"O Captain, My Captain"

Some of these men left us but did in fact leave something behind. Valuable thoughts put into words. Words that you still can feel while you’re walking on a sunny day feeling the wind gently touching your cheeks and fluidly floating in your hair.

Yes. Focus and you can hear them telling their poems. And then you think to yourself: these people never left without keeping something behind.

These people are dead now, but they are still members of a highly recognized society:

“The Dead Poet Society”

In 1989, Peter Weir paid tribute to these Poets in the award-winning motion picture “Dead Poet Society”, written by Tom Schulman. Robin Williams plays the character of John Keating, an English Professor with a unique method of teaching which inspires young men to pursue literature and poetry from its hidden meaning aspect rather than from the simple fact that poetry is a group of words put together to make sense and sound nice. In a way, he proved that poetry is somewhere hidden in each one of us. It’s just a matter of finding it and enjoying all the beauty that comes with it.

John Keating says:

“ We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.

Living the life that we were given is a blessing and an enjoyable ride. With all the good and bad experiences we encounter. The "whole" makes life a sunny ride filled with greatness. But what if we can even make it better? What if we could see things not just as they look, but also as they seem? Why live quietly when getting crazy makes you feel the natural wildness of this world?

People tend to live quietly. Some never find their own voices. We tend to adapt to what’s out there. Most of the times we never bother to have an impact on others. We are simple receptives of what’s around in the environment. We rarely try to send some inspiration around. And then see how people react. Hoping that they would react as expected. How nice would it be to enjoy the wildness of the world with the people around. A lion would have never been the king of the jungle if no other animals were there.

John Keating also says:

“ Boys, you must strive to find your own voice. Because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all. Thoreau said, "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation." Don't be resigned to that. Break out!

People come across many roads while living their lives. Choosing which roads to take determines someone’s life. That critical path that we all go through. That tunnel that keeps ending and starting again. But people tend to chose roads which have been traveled more often. They feel secured thinking that others have been able to reach safely the end of this road. But what if you take the other roads? Those traveled less. What if you take the risk and probably enjoy the beauty that comes with it. I once said that the most beautiful things are hidden in the least expected places. Someone special actually showed me some. We tend to ride the highways and escape the narrow streets. We tend to live our lives as others want us to live it. We forget that our lives are ours and it’s us who should decide how to live it.

John Keating says:

“ Now we all have a great need for acceptance, but you must trust that your beliefs are unique, your own, even though others may think them odd or unpopular, even though the herd may go, "that's baaaaad." Robert Frost said, "Two roads diverged in the wood and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."

Never think that there’s no Poet hidden inside you. It’s up to you to reveal it or not. It’s up to you to live out that pure energy or keep it inside and live the boring life of a predictable model man. Never say that you can’t write because it’s not you who writes, it’s that Poet inside you. Don’t disrespect that Poet, at least give him a chance. Sometimes he might be asleep or hurt, but some day he will wake up again and blow you away with beautiful words that mix with the words of those dead Poets. Again words that hit you on a sunny day with a small breeze.

Again, John Keating says:

“ Though much is taken, much abides; and though We are not now that strength which in old days Moved Earth and Heaven, that which we are, we are; One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

Be poetic for the sake of those dead Poets. Those whom have visited you in your dreams and whom have given you the strength to find that hidden side of you.

They are dead indeed. But they live in their deaths.

One

You’re not the man you chose to be whom you really are, but instead you’re the outcome of the environment surrounding you. You’re the result of life ingredients being thrown at you. You never choose whom you want to be by yourself. But so many people decide for you.

Architectures are always fake models of man’s creation. What’s real is what’s inside. Nothing concrete, but just the spirits that wander within.

Never decide who you really want to be. Rather decide who you friends should be. Decide how to live and adjust accordingly. Adapt your way of living with what’s there around you.

Sometimes we find ourselves lost in a vast world. Sometimes we find ourselves and find our way back. Sometimes we fight to keep advancing, hitting so many walls on our way. Sometimes we insist and some other times we give up. The decision or the perseverance is a result of our physical condition, as it can be a result of our mental one. Giving up and going further is a decision we take. We adapt it to our environment.

