Of all the foolishness & deceit that goes on in this world, this ‘cognitive’ fraud called weather forecast is probably the biggest. The ‘forecast’ seems to be more or less the same as how the weather was today. And naturally, exactly the opposite of how that ‘tomorrow’ pans out.
A friend calls from Switzerland to tell me how unfair life is - Like I did’nt know :). The matter at hand was quite simple. After a wait of 2 days in Interlaken area for the weather forecast to turn favourable, one goes up all the way to Schilthorn to find that the weather changes suddenly, visiblity drops to a mere 10 feet. I try telling him that it is the trek that matters, not the 10 minute view from the top. And nor is everything about capturing a great frame on his camera. Besides, the 10 feet visibility would also mean that he could still look down and find that his numb toe was still hanging in there in all that bad weather. And I thought it was a neat feeling. No, he thought not. Why would anyone in his right mind tread all the way up to see his toe, said he. And the more well-meaning I got, the more irritated he got. Oh boy, undelivered sympathy does incite funny reactions :)
But then later, I mused. But, more like amused :) Why do we seek so ardently to substitute the excitement of an unforeseen future with the security of a predictable tomorrow ? Why is uncertainty a bad thing ? Why this madness to reach that destination? Can’t the journey be both the means and the end in itself ?
4 responses so far ↓
1 Anush Shetty // Oct 15, 2007 at 4:05 pm
Why do we seek so ardently to substitute the excitement of an unforeseen future with the security of a predictable tomorrow ? Why is uncertainity a bad thing ?
Well said
2 Arun // Oct 15, 2007 at 4:39 pm
..and why do we insert reasoning into everything..? And why search for parallels instead of letting each line take its own path..?
but then, this is an argument I had with fellow travellers at Yosemite. Weather improved remarkably after a few hours, for people’s relief.
3 Shreelesh // Oct 17, 2007 at 1:46 am
I agree and disagree with both you. Though nothing compared to Switzerland, I went on a humble Thadiyendamol trek and it just so happened that you couldn’t see anything cos of all the rain clouds below and that was disappointing, yet it was an experience in itself that will remember - the trek, the walk ‘through’ the clouds, sitting on top and watching the nothingness below, the long bike ride back to Madikeri on cold foggy night..
4 Lavanya // Oct 17, 2007 at 7:30 am
@Arun: Concur, partly :) Though our thought processes are largely dialectic, I do wish we reasoned out things a little less often, a little bit less and attributed more value to the present moment than to the anticipated morrow. In glee at those moments when I realize that things are the way they are, because they are the way they are. (Twist unintended :-p). And extremely amused at how we sometimes continue to force-fit reason despite knowing all of this ! Total intrigue occuring :)
@Shreelesh: Rightly so, Shreelesh. It is the memories of the foggy night, misty morning and the nothingness that made the journey worthwhile. But then again, I agree with you in the sense that there is nothing nicer about one view over the other.
More generally speaking, it is just that we are so used to anticipating an end and then it is funny how sometimes that anxiety around that end sub-consciously takes over the journey itself. Well, it is sometimes so funny, that I cannot even laugh at it :)
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