A fistful of sands (of Time)

“What do you usually do once you reach home?”  I asked my colleague during an after-lunch stroll.  

“I reach home by 8 o’clock in the evening, cook dinner, watch tv, and then go off to bed.” She replied, albeit with an element of surprise on her face, as to why was she being asked such a question.

“And how about the weekends?”

“I go out shopping.”

“Do you have any hobbies that you pursue?”

“I love fabric painting and stitching designs on clothes. However, it has been almost a year since I have done any of those activities.”

“Why?”

“Because I am not finding enough time to do so.”

This was not the first time in my life that I was hearing someone say that he or she doesn’t find time out of their busy schedules to pursue something different in life. In fact, 3 years back, the count of those who gave this reason for not trying out something new in life was at least +1 than what it is now. Yes amigos. I also belonged to the same category. The time always found a way to escape from my hands. And the reason for that was not that time is stronger than my grasp, but that my grasp does not have enough will to hold on to time.

Things, however, have changed now. And these days, I find more time for myself and to do things that I love, than what I usually found couple of years back. For instance, here are the details of how I spend time on a regular weekday –

Activity	Time Spent (in hrs)
Getting ready for office	1
Time spent in office	9
Travel betw office and home, both to & fro	2
Listening to my favourite music	4
Eating	1
Watching TV	1
Playing guitar	2
Sleeping	7
Checking mails, RSS feeds and Facebook	1
Total	28

Oh yes. My average day is 28 hours long, 4 hours more than what God intended to grant me. And those extra 4 hours are something which I could not have managed to squeeze into my daily routine, had I not had the will to do so. I get that extra time because of my deep love for things outside the average daily routine. For instance, I love playing guitar. Hence, I reach home, have my dinner, and subsequently, ensure that I practice guitar for at least 2 hours. Similarly, I love listening to British Rock. And I find out time here and there to plug the earphones, which ultimately gives approx 4 hours of time to my favourite music to fill my ears.

The truth is that if you really want to find more time for yourself, you can, only if you truly love something. Develop a hobby and devote time to that.  The way things stand today, I can definitely say that I am now living a life which is "longer" and more enriching as compared to the life I was leading couple of years back. Its not only that I am holding on to time, but these days,  I am infact, able to squeeze out more time out of the time. And I am sure anyone who has a great passion for something can do so.

  

My Playlist (contd...)

My previous post is dedicated to the people I can listen to non-stop for hours and hours. And I am talking about some of the most influential musicians ever born. These include Bob Dylan, Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Ozzy Osbourne, Axl Rose, Slash, James Hetfield, Bono, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and many more whose music continues to fill my ears.

There is a special playlist that I have created in my Walkman, which comprises of just 15 songs. These 15 songs are my all time favorites. And the poem I had written in my previous post actually describes each of these songs. I am listing them down here in the order in which they appear in the playlist. The order is the same while describing these in the lines of my poem.

1. War Pigs (Black Sabbath)
I would rate this song much above the other songs from Black Sabbath such as "Paranoid" and "Iron Man". Amazing guitar by Tony Iommi throughout. Insane drums by Bill Ward. And what a powerful voice from Ozzy. Heaviest of heavy metal.

2. Civil War (Guns N' Roses)
Primary reason why this song exists in my playlist - Axl Rose. God forgot to give him brains, but more than compensated for that in the voice department. The variety in the pitch of his voice throughout the song is mind-blowing. I also like the opening broken chords played on acoustic guitar, when this song starts to take off. Had Axl continued his collaboration with Slash and Izzy, I bet Guns N' Roses would have given hundreds of more powerful songs, and would have continued to top the charts even in the new millennium. 

3. The Times, They Are a-Changin' (Bob Dylan)
You search for the original song on Youtube, but you won't find it. What you would find instead are hundreds of cover versions of this song, performed by people across all generations. And generations would come and go, yet the message that this song contains, would still hold good.

4. Fade To Black (Metallica)
I would say just one thing about this song - amazing guitar play - both acoustic as well as overdriven. The very first riff on acoustic guitar, the intro solo, the acoustic rhythm, the two power chord progressions in the middle, and the outro solo - each is so unique and powerful, that you can't push the Stop or Pause button once you have started playing it. I would rate this song to be the best guitar song ever. And this is the song which actually inspired me to take guitar solos and power chords more seriously.

5. Black Dog (Led Zeppelin)
Unlike other songs, this one can clearly be divided into two sections - vocals and instrumental. This style of vocals is also known as Cappella. During the vocal sections, while Plant is singing, there are no guitars or drums. And when he finishes his lines, suddenly Jimmy Page starts burning the stage with powerful guitar signature. The guitar sounds totally different from what I have heard in other songs. Such innovation in music is what makes Led Zeppelin arguably the best rock band of all time.