We don’t live alone on this planet. There are so many people living there too. Each wants to survive. And survive well. Each wants to be rich, famous and happy. Human conditions we see today are the results of the distribution of wealth among all mankind. Unfortunately there are no enough resources to make each one rich, famous and happy. People will have to fight to reach the desired. Luck enters the equation most of the time. But luck is the outcome of trial. If you try, you increase your chances. If not, you have no chance at all.

Sometimes people want nothing but something. A mother who lost her son wants nothing but her son back. She doesn’t care if she was rich or not. All she wants is her son to be at her side. A blind man wants to see all the colors of the world. Some can see better than we do, even if blind, but still putting a color to a vision is something great to watch.

People lose loved ones. People lose needed things. People grieve. Some get over it and some others live with it. Some adapt and some others don’t. It’s just how life is. Hard to live sometimes. But great to go through.

What would you do to have one person back in your life? Who would you chose? What a hard of a decision that would be. Some of you already know the answer. Some others will have to think deeply. Only one person. Whether that person left to another planet or left to settle on the other end of this one we live in.

Imagine. You have the power to bring back only one person.

I know whom to choose. I wouldn’t think about it for a second. Some others who have left me, I will keep there. It was their time. They’re better off away. But someone left for no reason. For no purpose at all. It wasn’t the right time.

There are six billion people in this world. Six billion soles. Some are good but struggling with evil. Some others are bad but struggling with goodness.

Yes. Six billion people in this world.

And sometimes, all you need is one!

For a Reason, a Season or a Lifetime

I've learned that everybody has a story, and probably a secret, and it's likely not that different from yours or mine. I've learned that everyone has something beautiful about them, and that I'm not always good at looking for it hard enough. I've learned that sometimes it's better to write the truth into a letter, and then not send it. But that I should write it anyway. I've learned that I have been very lucky in my life, and that I think I owe the world something in thanks.

Yes. I have seen. I have seen what many others have also seen. And I have enjoyed seeing. I have enjoyed seeing the good and the bad. I have been enjoying the whole ride.

I have kept good thoughts to myself. I have also kept some bad ones too. I have written that letter that was only addressed to myself and never seen by others. I have thought of my life as a ride which gets bumpy every now and then.

You know? I too live on that planet. But I have also tried to take some vacations on others. I have seen sunsets and sunrises. But still I haven’t seen the sunset and the sunrise.

I have tried to see what’s not there to be seen. What’s there in the emptiness. In the darkness. I have realized that answers are not necessarily there, where answers should be. But rather they are sometimes where you never expect them to be. Somewhere in the emptiness.

I have loved and been loved. I have lost those who meant the most to me. And I have seen people come and go. Some have kept something and some others have kept nothing. And it’s sad. It’s sad to see people leaving without leaving anything behind.

Some people are actually looking from up there. They are watching. Probably talking to us. Sometimes it’s hard to hear their voices. But they are there. Some people have said goodbye without even saying goodbye. They have told us to take care. To look after ourselves. Did they know they were going to die? I don’t know. I will never figure it out until some day we meet again. And yes, we will meet again. The day will come when someone will show me around Heaven. I really miss him. By now, I almost forgot how he looks like. I almost forgot the tone of his voice. I almost forgot everything. But the thing is that he kept something behind. He kept me feelings I will surely never forget.

He’s still remembered and missed everyday. I should keep it to myself but this is not the “me” writing down.

Sometimes I have thought of life as being unfair. Taking away the loved ones too soon. But loved ones leaving too soon actually leave for a reason. Sometimes because they’re too good. Too good to live in a world of wars, injustice and sisters fighting over nothing. Too tired of being too good in a world of bad surroundings.

Again, recently one of my school mates has died in a car accident. I hope she is happy wherever she is. I hope she has seen that sunrise.

I am seeing my nephews grow further. But they are getting more and more beautiful. Sometimes it’s painful to look at such beauty. So perfect.

Again, people come and go. Again, people knock on our doors. Some we let in and some others we keep out. Some leave after a while and some others stay.

Both life nature and society taught us that people come into our lives either for a reason, a season or a lifetime.

Wherever you will fall, it’s nice and will be nice meeting you.