? how he made you a perfect little genius as a kid, who everybody was proud of? Would he be proud of the person you have grown up to be?' And trust me they weren't just 'ponder on your life', philosophical questions, they was meant to show me a mirror since she doesn't like the person I've grown up to be. But it did make me wonder, would he be proud of me, of who I am today? Honestly, I don't really know. Maybe not. Does it even matter? maybe. I mean these types of questions frustrate yet intrigue me because there's no solid, definite answer to that. The matter is one of those subjects, that are too subjective for a specific conclusion. Considering he's not here anymore for me to ask him directly nor do I have enough money to rent a medium and Ouija Boards are hella unreliable and lowkey scary, all we can do is speculate. My mother isn't a fan of my rebellious spirit. She hates my political opinions. My sense of self, how I dress, how I talk openly and how I dare ask questions to what most people would consider norm. She hates that I am not who she wants me to be. A devoted little God worshiper who is extremely studious in the field she wants me to be in. Someone who believes and acts whatever is fed without questioning. My opinions about society itself enrages her. It's so very subjective and if she believes that I am not a person to be proud of, it's her opinion. Many people might have similar opinions about me but their perception of me is just a reflection of them. It's got nothing to do with me. All I know is that I am proud of who I am as a person today. I might not be religious, I might not sing hymns with devotion, I might not pray to the God most people pray to, I might have different faith and beliefs and I might not even have the same political inclinations and opinions as he did. But what I soaked in quite literally was the values and purposes behind his teachings. Maybe the reason he educated me about mythological, historical and religious stories was for me to grasp the morals and wisdom in them. Focus on the knowledge about virtuous qualities and teachings in them to form my own path and judgment of the world and not cram the facts to blindly follow rituals just because certain people said so. He asked me to never be corrupt or vile and the values of kindness, compassion, bravery, forgiveness, passion, honesty, respect and hard work. He taught me to love my country, my culture and heritage, but respect other cultures and the world at the same time. He said to be courageous and understanding enough to be just and fierce if needed. He passed on the values he gained, gathered and carried for decades. That was his legacy to me. I remember him being proud of me. There were many many good deeds he taught me, the wisdom he bestowed and the knowledge he imparted, some things I remember, others, I'm informed by people around me. He gave me most of the values I still carry with me. He is a massive part of who I am today. Maybe he wasn't as righteous as I remember him to be, sure he had his many flaws but for me he is a symbol of the good in me, a moral compass since most of what I remember about him is ethical and full of integrity. I think society and political atmosphere changes everyday, the world revolves and rotates and things never remain the same, but in this constantly spinning and changing environment we need these basic human decencies and qualities to keep moving forward. In this ever rushing and gushing world, what's politically correct today might not be so tomorrow, what's relevant for people today might not remain so tomorrow but being empathetic and sensitive to people would remain as valuable as it was eons ago. And I would like to believe I am a person with all these values, or I try very hard to be that person, hoping it would be worth it. I hope I am successful and intelligent enough to take care of myself, people around me and people who need it. I hope I am happy and a decent human being, trying to be even better. The most important thing is that I care...about what? Everything and anything. I care about the other decent people of the world. I care about the environment that sustains us. I care about my home which is not a physical entity but a passage of time, any place or time that makes me feel safe, comfortable and happy, I wanna protect it. I care...about the world I live in, and I care about the world he left for me to love, cherish and make home in. Who would he want me to be if not this person? Who would he want me to be if not someone who can love another innocent human being not related to them and care enough to mold that soul into an upstanding citizen of his or her time as long as they live? Who would he want me to be if not someone who can impart his own noble ideals, principles and values to generations after him? Who would he want me to be if not someone with a pint of hope and a massive wish for the world to be a utopia? Would he be proud of that person? Would he be proud of me? I sure hope so.

