Upturned.

I used to feel a bit ‘unfortunate’ at very ‘wrong’ places, and quite often too, during my childhood. Some things, some happenings, some incidents used to affect me deep enough to leave a long-term residue. It happens to almost everyone. Nothing so special about me. But, if it happens on occasions which most people would say “Oh! Is that all?”, then I have a valid reason to feel isolated! Very funny, that even miseries bind people together, when they find commonality, and isolate when it ‘seems’ unique!

Well, something did really “upset” me literally! I was eagerly looking forward to fascinating facts getting revealed to me about life around, when our ‘Physics” teacher assured that we are set-about to learn about “why” and “how” of life and things around us, as we wade through the lessons in physics.

The tragedy occurred after that simple experiment with that candle , a cardboard with a slit-hole to let in the light from the candle flame, and yet another card board beyond this one was placed to show how the image of the flame looks upside down. Even that earlier theory class did not have such an impact, like when we saw it ‘live’. And the cruel teacher even happened to compare it(that little hole in the cardboard) with the functioning of our eye, after having ‘explained’ how a box-camera’s lens works! I distinctly remember that the rest of the classes and lessons of that day passed just over my head! I was gripped with a fear-sense, when it occurred to me thus: “Have I been looking at the world upside down all this time?”.

After reaching home, I tried several times, bending down looking through between my knees (the short-knickers that we children wore at that age seemed a blessing! All the elders at home wore garments that wound around the whole length of their legs together!). But looking thus head bent down seemed an uncomfortable proposition, and could never be extended for too long (this I discovered, when I found my head spinning after bringing up my head to get a lung-full of air. Even simple breathing seemed difficult when bent at waist). I had to abandon this ‘practice-sessions’ when elders around repeated their warnings at an increased decibel of sound in their voice. I had to abandon this ‘practice’ for fear of incurring the wrath of elders.

But I resolved mentally to ‘equip’ myself, by becoming ‘differently-abled’ in my perspective, not willing to leave it chance, or waiting for some physics teacher like person to reveal any shortcomings in my understanding of world around (after all, I have to walk, talk and think upright, or ‘down-right-practically’ , Oh! whichever way it ‘should be’!). When I look back, it seems that perhaps this is how I was mercilessly ‘pushed’ into that vast turbulent sea of spiritual processes, the pathless path, where I had to find my way, the deepening-process of perspectives, by myself, alone, with nobody around to teach me to swim or stay afloat.

But my ‘upside-down-viewing’ theory remained subsided only till I reached my early days at work place! It got revived all over again, when I tripped upon a very small booklet by an eminent authority, no less than the Reserve Bank of India, which suggested looking at signatures “upside-down” to come closer to a reliable, dependable verification method to find out fake signatures, when comparing them with specimens on record! I had to wait another 5 years only after which I could find it to be of a very practical use when I was ‘authorised’ officially to ‘pass’ signatures! (I even wondered, why I could not find another colleague who happened to talk of having come across that so useful a booklet! Reserve Bank used to do “something about it…” thus, like this booklet when there is a spurt of news about instances of fake signature, forged currency etc.

I got used to re-routing my journey-plans thus, upside down very often thence forth.

So, it was not surprising when I found myself answering a very serious question about “straightening” the world around, in a funny way. But it surprised me that it appealed to the asker!

I hope the brief question and the brief answer (this time), would help regaining/normalizing the reader’s vitreous humor(or the sense of humour) in case I had inadvertently turned upside down!
Regards,
Psn(12th July, 2010)


http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100706023041AAxo7rB

Why do people strive to straighten the world ?
Features are like dog's curly tail

Additional Details
World is like the curly tail of a dog.

My answer:
And we find our own tail itself to be missing!Much 'comfortable' to spend the whole of our life straightening the 'world' around.It offers great consolation (mutual benefit scheme!).