Read Me from Inside

When I was growing up, I used books to help me find my way in life. Not the way, one would traditionally expect books to be used (by reading them). Whenever in doubt, I remember opening a random book at a random page and reading out a random line from that page. I was once told that random lines, like these, can help one find the answer they are seeking. Looking back, I understand how it worked.  The random line helped put into words, the deepest thought that I was not able to find on my own. The answer was always there inside me, but sometimes it needed a little help to get it out, in front of me.

The good thing about this technique is that if the answer is not already inside, there is no answer that comes out. I remember, at times, turning many pages and still not finding the answer. The lack of an answer forced me to think/seek more, till an answer was finally formed inside me.

In the world of today, Google is supposed to play the role of books for us, both literally and metaphysically. Any question you type, you are bound to find an answer. Want to know if your child has a serious disease, you can search everything about it online. Which degree should you enroll for? What clothes are in fashion? What is the best way lose weight?  Even questions like, how to find out if your partner is cheating on you?

Information is just a click away, but sensibility eons away. Because Google makes it so easy for us to find an answer,  I think we have lost the ability to even ask the right question. In place of searching what’s in fashion,  shouldn’t we be asking ourselves what do we really like to wear? In place of searching which course we should enroll for, shouldn’t we be asking what is that I really want to do in life. Rather than reading “10 signs that your spouse is cheating on you”, shouldn’t we listen to our heart and our spouse instead.

I believe the biggest answers are always inside. Twenty million Google put together can never ever get that answer out. All Google can do is give us the satisfaction that we have found an answer and disable us from seeking the answer meant for us.

The drawing is that of a card gifted to me by Toyna. Outside the card it says “Read me from Inside”. The inner wordings have always  been, “I love you Mama”