Let me tell you a story. It was the late 1950s, a woman, let's call her Midge, meets a guy in college named Joel, they fall in love and get married. Fast forward to four years later, Midge is an extremely doting housewife and Joel works in a corner glass cabin at his uncle's firm. The couple has two kids, and they all live in a posh penthouse just a few floors above where Midge's very Jewish parents live. Midge would help Joel with his passion for stand-up comedy, and pretty much anything he needs. Seems like a pretty perfect life right? That's what Midge thought too. Turns out it was all a lie. Joel got the job because his father forced his uncle, they had the posh house because Joel's father gifted it to him. Even the supposed passion he had for stand-up turned out to be a flop since he stole all his jokes from famous comics. The worst part...Joel has an affair with his secretary, Penny Pan. And since he had passion yet no talent in the art nor did he put any hard work behind it, stand-up dream fails. After all that, 'HE' got devastated because of everything, 'HE' felt like Midge was holding him back, so he left. Left his wife and two toddler kids behind. Now this is the initial premise of the first season of the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, a brilliant show I'll highly recommend. I want to know just one thing, in all of this. What was Midge's fault? What did Midge do wrong? There is just one answer to this...Nothing. And even though she comes out of this stronger than ever and her empowering journey actually begins after all that. But still... Midge did nothing wrong. She did what the society expected of her, she was an extremely doting, caring, docile housewife, a sweet stay-at-home mother. Exactly what society wanted her to be. It was Joel who failed, Joel who destroyed their life, Joel who broke everything. And despite all this, the society and the people blamed Midge, for being a great wife and mother but her husband cheating on her and leaving her. Now you would say, but Soumya, that was the 1950s, that was the norm back in the day. Well if it just stayed back in the day, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. I have seen this in so many shows that is supposedly present day portrayals. Example, A Turkish show, 'Fatmagül'ün Suçu Ne?' literally translated to, 'What is Fatmagül's fault?' has been adapted into three different languages of the world that I know of, English, Hindi and Spanish. It is about a woman being raped by three men and what 'SHE' has to face. She is questioned, she is hackled, her character is questioned, when all she wants is justice, is it too much to ask? While men almost get away with everything, because the society was too busy looking for the girl's fault. And this same story has been told in four different languages in so many countries. Why? Because it resonates true to just about the entire population of the world. Because it is nothing if not the truth. Somewhere in the show in season one of Ms. Maisel, Midge is mean to Joel and refuses him and I saw comments about that scene saying "Wow that was bitter, Joel paid for what he did, she could at least be polite and civil" in response to that I would say that 'NO! Hell No!' I don't even care if he paid or not (he didn't from where I am standing) you might forgive him, I might forgive him but Midge should never forgive him, she has the right to hold that grudge her whole life. If she wants to be mean to him at 60 year of age, hell yeah she should be. Because what happened, happened to her, you are no one to tell her to get over it. It's up to her to let it go and entirely up to her to not be civil with him or wanna be near him. She should have the complete right to hold a grudge, the right to be bitter. This is not something men would be asked, would they? To get over it. Because one they are already over it since they felt so little for the other person or they suppressed it all down, which is not healthy or just because 'he is man, he just needs a whisky and another woman'. Such bullshit, why are women not told the same? And it won't be wrong if I say "You can hurt a woman's heart...but you can hurt a man's heart and ego at the same time...and then you say women are weak". So stop telling any woman to let it go or get over it, she will when she wants to, especially in situations like this where she deserved so much better. It's bloody double-standard on top of everything. Also this pitting women against women is getting so freaking old, it angers me to no bounds. One of the reason this stuck in my mind was because, nothing changed, did it? What I talked about was a pretty micro topic. I'm not even talking about oppression and what absolute hell most women face every single day. Let's not even get into the developing or narrow-minded countries (that is a conversation of another time) because when an International superpower like the United States of America felt like it had to chain their women up then talking about third world countries would be foolish. Most of American states have banned abortion. It is a damn shame. Countries brag and celebrate giving the right to vote to women as well as