6. Man On The Edge (Iron Maiden)
Not as famous as the other Iron Maiden songs, yet I personally think it is the best from them. Once you hear it, the song won't leave you. Very catchy tune and lyrics, that would set their feet for a long long time in your head. And yes, I can still hear my brain humming loud and clear - "Falling Down, falling down, falling doooowwwwwn".

7. The Unforgiven (Metallica)
The song opens with an ominous finger-picking pattern on acoustic guitar, and it continues throughout the song, although not as audible in the later sections of the song. The lyrics are amazing. One of the very few songs that has powerful verses and a very mild and soothing chorus section. 

8. With Or Without You (U2)
The mix of sounds in this song is very different from any other song I have heard. Especially when the song kiscks off. Bono has lent a great voice to this song, pretty subtle when compared to other songs he has sung, although towards the end it again emits out a lot of energy.

9. Kashmir (Led Zeppelin)
I wouldn't call it a song. It is more of a poem. The lyrics are probably the best of all the songs categorized under rock genre. And I don't think I need to say anything about the guitar riff being played throughout. Page had to tune down 3 of his guitar's strings to have a DADGAD setting instead of EADGBE. As I mentioned earlier as well, this kind of experimentation with sounds is what makes Led Zeppelin the greatest rock band of all time. Although, the sequence of songs in this list of mine is not based on any rank, however, I would still go on to say that Kashmir is ranked Number 1 in my personal favorites list.

10. Don't Think Twice, Its Alright (Bob Dylan)
One of the best finger-picking patterns I have ever heard. And its pretty fast as well. Have heard a lot of cover versions of this song, but none has ever been able to imitate the exact pattern, as played in the original version from Dylan. The lyrics are simple but pretty awesome. The best break-up song of all time.

11. Highway Star (Deep Purple)
I love this song because of its tempo. The fast pace throughout keeps my mind blowing whenever I hear it. A bass guitar intro, and suddenly the song takes off like a rocket.

12. High Hopes (Pink Floyd)
The song is an auto-biography of David Gilmour. The song is also a biography of each one of us who wants to fly back to simpler times. The last Pink Floyd song ever written. And I would say it is the perfect end to a legacy.

13. Wonderwall (Oasis)
The song opens with an amazing chords progression on acoustic guitar. And continues on with a great melody throughout. I enjoyed a lot learning this song on my guitar, and thats the primary reason I like it so much. The chords, however simple they may sound, are pretty complex in nature. These are not  the regular open or barre chords, and can not be played without a capo.

14. Nothing Else Matters (Metallica)
Amazing lyrics, very different from any other love song (considering this is a romantic song written by James Hetfield for his girl-friend). And amazing guitar play. This song inspired me to learn finger-picking on acoustic guitar, and I would blame the song for long finger-nails I have grown on my right hand.

15. Comfortably Numb (Pink Floyd)
This is considered to be the best Floyd song ever, not only by me, but by millions. The amazing solo from Gilmour has been rated "the best of all time" on numerous occasions.

My Playlist

A song about war, and about political sins,

A song that cries against a war within,

A song that speaks of shifting tides,

A song of a man who contemplates suicide,

A song portraying craving for a woman's love,

A song about a fall from high above,

A song about a life, always ensnared in a bubble,

A song that talks of a relationship in trouble,

A song of the timeless journey through the sands,

A song to break up a failed romance,

A song to boast of his proud possessions,

A song about yore, how he yearns for regression,

A song for a friend who can save him from himself,

A song of trust, of words of heart, and nothing else,

And a song of all his senses that cease to exist,

Is what you'll find in my head and on my playlist.

Butterfly Ear-rings

A long black skirt and she’s wrapped inside it.
The white shirt looks on her to be a perfect fit.
A pair of glasses and two eyes hide behind.
Two lips having dullness of a palish color undefined.
Each strand of hair kempt in a knot too tight.
Grim look on her face - a usual sight.
Unnoticed go among such mundane things -
Her colorful butterfly ear-rings.

Those orchid blooms, and her wide open arms.
Her leap of faith sans the worldly qualms.
A pair of eyes, in them a playful glint.
Her lips haute-coutured in a bright red tint.
A blow of wind and her hair that swirl.
The laughter that breaks away a gloomy lull.
And you’ll notice the expanse of her hidden wings
In the colors of her butterfly ear-rings.