Twenty-Four Hours. An insignificant amount of time in relation to the average lifespan of a human being. Or a period with incalculable moments that could potentially shape the future of not only one person but of many generations to come. Each individual`s interpretation of what he believes is the right thing to do with the time that he has on his hands is what gives ‘time’ its meaning. It could either be a wasteful sequence of random events or a meticulously planned succession of planned actions and occurrences leading up to the fulfillment of a greater objective.
Let us just take a moment to think about how we spend most of our days – a successive sequence of twenty-four hours each. Most of us, if not all, have a set routine in life. Wake up, work for a living, relax a bit with the family in the evenings and go back to sleep. The majority of our adult life is spent following this mundane routine irrespective of the race, religion or the region of the planet that we belong to. It is what we have come to accept socially, across cultures. This is due in part to our social construct. Our society is made up of distinct and seemingly self-sufficient units called ‘Families’. Each ‘Family’ unit consists of a ‘Provider’ – the person primarily responsible for arranging financial resources for the survival of the family, a ‘Care taker’ – the one who manages the social, societal and emotional aspects of life and the ‘Cared’ – which include children or elders of the family that need support and guidance to carry on with their lives. This arrangement caters neatly to the specific demands of every single person in the family and places a proportionate amount of responsibility on each member’s shoulders so that this social unit functions optimally. Ideally, with each unit of the Society working efficiently, the Society as a whole works at its best. This is the basic assumption.
But to every assumption in the world, there are a few notable exceptions. Every Society has its share of eccentrics and outcasts, over-achievers and outlaws, gifted individuals who are ahead of their time and good-for-nothing free-loaders who are an unwanted burden for one and all. Each one of these spends their lives in a radically different manner than most of us. Their days are not set out to any accepted norms or a code. They do not live by the clock or die by the deadlines set for them by others. Then there are those who choose to live life on their own terms as singletons. They do not have a set of responsibilities towards the upkeep of their families, but by no means do they lead a drifting and aimless life. On the contrary these men and women give a new meaning to living life fully. They sure are alone, but their existence is not marred with the loneliness that affects many of us living an outwardly content and rewarding family life.
How can anyone be lonely while surrounded by family and loved ones?, you ask. How is it possible that a loner can live his life happily? After all, man is not an island, is he? Let us examine this in a bit more detail, shall we?
Consider the following scenario. You have got twenty-four hours. You are all by yourself. You have no one to answer to. You do not have to show up at work. Your financial position is the same as it has always been. You can do whatever pleases you. The only condition being that you are not to contact your family, friends or colleagues. Basically, you are AWOL for a full day. What do you do?
It is not as simple as it appears at first glance, is it? Many people freak out when faced with such a situation. They base their entire lives around their families. So much so that they cannot figure out a way to pass time in the absence of a familiar figure or a loved one. Their daily activities are so intertwined with those of the others in the family that they cannot cope up with the stress of being alone at all. They feel lost, even clueless. On the other hand there are those who lap the opportunity up as if they were waiting for it since ages. For this second set of `Alone – not lonely’ folks, a day out on their own is just a natural extension of the thirty minutes or an hour of ‘Me-Time’ they guard zealously on a daily basis. They feel energized, reinvigorated and raring to go the next day. Observing these two sets of people after the twenty hours experiment is a study in contrasting human emotions itself. Bewilderment, confusion and an inevitable sense of helplessness on one side and a complete sense of focus, liveliness and nervous energy on the other. What is more noteworthy here is the fact that an individual`s response to being left alone for twenty-four hours, in a comforting homely environment, not marooned on an island, mind you, does not depend on his social status or financial stability. Rather it rests on how confident a person is and how much is he in tune with his own self – not just on the surface but deep within himself.
Which set of people do you belong to? Are you happy with where you are or do you wish to see a change? More importantly, are you ready to face your own self for twenty-four hours?
Tarkash 