the right to drive. What's next? we're gonna celebrate giving women the right to breathe? Rights to exist? The point is, you are gonna take away a woman's right to abort? On what ground? That it is like taking life? It's not, I for one am a very practical person and what's inside a woman's womb for at least a few months, is a fetus and not a baby yet. And are you really gonna give this excuse to a sixteen-year-old who was young and stupid and can't even drive or cook or has a job much less take care of another human being? Or to a rape victim? Or just a normal, healthy and married woman who just does not want a kid? It's not about that though, is it? This is a matter of consent. Not to be crass but when you damn well need consent of the woman for anything that goes in her or over her, then you very well need permission of the woman for the painfully huge creature that comes out of her. As my friend very gracefully told me about a dark family guy joke about an abortion clinic which is just a diving platform where women climb and jump to get abortion, it's tiny bit exaggerated and hella dark but doesn't mean it's not a very true satire. Honestly if men had to give birth, abortion clinics would be more frequent than Starbucks in New York City, at every single corner. This is just such bullshit. Recently I read a news article about how prisoners in the process of execution have filed a petition in the court about how the women attending wear short skirts which shouldn't be allowed. Like What the fuck? Even considering this a petition is more ridiculous than anything I have ever heard. Like wearing short skirt is more sinful according to society than murderers, cannibals, serial killers and rapists and these worst of the human kind would tell a woman what to wear what what not to?...Now that I think about it, I would not be surprised if that actually happens. This is the state we are in as a society and as people. The world keeps changing, maybe it did change for comparatively better for a little time but sometimes I wonder, maybe not, maybe at the same time it keeps changing for the worst. There are so many things happening in the world, people are at each other's throats, fighting with each other about religion, nations, race, color, fucking up climate, going against women at every level, just humans verses humans, so fucking much that it's honestly quite suffocating to think about. Women were treated like shit back in the day as far as human history goes and nothing much has changed since the stone age to this digital age. Historical shows are definitely on point about the history of women. But present and future...well shows like Handmaid's tale and other dystopian shows are not very far off, but just a little exaggerated version of the present and what we are in for in the future. The line between people like Donald Trump, Harvey Weinstein or Rush Limbaugh's sexist comments and deeds against women and the "Blessed be the fruit", is so much more thinner than we would like to think.

Where did that utopic dream go? The divine bliss of a rightful and mighty rule, Where freedom is free, not this purgatory, Where people would rather first see, To believe, what all is at cost, Is it just me or is the paradise lost? Long walk down the memory lane, The past and the untapped potential for future waits to ask, Is it what Nehru imagined or did Bose? Was it Kalam, Rao or is it what Shastri chose? Is this why Naidu, Laxmi or Besant fought for a unshackled country? Ask yourself is it Dante's inferno or Bapu's Arcady? What is ideal then? You ask, Well, it's definitely not this mockery of democracy, Where liberty, equality and fraternity mere words, Where being secular is blasphemy, justice not served, It's where no damn well means no, to all, Where, what for, of and bi means you still recall. All this annihilation and games over a throne, Power avaricious making kingdom corrupt and hollow, Like horsemen of apocalypses, they sear and we voicelessly bear, As the hell is empty and all the devils are here, Where what we are entitled to, "the book" is not bestowed, When 'we the people' matter is when my friend an ideal country is restored. Tagore said, Humanity over patriotism, Is this where we went so arrantly wrong? Aspiring for a prosperous land rather than its people, Land's mere property, I mean, human worth goes deeper, Because my mind is without fear, and my head is held high, So it is me or is my country still not awake?

