It's Sunday Morning folks! Over the few years that I have spent in Law School, Sunday mornings hold great significance for me. One of the reasons for my preference is that most of the times, (that is when I don't have any boring submissions or tests on Mondays), this is one day that lets me read my morning newspaper in peace. However, ironical as it is, the stuff I end up reading most of the time qualifies for the not-so-peaceful category. Today for instance my 'peaceful' Sunday morning kicked off with worsened rape stats, political hatred, and a quite amusing as well as interesting letter to an editor by a teenager begging for a break from the classic study priorities. But still there is something that makes the morning paper a special ingredient of my Sundays and even other days when I have enough time to read them on the first place. What is the story behind it? I tried to figure out:
People read for various reasons: to improve, to pass time, to have fun, and sometimes just for the heck of it. But there is a great percentage of people who read to escape: escape the reality, the problems, the conflicts in every second, the tensions in every minute, the fears in every hour. That's why fiction bags such popularity, and with due regard to J. K. Rowling's excellent story telling skills, this was also one of the reasons why Harry Potter was such a blockbuster: because it was a bigger, better escape.
Now, how is any of this connected to my morning paper schedule? Well it's all connected. I have tried the escaping strategy way too much and hence happen to know its credibility. (Yeah I was a big potter fan once!) But gradually I realized that giving yourself away to fallacies makes it even worse. Having a hopeful and optimistic attitude is one thing, shutting yourself from the problems ahead is another. You want to do away with a problem? The best way is to solve it. Because escaping will only result in a time crunch, if at all, when you finally face the problem, and you will have to do it once. There is no final exit in life. there are only different pathways. The 'escape' way is the longer one. That is the only difference.
I know it is easier said than done. Who wants to read about political turnovers when there is an exciting theory on destiny to grab your attention? But it is really not that bad when once you start with it. My morning paper is my attempt at that. At facing the reality head-on in the beginning of the day to remind me that this is it. You may feel it to be a depressing idea but I find it inspiring. While a fictitious account of winning over the world opens up possibilities of the world before you, the morning paper holds real stories of the people who have tried them and succeeded. Also, it tells you that there is still a lot to be done, a lot to be explored, a lot to be amended. You realize there is a LOT to do! and that inspires you to be a part of the change, howsoever small the change might be.
Fiction warms your heart with its happy endings and all-is-well plots. The morning paper inspires my heart and charges my mind to make the most of my day. It is not a revolting process, it is not an innovation. It just happens as reality starts working on you. I know fiction holds great possibilities, great dreams and they are all important too. But give a chance to reality for once. Trust me, even with all its conflicts and tensions and fears, its not that bad at the end. So set your novels aside for once and give a chance to the morning paper guys!
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Have a Real Wonderful Sunday!