Karan Oberoi pens a note on taking it slow, and healing during the Coronavirus Pandemic

Music soothes the savage beast!

The mad rush to nowhere, the incessant frenzy and hectic parleys, the interactions, the machinations, the push and pull of the rat race all brought to a grinding halt by a microscopic speck of the universe! Coincidence!?

No!

Time to heal!

Just like love, there is music all around.

Time to listen!

Who'd have thought that we’d come to a pass, where a short break from work would become a prolonged quarantine. Yes we are locked up in our respective dwellings, with nothing much to do. Or is it?

In my opinion, there is so much that needs to be done.

First, is to let the planet breathe again. Let the flora and fauna recover from the wildest, most ruthless beast, top most in the food chain who is the only species who hasn’t learnt to live in harmony with nature. Man! And by that I make a, gender neutral statement about mankind!

Have you noticed how there are newer sounds of species that seem to be emerging from the background? The almost extinct house sparrows have begun to chirp around merrily? The sweet ballad of the myna, lost in the infernal racket of traffic is creating melodies again. Heck, even the cawing of the crows and cooing of the pigeons sounds euphonious. That and so much more beautiful music of nature making a comeback. Time to tune in and listen to that aria, outside and then within! Let nature paint that canvas again with myriad hues while it’s time for us to listen to the music of silence, within! Or if not, then at least try and create it! While the earth reclaims itself, we can reclaim our own beings. Introspect, slow down, feel things around and more importantly enjoy the sublime poetry of life!

Music is all around. We only have to learn to discern between noise and peaceful calming plainsong of existence. The rhythmic pulsating of the heartbeat, the feverish pace of blood gushing through our veins, the synchronicity of life’s breath as it inhales and exhales out of us. All music!

Time to heal the being, that has been badgered by feral ambition, greed and narcissism. Time to recognise our arrogant naked unhealthy ambition that exists just to feed our ego. And all that plotting, planning, brought down by an infinitesimal virus. There’s a lesson here, if we are willing to listen!

The sweet chortles of a new born, the raspy inflections of grandparents giving us invaluable schooling, the bitter sweet squabbles of siblings, the maternal affection and the paternal admonishes. All blessings and all music!

Since we can’t go outside, it’s time to go inside! Since we can’t outrun nature, it’s time to slow down! Since we can’t get more cantankerous, it’s time to stay silent!

And relish the music within and without!

⁃ Karan B Oberoi