Noel Manuel
The fortresses that most of us aspire to build during our lifetime are all about the architectural design and the open space that surrounds it. There are no clauses that compromise with the quality and quantity of raw material that go into the making of our dream house. It is undoubtedly regarded as the biggest accomplishment of an individual, when he is made to believe that his status to being an owner has indeed materialized. Nowadays, to achieve this accomplishment has become more of a class symbol in society and the first thing that comes to anyone’s mind in terms of achieving something, is to own a house. We go to any length to realize our dreams and there is no drawing the line across the breadth when it comes to the décor.
Our dreams lie embedded in our abilities to believe that we can achieve what many of us aspire to have. And though our dreams may have different interpretations, there is a subject in common that we all seek to accomplish.
We all have different versions of the kind of house that we seek to own. It could be a flat, bungalow, mansion, palatial fortress or even a hut. However, the common objective of these interpretations is the roof above the head.
Taking these dreams to high rises that have mushroomed in major cities across the country is surprisingly the younger generation and there is outside support that is even more forthcoming to financially assist the young and ambitious breed in order to materialize their dreams.
But is the achievement of owing a house the greatest accomplishment for a young man? Indeed, it is and there is no denying that many would agree with this philosophy. But the house that we are talking of in the modern day and particularly in this context is not that which is made up of bricks, sand and cement.
As hard as we strive and take pride to own a roof above our head there is every need for us to endeavour to create a mind that is strong enough for us to protect our values and quality systems from external forces that could prove detrimental to our fortress.
There are two very significant positions of any house. The roof and the door. While one protects you from the dangers above, the other defends you from the threats on the ground. And it’s because of these dangers constantly lurking and further posing a danger to our well being that extra care is taken to ensure that the roof and the door are strengthened to our satisfaction.
Similarly, there are two very important positions in the fortress within our youth. The mind and the actions. While one provides us the ability to think and decide upon the dangers of external forces that could prove detrimental to our well-being, the other safeguards our lives by the way we choose to go about our day to day lives through good and appreciable acts.
The houses in Chandigarh have always been an interesting topic of discussion. The engineering, architecture, designs, colours, contours and the cost make up for entertaining debate and the most intriguing feature of these homes is the mind that imagined such marvelous fortresses. Another interesting characteristic is the non-compromising attitude of the mind towards the cost, material and determination to create homes of beauty.
Real estate developers on the other hand have come up with some of the most extravagant housing villages including some that have everything from a school to a hospital, shopping mall and park.
Can we, the youth, actually develop our lives into fortresses of admiration? Or for that matter strengthen our mind to challenge the external forces inimical to our well-being? Or perhaps, even make our actions defend our fortress from hostile elements that threaten our very existence?
As much we don’t compromise with the quality of materials that go into the construction of our houses, we should also not compromise with the quality of our ethics and value systems that go into building our fortress and strengthening the mind and actions.
Can you imagine a house without a roof or for that matter even without a door? Weird is what many of us would term it. If this is so, then how many of us are actually a fortress without an ethical mind and worthy actions?
Remember the roof and the door are protectors and so are our minds and actions. If we choose to live without the roof and the door there is bound to be many a danger that our fortress would be exposed to. Likewise, if we choose to live without our minds and actions and succumb to unethical values and morals our fortress would be at risk from external forces and finally we would end up being demolished from the face of this earth.
Can you imagine a house in the midst of a dense forest? Impossible is what many would opine. And in case there was one, the occupants would be in constant danger of being attacked by wild animals and other predators of the forest. The roof and the door would provide them with some protection and to some extent. But ultimately, they would have to move on to safer ground. Similarly, can you imagine a person being in the midst of an unethical environment that involves drugs, alcohol, gambling, abusive languages and other immoral acts of behaviour? The only protection that he has from saving his fortress from being demolished is his ‘mind’ and ‘actions.’
The door and roof of every house, no matter how durable it may be, turns weak over the years and renovation at regular intervals has to be carried out in order to protect the fortress. In the same way our minds and actions turn weak from the constant attack posed by external forces prompting us to carry out renewed approaches to our way of living and in the process strengthening the important avenues to our fortress.
Our fortress, today, is constantly confronted with several dangers and as much as we try to avoid these threats, we are forever in the midst of several hazards that weaken our very existence. Some of which include drug addiction, alcoholism, immoral behavior, abuse of technology and irresponsibility to one’s work.
There is only one alternative for the ambitious youth in a world that is fast outgrowing its space and where our fortresses are gradually becoming mausoleums that are not as admirable as they truly ought to be. And before we set out to construct our dream fortress on earth, let us first nurture the zeal to build the fortress within each of us and ensure that our roof (mind) and our door (actions) are made protectors and defenders of our strengthened fortress.
noelmanuel@rediffmail.com
The writer is the Bureau Chief (Nagaland) of Eastern Panorama (News Magazine of the Northeast), Coordinator of the Northeast Region (Poetry Society of India) and Life Member of the Poetry Society of India, Phonetics Trainer
