Are we in a good or bad place in history?

We live in extraordinary times. People offend for silly reasons. Get offended for even more sillier reasons. Could it be our old conditioning because of which we expect a lot more than we’re being offered? Or, in other words what we’re accustomed to, for years and decades, as grown ups. We have lived a certain way. Culturally, socially and politically. Our heroes were different, whether we worshipped them or not. And now we’re getting used to a new crop of brash ones who live out their life on Twitter. Our values, practices and beliefs systems too were very different. Our society did have healthy levels of tolerance. At least we had persons with a good amount of integrity in important positions as guiding lights. And it did give space for diversity and inclusion. Kindness and compassion were virtues. Not weaknesses. Slight, malice and deceit were not considered useful traits or given importance to. Our religious, political and caste differences weren’t bigger than us as a whole – inhabitants of a nation, a planet, and humanity shined through whenever challenged. At least virtues were the standard by which one measured human conduct. We as a chaotic populace had addas and coffee shops to argue day long and not be shut out. Division too could be celebrated as much as our similarities were. Mostly. We had faith in our countrymen. Intent was not always for questioning. Those were healthy discrepancies for a cordial debate and growth. Weren’t meant to divide us straight in the middle. You never grudged someone for being different. Quite subconsciously you thought s/he had rights too. That’s when our masters were corrupt out of laziness and born out of the system that preserved a status quo. Disruption was not heard of because expectations were realistic and too much greed had a connotation of shamelessness. Respect was earned more than it was imposed. One had a reputation to keep, whether super rich or lower middle class. People believed in building and maintaining trust. One fostered relationships not blunt transactions. I might seem like the one with a tinted glass expecting the present set of realities to change. A sort of longing for the past or a nostalgia for what isn’t right, right now. Agree. An old man called Donald ji set this new trend. And many have transformed themselves taking on his theatrics and persona. But it’s important to remember that the present circumstances are not likely to change in the way I want it or in the way our current crop of politicians in power. It does change in the way our representatives want, to the extent that it’s practical. As in, I firmly believe that nature is supreme and much more wise and we’re merely clever in front of it. Unless we accept the fact that we’re part of and are nature. It’s important to realise that we humans are tinkering our surroundings and the environment without a life jacket for the future. If you don’t want to think beyond the powers that you wield, it is heartening to realise that everything falls apart one fine day and everyone us will die, without exception. Yes, of course that’s good news and bad news at the same time. Nothing ever goes on forever. Yet, the show must go on. Whether we’re present in it to witness it or not. With. Or without you.