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03 April, 2013

Be yourself


There is a dire need for humanity to break through its herd instinct and start thinking originally. To put in your effort to overcome the environmental influence of the past and learn to reflect, contemplate afresh. Get over your passive, impulsive behavior. Apply your intellect to overpower your emotional attachment and involvement in the affairs of the world. At every turn of life let reason and judgement guide all your activities. Do not sell your personality to elders, preachers or society. You do not have to accept tradition because it is handed down through generations. Nor follow past practices for that matter just because it is spoken and written about by several people over and over again. Instead carefully examine and analyze the truths of life and do whatever admits your logic and reason. Accept it and live by it. That spells objectivity in life.
When you begin to live objectively your mind remains peaceful and happy in and through the fluctuations of the external world. Whatever happens in the outer world does not disturb your inner composure.

I live in a country where Tango and its passion cannot be understood by many (read: by nobody). If one says, I like yoga or I like Hindustani classical music or Indian classical dance or I am an artist, then people might understand and even respect you. But in a country where the total Tango population is less than 500 people and seeing woman dress sensually, doing sensuous moves to/with a man in a close embrace and saying, she loves tango, is difficult for people to comprehend. DJ Tiesto comes to Delhi and there can be crowd of thousands. More so because "everyone is going" so you have to be seen in a big happening crowd.
I have seen big crowd of Tango dancers in milongas and festivals overseas. If those gorgeous Tangueras were to dress like the way they do there, here in India and do those lovely moves, for sure they would be labeled and given names that I cannot even mention on my blog. In India, I chose to flow against the current. I chose to do what makes me happy. Eyebrows are and were raised. But either I can bother about pleasing others or myself. I chose to do later. The end result- I am extremely happy and contended. Sorry I could not please the Indian audience by wearing a crisp cotton sari and playing a Tanpura at home (no offence meant to anyone). Maybe I do not fit into your mould of perfect Indian traditional woman. But for sure, I am who I am, minus any pretensions. And I seek no one's approval. Nor do I care much about it.