Splash No. 161 - Storytime
Storytime
It’s been a long week, so I’ll just leave you with a quick thought:
When I was younger, my dad would come into my room every night before I went to sleep and tell me a story. But these weren’t your typical “once upon a time” stories made up on the spot, filled with plot holes or read from a book. No, my dad would recount the great Hindu epics to me, explaining in detail of the journeys of Rama and Arjuna as a part of the Mahabharata and Ramayana. In our nightly routine, my dad could've rivaled Homer or Aeneid in his storytelling, painting a vivid picture of the sacrifices Shabari took for Rama’s benefit, or the dice game where Yudhishthira sealed the fate of his brothers. More than a dozen years later, I still hold those pictures in my mind — stories that have stuck around after all of this time.
I wonder if these stories are a part of the reason I write today — to capture the magic of the storytelling he shared with me all those years ago. I wonder if it sparked an interest in mythology that led to an interest in religion and an interest in philosophy. I wonder if it made me want to read more and devour as many books as I have and see stories as a place of refuge in times of difficulty and times of confusion. I wonder how the love we offer in small doses can flower into something greater without us realizing. I wonder how many ways I could pass it on.
Drops of the Week
PLAYLIST - Alice Coltrane - An Introduction - recently dug into Alice Coltrane and her deep Hindu influence — she has some great versions of bhajans I grew up listening to!
ARTICLE - "How To Think Beyond Ourselves" by James Cartwright - digs into the nature of human thinking and how its current state could have some terrible implications.
POEM - "July" by Henrietta Cordelia Ray - summer vibes!
With each day, we can move closer to a more equitable world. Reminders:
Donate to Asian Americans Advancing Justice Atlanta Mutual Aid Networks
Anti-racism resources
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Pensively,
Nikhil