(1) ALADIN'S LAMP vs MEMORY-BOX
Words ---877
We are fortunate enough to get in a touch of the beginning of the digital age. we are privileged more than the G-Zero generation in the sense that we know both the rise and fall of the old traditional ways of life and observed the change that the new wave has brought at present time.
The most fantastic thing to me is that the digital age has opened the golden gate of the entire empire of knowledge; unlimited access to the field of knowledge, not just the privileged elite but for all.;
Good or bad, whatever might be, the democratization of knowledge, like a lawn-mower, has made us all quasi-elite by providing equal opportunities. We don't need to waste a lot of time searching or beating the bush. Now we have 'Aladdin's lamp on our palm; just open the fist and with a single click one can grip unlimited blessings of Apollo or Athena as you wish.
The evolutionary theory says as we developed and shifted to advanced habitat and started to use our limbs as hand and feet, then we lose our tail; it became obsolete because it was of no use.
What is easily earned, is also easily lost; if it is true, then next generation after the G-Zero will surely lose the memory-box in the brain. It has already becoming weak and feeble.
To keep aside the future let us think about the present moment. The good thing to consider of is that common people have achieved the freedom to express their voices. But this freedom is devaluing the standard of literature. Secondly, 'online publishing' is opening the 'free plagiarism’ which will deprive and frustrate the genuine writers. They may switch off themselves from the 'Online' publication' It is a herculean job to scan or detect the original works from the fake or copying.
We need to learn lessons from Nature:
Looking at Nature we can see the growth of weeds in the field is undesirable for the nutrition of the plants or crops.
A plant becomes weak and weaker when parasites grow in it because parasites consume most of the minerals and water from the soil.
So in course of time, the academic field will lose product from the genuine talent in the future for the quasi-elite who may capture the role of the parasite.
It (academic field) is gradually being occupied by mushrooming weeds and parasites.
How many Socrates, Shakespeare, Homer, Plato or Aristotle were born since the last two centuries?
Charles Darwin has been famous for his Theory of Evolution and Origin of species without spending huge fund of the government. Digital age broadened the scope of 'quantitative progress' but not of qualitative improvement.
In 2015, I wrote an article related to the Marathon Day. It was about the contrast between two phases of the physical body: juxtaposing vibrant youth in the event of a glorious Marathon in one hand and miserable senility of ageing on the other hand. I posted it on the @Twitter contest with the title: "City vs City."
Two years later, E-mails of guideline for healthy ageing were coming regularly to me under the title of 'PBS- Two Cities' and 'Next Avenue' which was very similar to my 'city vs city'! I used to take a glance in the beginning, as the newsletter contained good tips for the seniors and also (mainly) because I have my weakness with PBS.
Later on, I felt that article had no relation with the PBS channel. Might be merely a freelance writer; but I don't remember the name now.
Then I checked my blog page. It was less than a full-page article with a title as "Can you take my life?" an old lady was screaming in such a shrilled voice that pierced my ears amidst the joyous noises of the Marathon crowd.
It touched me so much that I released myself by writing about that before I went to bed .
I worked hard to express the total 'theme' within limited words (i.e 119words/or something), required for the entry in the contest. And the same article was given the title, "City vs City". The title was so authentic and genuinely suited to the 'theme' that I can not but pat myself. At late midnight I went to bed self-satisfied (which is very rare!)
I did not win the contest which made me disappointed. But someone using my 'idea', my brainchild as her own and making benefit hurt me more.
I don't know who were the judges and what 'are' the criteria of judging but from my experiences of being the judge myself in several events in India, I guess that not the 'quality of writing' is valued but there is “something else”!
From then I try to resist myself from publishing 'anything online', whatever seems to be precious and as my genuine intellectual property,--- at least to me, & for me !
But I feel I am doing harm to myself by blocking, by building a dam to the natural flow of ideas. Nature of ideas is to flick away quickly; I often lost them unless I captivate them in digital print or pen and paper. The motivation for writing energy dims or spoilt very much when ideas become fugitive. Net productivity often ends in frustration.
The End.
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2). DIGITAL TIME CAPSULE ………………Words--459
We passed over the cursed year of 2020 wrapped under the uncomfortable comforter of pandemic fever. We were struggling and running with many existing problems such as global warming ,climate pollution, ice-melting, immigration issues racism, demographic change etc; finally unprecedented Tsunami of covid-19 stroke and shook the global plinth with fear , insecurity , uncertainty and morbid psychosis . Though the problem was global but its impact was too grave to count on for America. Because 2020 was the year of presidential election.
Suspension continued to its pinnacle starting from March onward with more and more increasing number of deaths, creating more misfortune and panic. America though awkward and awfully unprepared in the beginning with number of deaths and shortage of medical appliances still handled the problem efficiently: both external problems of finance, food, job, education and simultaneously internal flow of emotional tide. Internet performed an enormous philanthropic job at this stage of crucial time; Zoom has crafted with great care the fissure of social distances by arranging various activities and entertainments. It saved the society from being crippled in isolation or depression. Man and machine had never been so friendly to combat with joint effort to barricade the bio-warfare.
Perhaps this pandemic will change our perceptions as well as our vision about digital age and AI. Overflowing human love and empathy surged over the distress of pandemic- morphia when the New Yorkers wished with reverence and gratitude in their chorus voices in every evening at 7: PM, "Thank you" and "Long Live!" for the essential social workers.
2020 will be marked as epochal year in the history of this millennium.
The message I wished to convey is : Any change whether good or bad is inevitable truth on this ephemeral earth; Change is the driving force of time .We must take lesson from time, from nature ;it is worthy for us to accept and abide by the unwritten laws of Nature &Time .During Covid -19 I wrote lots of pieces that sprouted in my mind.I will finish with. the last stanza of one of my poems related to the topic; The title is :---
CHALLENGING TIME & COVID -19
'During the peak of pandemic, the new green leaves
Of the spring cherished the message of bliss,
To regain lost courage ,hope and dream!
Human race campaigned four billion years
With many more lethal viruses, but didn't extinguished;
(As did many other species like dinosaurs )
He still reigns over the universe,
Then why should we be anxious ?
Time leaps over the heaps of corpses
As if, passing over bough of cherry blossoms!
Can't we be get rid of worries and fears of virus?
Chariot of Time will carry us defying all obstacles..
