My Energy Pills – My Energy Boosters

For some it’s exercise. For some it’s daily run. For some it’s yoga. For some it’s meditation. For some it could be just a hot drink at the end of the day or a glass of chilled wine.

For me energization comes through mind stimulation. It could be a book, a talk, a discussion, a series or a film.

Coming to films, I watched the following two movies last week after coming back from office when the energy level is at its lowest:

The Outfit : It’s about a tailor who takes pride in calling himself a cutter. A quiet, unassuming fellow who is deeply involved in his craft. He has a receptionist named Mabel who is also the girl friend of the son (Richie) of the local goon. The neighbourhood is torn with rifts between two blood thirsty gangs – the Outfit and the La Fontaine. The tailor’s shop is being used by the Outfit to collect dirty money. The tailor, addressed as ‘English’ because he hails from England, does not object to this arrangement as Mr. Boyle, the warlord of the Outfit gave him a warm welcome and became his regular customer when he first set up his shop in the locality. Mind it, this is in Chicago. One day a cassette is found in one of the envelopes dropped in the letter box kept in the shop. The cassette alarms the members of the Outfit as they suspect a ‘rat’ or an informer amidst them. Richie thinks that the name of the informer will be revealed from the cassette. Gradually, the quiet backdrop of the shop becomes the centre stage of distrust, murder, betrayal and lies and ‘English’ assumes the role of the puppeteer who masterminds the macaber show.

The Strays : Cheryl, a bi-racial, is dissatisfied with her life. She feels her antecedent is the cause of her non-acceptability in society. One fine morning, on the pretext of visiting the beauty salon, she absconds from home never to return. Cut two – Cheryl is now Neve married to a white man, Ian and has two children, Sebastian and Mary. Her life is comfortable as a wealthy socialite of a white community and deputy headmistress of the school where her children study. She is well accepted and admired. Life is smooth and cozy till Neve is stalked by Carl and Dione, two black children, who address her as mother and are hell bent on destroying the world she has built around herself.

The Energizer: Unusually the boost, after seeing these two movies, come from the churning – the cud chewing. Both the films have common denominators – (i) the return of the haunting past ! Do we take it as a thumb rule that your dark deeds never leave you alone – the carmic conundrum! (ii) Both have an element of escapism – does it actually guarantee a safe haven?

As I said these questions are stimulii to the mind – a quest for the greater truth or the larger picture. We may have different ways of dealing with life’s unexpected twists and turns, like English and Cheryl, but if we have to propound an axiom around which we may anchor our lives for a trouble free existence what will it be? Don’t we root back to ancient wisdom for the answer? Or are those nuggets prove to be the comfort food for people like us who look for peace under the carpet of cowardice ?

Food for thought…

(iii) Again what we detest the most have to be faced again and again. In Cheryl’s case its her roots. For English it is the abhorable violence. Both the causes are catalysts to new lives. Both the causes recur with bigger assaults. English and Cheryl have to locate permanent hideouts to be safe and happy. Both are elusive – security and happiness. Then why do we hanker after these ephemeralities?

At one point philosophizing becomes easier than solving an ever bewildering puzzle.

You may ask what’s so energizing about these confounding questions?

I would say that’s me who loves to be embroiled in labyranthine queries and quests which eggs me on to the next step of the ladder of life.

Confusing! Isn’t it?

Pic from Pexel