The Bell Tolls For Thee…
Given the fragility of life, it makes sense to make the most of every moment granted to us
EThe truth thatwe rarelyhave the courage to face up to is that our lives mayendat any moment
ven though I never knew Wendell Rodricks particularly well – I only ever met him on a couple of occasions – I was still shattered to hear of his passing. For one thing he was only 59, an absurdly young age to die. And then there was the fact that news of his demise came out of the blue, administering a shock to all those who knew him – or even just knew of him. But more than that, his death also came as a reminder of the fragility of human life. We may be alive and well, feverishly planning our future one minute; and gone to the great beyond the next, with all our plans left undone.
The truth that we rarely have the courage to face up to is that our lives may end at any moment. There is no guarantee of getting up in the morning when we go to sleep at night. But even though from time to time we all employ the cliché of ‘living as if every moment would be our last’ we don’t always practice what we preach.
But Wendell’s passing got me thinking. If I knew that I had only a finite amount of time left on earth, what would I do with it? Well, here’s what I came up with:
Forgive and forget: All of us carry around
grievances – justified or not – against some people in our lives. And very few of us can see a way to get beyond them. So, the bitterness festers and destroys relationships. Anger seeps deep within us and becomes our default emotion. And soon we are so locked into our positions that we can’t break out of them. Well, I’m going to let these intimations of mortality push me into making an effort to break those patterns and find a way to get past my anger and resentment. I’m going to try and forgive those who have sinned against me; and ask for forgiveness from those I have sinned against. Forgetting is a bit harder than forgiving, but I am going to make that effort nonetheless.
With the pace of modern life overwhelming us all, we have lost the fine art of conversation. Rarely if ever do we chat about the things that matter with the people we love and cherish. We would much rather WhatsApp than have a phone conversation. We eat our dinner in front of the television watching a Netflix show rather than at the table where we can speak to each other. And even when we do talk, it is about mundane things like what to make for lunch or who will pay the electricity bill instead of meaningful things that could bring us closer to one another. That’s one thing I am determined to change. Communication is the key to healthy relationships – and to a happier life. And those two goals are going to be my primary motivation now.
Whenever there is an outpouring of love for a recently-deceased person on social media, I can’t help but wonder how many of those paying tribute ever said all these lovely things to the person when he or she was alive. My guess is that very few – if any – did. So, my resolution from now on is to tell the people I love – family, friends, colleagues – that I love them when they are still around to appreciate the sentiment. And I am going to do that not just by words (though a well-timed “I love you”never goes unappreciated) but by deed as well. That means making time for them, taking an interest in their lives, even buying them the odd, unexpected gift – anything that shows that they matter to me.
Start a gratitude journal: Yes, I know, it sounds like the kind of thing that Gwyneth Paltrow would recommend on her website, Goop. But sometimes even Paltrow gets it right. And even though I was initially sceptical about the idea, I have started penning down one thing I am grateful for every day. And I have found that it concentrates the mind remarkably, forcing me to focus on the positive rather than dwell on the negative. And that’s not a bad way to negotiate life when you think about it.
Stop procrastinating: I am a past master at this. I sit down
to write my book (a sequel to Race Course Road; coming soon, I promise!) and go down the rabbit hole of Twitter instead. I settle down with a book that I have been longing to read and get distracted by the news about the Delhi election. When I should be thinking of my column, I go into some sort of displacement activity like cleaning out my closet.
All that comes to an end now. I am going to focus on the things that matter, stop wasting time to social media or mindless TVwatching. And yes, I am going to live my life as if every moment might be the last.
And maybe, just maybe, you might want to do that too.
Journalist and author Seema Goswami has been a columnist with HT Brunch since 2004 Spectator appears every fortnight
The 2020 Auto Expo was muted as many big names stayed away. But those who came put on a grand show with a plethora of launches, concepts and big announcements to put some fizz back into a car market that is showing no signs of a turnaround. A look at those cars that stood out over the rest.
1. SUZUKI JIMNY
This pint-sized, boxy SUV has the look of a scaled down Merc G-class and riding on rigid axles, like the Jeeps of days gone by, is as old school as it comes. Powered by a 1.5 petrol engine, this successor to the venerable Maruti Gypsy is a 4x4 that punches above its weight. There are no plans to launch it in India though.
2. TATA HBX
Tata’s smallest SUV looks terrific and when it goes on sale in the next financial year, it could be the most affordable compact SUV in the market. The HBX will be powered by a 1.2 turbo-petrol. It’s safe to assume an all-electric version will follow.
3. SKODA VISION IN
This bold-looking, sharp suited SUV concept is also close to the real thing and previews what Skoda’s first made-in-India model will look like. Expect a tech-laden (read: 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system and the ‘Virtual Cockpit’ digital instrument cluster), creature comfort-heavy cabin (features like a panoramic sunroof and ambient lighting are expected) that’s also decently spacious on the production car. Skoda aims to have 95 per cent of parts sourced locally, so prices should be quite competitive too.
4. VOLKSWAGEN TAIGUN
The Taigun is Volkswagen’s take on a mid-size SUV. It reeks of quality, has a well-proportioned and handsome design and gets some pretty serious hardware under the hood like a 1.5 litre turbopetrol and twin-clutch gearbox. There’s no diesel option. The
A plethora of launches and big announcements put some fizz back into a car market showing no signs of a turnaround
Taigun is entering the most competitive segment of the market so VW is working hard to keep costs down.
5. MG GLOSTER
MG is pitching its flagship SUV, the Gloster as a more upmarket alternative to the Toyota Fortuner. The three-row cabin comes with extensive personalisation options. Powering this 4x4 will be a new in-house developed 218hp, 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel engine, which will give the big and heavy Gloster the grunt it needs.
6. MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS SEDAN
Mercedes has opted to bring the A-class sedan to India to replace the previous entry-level model, the CLA. The stylish, yet practical sedan priced between ~32 and ~40 lakh will be available later in the year with petrol and diesel engine options.
7. HYUNDAI CRETA
With this second-gen Creta, Hyundai hopes to snatch back the
No. 1 position in the SUV segment. While the exterior design is a bit polarising, you can’t miss the big grille and head lighter cluster. It’s expected to be better equipped than the Creta with first-in-class features like a panoramic sunroof and an electronic parking brake.
8. KIA SONET
Even a close look at the Kia Sonet won’t tell you it shares a lot with the Hyundai Venue. But Kia has gone to lengths to differentiate between the two – the Sonet will one-up the Venue by having the option of a diesel-automatic and a bigger 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The Sonet’s muscular design is what Kia hopes will draw customers away from the relatively meek-looking Venue.
Hormazd Sorabjee is one of the most senior and muchlovedautojournalistsinIndia,andiseditorofAutocarIndia