Sifting through life's lessons.

The air was left murky by a desert storm, stirring up inveterately in some corner of the vast Arabian Desert. A sedentary crab readjusted itself on the slimy rock as a cluster of waves came crashing down. “Everything happens for a reason”, the 60 year old man (lets name him Joey) announced and turned towards the ocean – repeating the same line twice over. The crab laid motionless as another wave casted a thud, perhaps a metaphor to Joey’s indomitable belief in the scheme of things – what he calls “the God”.

It was one of those usual weekends spent snorkeling around the ascetic beaches of Jeddah. The spiritual conversation had ensued a lot earlier in the morning when Joey had probed me on my belief in life after death – of heaven and hell. Ever to mock at such idiocies, I blurted out a blunt “No” and went on to don my diving boot and mask.

Months later, as I was distraught at the way things were moving (things were moving nowhere), I’d noted in my diary addressed to my own God – “if everything is happening for a reason, I hope the reason be known soon”.  Those were the days of turmoil – of setbacks, indirection and loneliness - when several equations were being rephrased and reiterated. As the agony never seemed to end – running through months, I’d learnt that there is heaven and that there is hell - and that it’s all right here. You go through each of them in phases and each teaches you lessons that no great teacher can.

For no describable reasons, I’ve now started to believe in life after death too. Heaven must be a place where the Joeys live in peace, devoid of the charms of jealousy, greed, materialism and lust. It can’t be an utopia as “imagined” by John Lennon. It can’t be a Marxist Utopian civilization where communities’ revolt for want of more – for no one would want more. It must be a place where there is unattested peace – where a million birds – yellow, green, blue and black hover in the crystal clear skies. There would be no houses – people wouldn’t seek security for everywhere there would be kindness and the weather would be pleasant.

Well – perhaps not so melodramatic either. But one thing is for certain – you learn your life's best lessons when you are going through hell. The havens are just what you partake for having been through your toughest of times. So if you happen to throw your arms in despair at the events that unfold, learn to take it easy. The vagaries of life never end. You need to go through each to learn your lessons – and when you look back, what survives is heaven and all that stays behind is hell.

You will survive.