“It’s a hard thing, exhuming the pain of the past. Easy to get stuck. Fixate on what’s hurt us” Such an intense line from one of the most unfathomably deep, meaningful and the most recent ventures of Marvel. This series is unlike another. It is mostly stand alone as it has little to no reference from the marvel cinematic universe. It could be watched by people who have seen the whole of the MCU and the ones who haven’t at all. The show gives off almost another standalone Marvel project vibe called, Legion. This show tries to be a lot of things and give away a lot at the same time, in which it absolutely succeeds. This show, much like any other marvel project, has this supernatural, over the top conflict and in the center of it lies very human, very mundane problems and emotions. The show is a full package, it has action, mystery, romance, the show makes you laugh, it makes you cry and it has Egyptian mythology. There are Egyptian Gods and their avatars (neither the blue or anime ones) involved. They really beautifully displayed Egyptian culture, heritage, mythology and values for the world to witness. What else is left, really? What more can you ask for? Okay fine, that’s not it. All three main characters represent something, some message the creators want to convey trough the show. "- I know this is classic HR thing to say but you’re not alone. - Yeah that seems to be the problem" Beneath all that glitz and grandeur, lies our main character, our main theme…Mental health. It’s refreshing and honestly surprising to see how delicately they peel each layer of our protagonist. He is a patient of Dissociative Identity Disorder, which means he has many personalities along with other psychological disorders of those different alters. This series just has these raw characters, who are shown to deal with abuse as kids and abuse as adults because that is one of the major price you pay to be a hero, or Anti-Hero in Moon Knight’s case. It is gut wrenching to witness the tale of a broken person trying not to be so broken all the time. And in the world, where mental health is not given as much attention as it should be given, this show does just that. It throws you right at the midst of the suffocating mental state of a highly disturbed human being. This is as mainstream as it gets which makes it so much more special. “We are here to make Earth as close to Heaven as possible. I wish you could live to see the world we make.” Another theme explored through character is one of crime, punishment and justice. Our antagonist (Ethan Hawke) represents those themes in the show. “If you punish a person just because you think the person is going to commit crime in future, doesn’t that mean you punished an innocent person. I mean a thought can’t be evil, can it? Would she kill a child for something they might do in thirty years?”. This concept of preventive detention or preventive punishment is already very shady but when you add in the concept of knowing for certain, the water becomes a hell of a lot more muddled. Even though mostly irrational, the antagonist is not a cliche villain but actually has his reasons and his own unstable mental state, much like the hero, is not your typical, by-the-book hero. These are the gray waters these characters swim in making the show deliciously messy as it's not black and white. “Are you an Egyptian superhero? I am" "Little Scarab” Now the female protagonist (May Calamawy) represents another important aspect of the show which is Egypt. She is from Egypt and her conflict along with history lies in the country, it is a part of who she is. Couple of episodes of the show are situated in London, where it is beautifully and masterfully shot, keeping in mind the themes of different personas inside a person, there are many reflective and mirrored images (honestly after all the destruction of New York, London was a nice change). The organic yet breathtaking take of Egypt for most of the show are just another level. It is finally been done justice which isn't always the case as it is mostly imagined as a deserted country with only sand and dunes like the mummy or Indiana Jones adventure and danger to offer. This story is based on Egypt hence it is excellent to know that the director among the other cast and crew are from Egypt. The music is just too good to be true, all Egyptian and Arabic inspired, making it divine. The acting, screenplay, dialogues, set pieces, costumes, etc., are the level marvel usually is, which is super high. Especially Oscar Isaac as the main lead just steals the show and owns it like it’s his second skin. And I defined these characters as the major themes of the show, just to understand and relate to them better but all these themes and characters weave together skillfully in an epic saga. The show most probably would have another season because of a giant cliffhanger in the end (or else I'll be suing marvel). You can watch it on Disney plus Hotstar, it's only six episode long, a binge watch. (please feel free to comment or contact me other ways for reviews or conversation on any other movies, series, books, albums, music, characters, artists or topics etc. It would be much appreciated.) So I would recommend anyone and everyone to watch this Magnum Opus. “Do not let the pain of the past control you.” "It wasn't your fault" The show is about the journeys of people suffering, from mental illness, dealing with their respective demons, in a bleak, unstable and complicated world, the process of healing and learning to live with it. Considering the depth, the show offers, I'm sure, I'm not done talking about it but it's enough for today, we can rip apart and closely analyze other parts of the show some times later. Well Harrow said: ‘We don’t live in a material world, we live in a psychic world’…well I wish Mr. Harrow, but (unfortunately/ fortunately) these days everyone lives in a digital world.

