Hot Sun, Car & a Dog

I was in the car, waiting for my friend to come back after dropping off some letters. It was right after lunch, so I was stuffed on mini sausages, rice and suffocating in the glare of the winter sun. In my discomfort, I noticed a stray dog, trying to find a spot to nap in the afternoon sun. It went off to sleep on the pavement, its face blissful and content. Inside the car, I envied that moment of bliss of the dog’s face; with no care in the world besides its next meal and cranny to cozy up at night- at least, not before hunger or fatigue. In the wake of my present discomfort, I wished I had that peace and ‘coolness’.

Then of course, the glass shatters. A man walks by, accidentally kicking the dog, and jolts it back from where sleeping dogs lie. I wonder how violated it must have felt…. or are they so domesticated that they assume it’s just a dog’s life? The dog looked lost (maybe a little sad) and gazes after the chap and eventually goes back to lying in the hot sun.

Yet, my friend doesn’t come back. I am hot, I am dry and I am impatient. I call her a couple of times on her phone; to get her out of what she is doing and remind her I am waiting.

As I wait for her to shatter the discomfort I am in- I think of all the shatterings that happen to everybody, every moment and all the time. The dog’s bliss got shattered, somebody’s dreams got shattered, his life, her tuition…its never ending. But then, its all subjective. Right now, the intervention I have in mind is the good kind. And good interventions are not necessarily called shattering experiences. Its greeted with warm smiles, burst of elations, and gratefulness.

But, what is shattering as if nothing belongs? Nothing seems to belong anyway, when everything is so subjective to every individual. As a race and as people, we are crouching on each other, squeezing the space, tormenting energy and felling opinions as we go. Our worlds have begun to collide and rub against each other, confusing boundaries and creating chaos; there is no system in our movements or our lifestyle. Our wakefulness has been replaced; our dreams have been replaced, by what? What is instinct if it is cultivated?

Across my frown, I see my friend, apologetic and walking purposely towards the car, and I sigh in relief. Just there, our wishes had rubbed against each other- her job and my momentary anguish. Yet, we let on as if its perfectly fine to encroach.







Comments

  1. SogyelFebruary 2, 2011 at 1:14 AM

    Nice read...the way the dog was sleeping and whole thing with man coming and shattering the peacefulness of dog was really amazing and i could relate myself...could even imagine myself being helpless bystander....and ofcourse the line.....What is instinct if it is cultivated?..is really nice...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tyler PhanFebruary 7, 2011 at 4:56 AM

    you are absolutely correct in so many ways!

    there are certain degree of autonomy in an individual's subjectivity, yet human subjectivity may already be presupposed by constructs that have already been embedded within society or culture. nevertheless, subjectivity by the human condition may have it's interdependency as you point out.

    by positing the question "our dreams have been replaced, by what?" you open a speculative realm that is pretty brilliant. dreams to many degrees are focal point of human subjectivity and it allows room for a disconnect from presupposed constructs. however, to what degree of an affect does presuppositions have an on our dreams? that's HOT!

    the accidental kicking of the dog lead to a chain reaction of an alarm that lead to its origin of sleep. that's pretty deep.

    what an awesome prose! marvelous, bloody marvelous!

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownApril 11, 2011 at 5:57 AM

    I have become a fan of your writing.
    It's like every sentence is invoking.

    ReplyDelete

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