Is the 'Great Resignation' an over-rated facet of the 21st century? Is this mass exodus only limited to Millennials and Generation Z quitting in giant droves? Is the pandemic exacerbating the ageism factor in the modern-day workplace? Is the dearth of worker protections the only compelling factor fueling the big quit? Has this movement generated the awareness for a better work-life balance? Tuck in yo seat belts folks and strap in for this rollercoaster ride that makes the entire world look ephemeral.
That absolute jaffa by Mitchell Starc to Ben Stokes in the Cricket World Cup 2019 rejuvenated the department of stellar reverse swing balling that had been ebbing away in the past decade. Such fuzzy moments induce the concept of reverse engineering in individuals at times. Going back home is the most difficult thing about long-distance hiking. You realize you have grown outside the box and your piece in the puzzle no longer fits. If only we could turn back time to the good ol'days. Oh, wait! We got them back (including studies as a reality check as well)
Sometimes, I feel we are by-products of a utopian world, foaming up to the brim with kittens, sugar-free cookies, and a raging affinity for irn bru while indulging in a holistic understanding of the line and length behind Shayan's inswinger to Yatin Patel at Glasgow Green (a lifetime of education has prolly ridden its toll on my eyesight but I swear that ball honed in a touch with a probable hint of an inside edge of Mr. Patel's willow before ultimately thudding into what would have been three-quarters of the middle stump) How would it have been if time could go backward, cavorting around the intricate principles of existence, adding a physical dimension to retrospection and reaffirming the existence of the old-age circle of life institution. The Boomerang Effect! Murphy's Law Personified!
Such is the sea of thoughts generally swirling around in today's internet-wired, satellite-covered village. In this part of the world, distant from the equator and paying salutations to the North Pole for a substantial chunk of the year, the advent of Ramadan has played a beautiful role in infusing vigor and joy back into our souls while strengthening our resilience and patience levels. As a neutral observer, you could say it paints a compelling argument when it comes to the need to abstain from glamor and materialism and have a modus operandi that embraces minimalism.
Enter PakSoc, a vibrant forum that pools ambitious resources that span different provinces of Pakistan. People doing some amazing things! Full of noble and valiant weekend meetup plans like the World Fireworks Championship Blackpool, driven by this commendable passion for meme wars and other miscellaneous sagas, the most notable of which for me, personally speaking, would be "Catwoman will rightfully steal a beautiful diamond from some museum that stole it from Africa and here go Batman's ass like 'Put it back Selina' how bout you stay out of women business Bruce". Valiant international students trying to discover the magic formula. Sometimes, when I think about this auspicious forum, I feel the words for my rap script materializing:
You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain
Because I am a protégé of King Arthur and the knights of the round table
I love smiley faces and dimples
That bar of Nutella in the cupboard gives me the shivers
And I zap in the time machine and am driving in Lahore with someone giving me the dipper
Swapping lanes, turning through intersections, canvassing landscapes, working my way up the system of motivation to bag myself a bunch of mango ice vapes
You have got to love them just like Professor Snape
Geez how good were those days
Yup in the greater scheme of things, they had a brief stay
Speculating how the Turning Point for WW2 could have been the Battle of Normandy
I am probably from the German camp locking horns with the allies and getting flabbergasted by the Scorch Earth Policy
Totally an alien to the kitchen knowing nada about the cooking boss
I, a millennial in the 21st century, living off instant noodles and the big cheese
from the 24/7 shop
Its when a ballsy ragamuffin documents nonsense on MS Word Doc
Got to impart love to the ISP “Eduroam”
I feel like this place is a second home
Be it basking in the confidence of youth at Gup Shup, enjoying the perpetual bliss of mother nature and listening to the heartbeat of Scottish people while posing outside Edinburgh Palace, pondering over deciphering the code behind those perplexing assignments at Chamberlain Building, stressing on avoiding solvencies and acquiring mortgages for bolstering credit ratings while sipping Karak Tea at Chaiwala, talking about the struggles of the modern-day workplace while taking a deep spirited stroll from Ballater street back to the residences, having fascinating sports, movies and tv shows based conversations over a one-dish iftar event while devouring those noodles, Salisbury Double Chocolate cookies and giving a critique on dishes like Gordon Ramsay or Matt Preston. Not bad for a society so far in a nascent stage of evolution.
Pak Soc, like any other society, is a useful breeding ground for empathy and the cultivation of ideas. The versatility of thought processes makes for very invigorating sessions, especially in today's world where our hopes are intricately perched like the most fragile piece of glass, positioned on the thinnest strand of wire as we pray for not one more drop of rain underneath an overcast sky. What further strengthens the buzz is the frequency of encounters with SUMSA (Strathclyde University Muslim Student Association) playing a great role in this regard in the sacred month. Assembling at Maghrib time for Iftari (dreaming of attacking the rice and chicken while drooling over the dessert counter and avoiding locking eyes with the Mullah Sahib after stocking up your plate for the third time in 15 minutes) and then reading the "Man in the Red Underpants" to redefine your understanding of faith amid the randomness of life. That's when you realize what Anthony Hopkins (West World) meant when he opined that consciousness is not a pyramid but a maze.
I sometimes try to figure out a synonym for PakSoc. I guess it would prolly be self-actualization. That this powerful play called life goes on and we may yet contribute a verse to it. Being an international student can be asphyxiating at times. Vacillating between 2 different places, 2 distinct time zones (hovering between Pakistan State Time and Greenwich Mean Time), rocking to and fro like a pendulum, perched momentarily on the halfway mark. It’s a testament to the laws governing dynamic motion. It's like jelly suspended between the toasts, the partially permeable membrane between distilled water and concentrated brine. I am very grateful to see this forum dissipate that momentary uncertainty and make us feel relaxed in our humble abodes. Jennifer Lawrence once stated in ‘The Passengers: “Don’t get yourself so much carried away with where you want to be that you forget to make the most of where you currently are!”. The imperative significance of living in the present! If there is something I have learned from these great Individuals, it's the essence of internalizing this school of thought.
Hopefully, this is the starting point of a long and exhilarating journey, a journey that will teach us a lot about our destination. It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. May we all attain peace, solitude, and tranquility in the coming times and achieve our goals while putting our best foot forward when it comes to serving humanity.
May we abstain from vainglorious boasts of personal infallibility. May we shun arrogance and vanity and elevate our levels of humility and self-sacrifice to be there for the people next to us. May we refrain from indulging in hostility and sacrifice our egos in order to take the concept of purpose to the next level. May we infuse vigor and spirit in our souls and make our lives extraordinary. May we bask in the cauldron of life and reprise the confidence of youth. Like a moth gallivanting to the light source, May we succumb to the greater meanings of our existence without having the zest drained out from our daily schedules. Time is the mausoleum of all hope and desire. Let us forget it occasionally and lose ourselves in the moment rather than devoting all our life moments to simply trying to conquer it.
BTW a teeny request to Mr. President and the Executive Council for hosting a PAK vs Ind cricket match at some point in the near foreseeable future.
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