'Fantasy is impossible made probable, and Science Fiction is improbable made possible' And the distinction between them...I was gonna say, makes all the difference, to make it sound magnificent but let's not. Okay so, I am a solid sci-fi buff. Space and Technology fascinates me, freaking enchants me. From Back to future to Marvel, DC and everything in between, except Star Wars, I've seen them all but I just don't feel them, or connect to them, especially the older stuff. And I know this is an unpopular opinion and would offend so many, but...not today. I watched this show called Salvation (you can check it out, it's got two seasons, pretty informative, I won't spoil it), the plot of the show is that a meteorite is heading straight for the earth and would collide in 186 days. Now, it wouldn't have been that big of a deal if the meteorite hadn't been something that's called, 'planet killer'. Remember the meteorite that hit earth about hundreds of millions of years ago? well it had about 10 km impact diameter and it killed Dinosaurs and other former earth inhibitors, that enormous rock was a planet killer. These are essentially heavenly bodies with the ability to wipe out entire planets. Fortunately (or unfortunately) the biggest one to crash land on the earth since then, has been about 15 meters at most (embarrassing really). So nothing short of catastrophe! what to do? Oh! Let’s blow it up with nuclear missiles before it greets earth? genius? Nah! It would just create pieces of that giant rock that would still hit earth causing race ending chaos. Then what? Ooh! We can send small devices, which would stick at the rock and maybe slow it down? Divert its course I don’t know or some other instrument for stumbling into the meteorite to change its course, just enough to miss earth. Well NASA has stuff like these planned and made (at least in theory). So this is all theoretical right? What if this didn’t work? What if we need a back up plan? And it in no way would be easy because this isn’t the movie 2012, where giant ships were just there to contain a large group of people or something. Honestly I don’t remember much of it, there was a plane and this rich guy and the main family and their uncle who can fly that plane and somewhere in Asia or whatever, since the last I watched it, was in 2012 and was most scared I have ever been, just waiting for earth to swallow me whole or floods to drown me or for lava to burn me (I think?). Ten years later I’m like ‘what a wasted opportunity’ (talk about character growth, right?). So yeah! It’s not 2012: the end of the world (slow burn), it’s freaking Don’t look up (just blam and dead also here I'm not going into the whole scientists have warned and global warming, later). Lemme spell it out for you- you die, no mission impossible shit can save you. Well, Salvation taught me, we only need precisely 160 people to recreate and rejuvenate the human race on some other planet because let’s be real there won’t be much left, after rocky here devours the earth. We might inhabit or what humans lovingly call… Colonize Mars or Venus or Titan, one of the millions of moons of Saturn, because my geography teacher told me that would work best and I don’t really know why but I believe him. So yeah we would have to build a craft massive enough to carry at least 160+ people and some animals because why even keep humans, oh right! animals can’t take care of themselves (maybe? I don’t know, I haven't trusted anything after Toy story). Alright then, my question to you gentle readers is, ‘who would your 160 people be, if you were the brand new Noah? Now Noah for those who don't know was a guy in Christian mythology who was told by God to make an ark (a ship of sort I think) because God was doing the year 2020×10 and flooding the whole earth and wanted Noah to save one specimen of every animal specie, kinda like Indian mythology has Manu and Greeks have Deucalion. Anyhow, Who would you choose to survive the end and be part of the new beginning? Who would you feel like ‘should’ survive on that boat? (there has to be a boat of life analogy in there somewhere, but I'm not diving into that, pun intended) Who would be those Noah’s arch’s passengers? (oh passenger movie is a cute example too). Would you just pick your closest family, relatives and friends? Or the people with most money because Dollars and Euros (which in hindsight is clearly useless, what would I buy with it? Air? ooh I can but what if they change the currency and end my semi-dictatorship) or would you just pick people with the highest IQ because you know, ‘crème de la crème’, ‘big brains’, better chances at survival and development and what not. Or would you choose people who represent what being a human means, artists, philosophers, students, advocates (I mean we are talking humanity though, so…maybe not?), social workers, archaeologists, psychologists, unemployed people, I don’t know. Or maybe just random people but that’s just too big of a risk for this. Maybe best would be to mix them up a little, I would hate for only snobs to survive. Definitely people with the highest fertility rate (I don't think I need to explain that). So yeah who would you pick? Definite no to the old people because, why? And No politicians because, Just why? And what about other criteria? How many children, youngsters and adults I'm assuming half of both males and females. And LGBTQ+ people? (no offense, just confirming) I meant I'm not against it because someone worthwhile has to be on board. We obviously need some scientists, doctors and astronauts, right? Also just mentioning even if it isn't the end of the world and we’re just gonna colonize another planet for the giggles, because let’s be honest Elon Musk would have done it by now if he wasn't busy buying twitter. This would still stand (largely). Now there are two essential questions: one ‘who are you to decide who would live or die?’ well who is anybody but let’s just say you can because god said so (Wow! This