There's a thing about the men's bathroom that I can not avoid but notice each time I enter one. The good ol' urinal and the anecdotes associated with it. Yes, anecdotes. You could walk up to any random guy, and they would easily provide you with some of their precious (mis)adventures with the thing, be it stemming from the golden rule of not using the urinals immediately next to an occupied one or the eye bleaching rule in case you stare anywhere but into the wall.
Why is the urinal such a source of stories and laughter? I think it has something to do with the fact that it's one of the few places where men can just be men. There are no pretences, no games, no façade. It's a place where we can just let loose and be ourselves.
They also act as great equalisers. No matter how rich or poor, smart or dumb, tall or short you are, we all have to use the urinal. And that's a good thing. It reminds us that we're all just human beings who have to go to the bathroom and not some random NPC stuck in the backrooms.
Such inventions are of great benefit to human society. They not only make our lives more convenient but also help us bond with each other. Compare that to the results from the advancements of the internet. It has helped us become more efficient and connected but has also made us more isolated and lonely.
Everyone is connected, but no one is connecting. What is the use of all this efficiency and convenience if we're just going to end up living in our own little bubbles?
We can always dream better, aspire more and do more. But that throws up a question, how do we know what the limit is? How do we know when we've gone too far? Not just for us but for other people in our lives and the world around us. That's something we have to answer for ourselves.
Recently I came across a Twitter thread which discusses how there are people who are sincerely predisposed to a simple life and do not want more than what they have. The general consensus was that these people are happy and content with what they have and are not looking to change that.
I find that really interesting because it goes against the popular belief that we should always strive for more and never be content with where we are in life.
It's a beautiful thread, and it really got me thinking. Maybe the answer lies somewhere in the middle. Maybe we should aspire to be better and be content with what we have. After all, isn't that what happiness is?
I recently wrapped up the TVF's web series 'Gullak', based on the simple, middle-class life.
Each episode consists of an anecdote, and the show as a whole is a love letter to the simple joys of life. How small arguments and day-to-day problems are actually what make us who we are. How the little things are what matter in the end.
With a perfect blend of humour and pathos, the show presents the day-to-day chronicles of the Mishra family. The struggles of the Indian middle-class life are gracefully symbolised through various anecdotes in the series. A frequently used phrase from the show says these are anecdotes and not stories because they don't have a beginning or an end. They just are.
And that's what life is. Just a series of anecdotes, some happy, some sad, some funny, some heartwarming. But all of them make us who we are.
I hope it was worthwhile your time to read this. I hope it made you think and maybe even appreciate life's little things a little more. I hope it made you smile.
Soon enough, there might be a time when AI replaces human writers and delivers quality content right in your inbox. Doesn't sound that inviting? Here's a fun fact: a computer has already written this sentence. In fact, a major chunk of this article has been written by GPT-3, an AI model.
Of course, I had to provide it with inputs and define the article's structure. But it wrote the majority of the content on its own. And it did a pretty good job if I do say so myself.
God, exciting times ahead!
And a side note: I rebranded the substack and redid the logo. I hate designing, so that's the best I could do. I would appreciate it if you could provide me with your opinion on it and the general direction this substack is heading towards.
Thank you for your time!