Man, Moment and the Millenium

Man, Moment and the Millenium

By: Rajbir Deswal

I wrote this piece at the turn of the Century and the Millenium(Y2K-Remember?) but I tried to liken the moment, a unit of time to ‘Man’. I don’t really know if I really relate the two but The Tribune and The Pioneer published it. May like to read my analogy!!!

How important should be the moment which will tick the old millennium off, out of its existence by kicking right near the cusp and bring the new one to its being. How crucial should be that moment which will quietly roll into eternity and heralded a new beginning. How signaled out would be that moment which both millennia would claim to be their own. “Oh to be equal in status to that moment!” many may cherish.Moment after moment, minute after minute, hours after hours, day after day, month after month, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, and likewise such a moment takes shape and fades out. And so will that special, that unique, that different moment, take birth and make history.History of its being. History of its end. History of its importance. History of its relevance. And History of its nothingness. Could a man be likened to a moment?Countless people would feel their existence quite differently in the 21st century. Others may not even know of the change. Still others may find in that situation as if nothing moves except nothingness.At the same time there would be innumerable people who would enjoy every bit of that precious moment. Its beginning, its being and its end. Isn’t it surprising to be dwelling so much on one moment? One single moment? One special moment? One moment like other moments? Just another moment!Then why so much anxiety? Why so much curiosity? Why so much of wait? Why so much of concern? Why so much of so much?—for a mere moment: I never knew that a moment was such a complex entity.Surely then, moment can definitely be likened to a man. Moment and man in their glory. Moment and man their being. Movement and man in their spacing, where space does not exist at all. All the more, moment can be “felt” like man.But hang on. I have a visual right in front of me purely in bones and flesh I see the merry-makers. I see those rejoicing. Some drowned in drunkenness. Others sun in spirits. Still others frolicking in frenzy an euphoria. One fellow sleep-walks trampling, he other sleeping on a walking path of me metropolis roadside. “Hay, wake up! Scoundrel! New millennium has arrived! It is the turn of the century.“The scoundrel” wakes up not really agitated, takes a turn to the other de (like a century) and sleeps over. The moment has come and gone. The man has woken unturned and slept again. The millennium has awaked and will end soon. Yes, very “soon”!Moment after moment. Tick after tick. Pulse after pulse. Well, tick and pulse can be likened. So can be moment and man. Tick enlivens up and consumes the moment pulse enlivens up and consumes the man. Welcome Millennium—ticking, pulsating and consuming.