whole shit sounds like something schizophrenic or a stoner would cook up, was Noah delusional or high? Am I?, tsk tsk very existential, so another time, another conversation). Another essential question, If I am not Noah…Would I be allowed on board? Maybe…Maybe not. This depends on as to who’s choosing. So what I'm trying (and failing) to convey with this crazy gigantic (utterly useless) metaphor is…a lot of things- like everyone is unique in their own way. You can’t let a person or a few decide if you are special enough to live, thrive or survive or join the 160, you should instead focus on the people who make you feel belongingness towards them, maybe if they get the chance (and I cannot emphasize on ‘chance’ enough), you might be the chosen one (of the 160). And I'm not at all trying to tell you to stop your personal growth and success. The fact of the matter is you can’t control who Noah is and nobody’s dying anytime soon, maybe tomorrow or today or maybe next hour or next minute, then enjoy every second, don’t let anybody tell you how not special you are… not even yourself, especially not family or people who claim to know you because ‘Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent’ - Eleanor Rosevelt. So yeah what it means is that your worth can be measured by anyone through anything, it’s not in your hand. So it doesn’t matter if you become the biggest shit in anything and everything because some douche still might not like you, but it’s not about Noah or the arch, it's just a metaphor. I’m not saying don’t succeed just gain success for the right reason because wrong reasons just might not be good enough reasons. I mean I’ve heard money doesn’t bring happiness but I’ve got neither so what do I know. All I’m saying is, sure, chase success, try to find the seat on Noah's spaceship or just die happily. What's the worst that could happen? (a topic of another time). Or something might happen to the vessel, like an alien ship might hijack it and make them all slaves to clean their washrooms and fight like gladiators in an alien arenas for the rest of their filthy, miserable lives. Gee guys chill! I’m not bitter since I know I’m not getting in, this isn’t about that, I swear it’s not. I hope you digest it all. Even if I can't, I’ll leave you with this, “Atelophobia”- Phobia (fear) of imperfection and not being good enough. I had it, I still struggle with it (childhood trauma, the uzhe) but just wanted to share because I could be Noah or not be in the surviving boat at all, if it is what it is then chill. Peace out.

A wise woman once said, "When you are young, they assume you know nothing." ( people who recognized who that is, high five, ones who didn't, it's Taylor Swift, a genius singer, song writer. I highly recommend her, for more of these please hit me up. Okay, if I continue this, I might never stop and you can expect more of these in the future because that's just me.) Anyways, 'Pushing 20' sounds fancy but it's really not. I'm nineteen, about to reach twenty in few months, most people would be all,' What would a twenty something, low-life, wannabe have for me? ' You are right, 'cause that's your opinion and I respect that. Nevertheless, I believe that sure, I'm young but the only thing I lack is experience and that doesn't makes me any less knowledgeable. If it's practicality you fear, then dude it's not 1980s or 1990s or 2000s, it's 2022, the world is at the palm of my hand. Few days back, I leaned how to drive manual via YouTube, took some time and practice but here I am, an already broken shoulder, dislocated again but I know how to drive now, so that's a plus, even though I can't drive for another month and neither do I have a car to drive...for foreseeable future. Well, my point is that, you underestimate us. Don't patronize us, don't dictate or control us, and for the love of god, stop commanding us. We're not animals, we're your future. Just guide us and in turn, let us take the lead. Because your future is our reality and we would need nothing less then everything to survive. This place that you, so arrogantly claim to know, has completely changed right before your eyes without you even realizing what happened. There's this line from some article I read, 'We have not inherited this earth from our forefathers; we have borrowed it from our children.' By Mr. Lester Brown, which rings so true. So yes, I am a college kid and I am pushing 20, let me make mistakes, they're my mistakes to make, you can't snatch them from me just like you can't touch my dreams.( Except of course when that causes harm to other people but only then.) Otherwise just to avoid a broken collar bone, I could've died. How did that accelerate so fast you ask? well, since I can't drive, I take an Uber and the car gets into an accident because an idiot slammed into us, said he learned to drive online. Yes, I have a very wild and vivid imagination, so sue me, I've literally got nothing to lose, I'm just a kid, with a broken shoulder. A disturbingly strange metaphor for "I'd rather be a diamond with flaws, then a pebble without any." but okay, and yes also expect these random quotes by some brilliant people, who had something to say and they went ahead and said it, just like me. Alright then, if you wanna hear and talk, you're most welcome, to my mind labyrinth, it's a dark place, you've been warned. And if you don't wanna, no fret, just chill dude, "It's only a lifetime, it's only a while, it's not worth the anger you felt as a child." seriously though, " What's your childhood trauma?" That was Finneas O'Connell, my absolute favorite genius ever, and the later was just Cordelia from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, (see I'm a kind person who shares all the references, you're so welcome) and this is me Soumya (no last name required) here with my sometimes funny (it's basically just dark and self-deprecating humor), intentionally serious, completely original (I mean...), and incredibly real two-cents.