Interpreter of Maladies
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Just my luckI was never a big believer in luck. Good or bad. I believed in people, myself, hard work and the "tit for tat" theory. All this was until I met Mr. Bad Luck. In the US, our meeting wasn't at the best of times. And I wish I had more to say to him rather than "what Bad Luck" from time to time. And those three four weeks of sheer Bad Luck made me come face to face with this big mysterious word called Luck. Is my luck good? Or its that of an average person? Is it predecided, what would happen to me in future? Is it written somewhere between the lines on my palm? And if it is so, do I want to know it?
What if I knew where I would be 10 years from now? The blue eyed prince of my dreams would marry someone else. The big fat paycheck job I have been so proud of would be stolen away from me. So many What ifs. And what if I knew I will be the happiest person on earth? Would I still resist the temptation of knowing it? Why should one not know the future? Is it because it reduces your effort function in the present day or it takes away your motivation to even try for something better.
I have been trying to tackle this question since sometime and yet haven't got an answer. There is this funny movie on the same theme starring Lindsay Lohan that I saw back in the US. It talks about a woman who has this great luck before she meets someone and loses it all. Funny story and pretty naive movie. But it still makes me think deeper into the question of future and all its ramifications. What if I knew?
