There are three, no, four things I enjoy reading at breakfast, while eating cereal or bacon and eggs: mathematics, theology, Harry Potter, and the funny papers. While this may seem an unpalatable mix to some, to me, it's a perfect start to the day. Catapulting oneself from the depths of Dreamland straight into Lucidity can make good mental exercise, I tell you. And contemplating the mysteries of the universe while trying to focus on your food can sometimes lead to shocking conclusions, the kind you would never dare to come up with under normal circumstances. I believe it is this mixture of the absurd and the mundane that has kept me down to earth, yet not so low as to be boringly dull (my, what a horrid state to be in). In two words, just right.
I am a musician, a classical violinist, to be exact. I am also a mathematician/scientist/linguist. In one word, scholar (or geek). I have a passion for all four fields, pursue all four actively, and would like to think that I do good in all of them. This tends to be a problem sometimes; some people think I'm too arrogant, others think I'm "abnormal" (exactly why someone who finds math and science easy should not be normal, I don't know), both of which I am not. I have also met some resistance within the academic community, from a surprisingly large portion that believe that a) musicians make lousy scientists due to their romantic and intellectually challenged nature, and b) if the former be false, one still cannot keep up with the demands of being a scholar while maintaining a concert career. Total gibberish, in my opinion, because I have been doing just that ever since I started playing the violin at 7 years old. Still, that doesn't change their sentiments, and so my words are usually met with polite skepticism and are rarely, if at all, taken seriously. It surprises me a lot that scientists and mathematicians, who with all their forward-thinking are supposed to be open-minded individuals, act much more conservative than the classical musicians they brand as "old-fashioned" and "small-minded". Oh well.
Life is unfair.
Sanjaya Malakar, of American Idol notoriety, had just the right attitude. No matter how many times he was insulted by the judges or the public, he would just laugh it off and come back the next week sporting a new hairdo and his trademark impish grin. It didn't matter to him what anyone said, as long as he knew he was doing his best. Because he knew that Life, though unfair, is much too precious to waste by sulking.
My mom has this uncanny ability of being able to stay happy, no matter what. Even though she is beset by all kinds of illnesses, she never lets it get over her. She's also the only person I know who can turn a horror movie into a comedy. I marvel at her, at her talent of being able to worry but still be optimistic about life, at her infinite happiness and hope.
How does one create happiness? I don't know. I have all these books on happiness and biochemistry and how mental injury affects mood, but I still don't know how to become happy. Perhaps I take things too seriously. I don't know. But my mom suggested to me once that, if I wanted to find the funny side of life, I should start by finding five reasons to smile or laugh before breakfast. There was something more to it, I forgot what, but so far, it seems she was right. When life starts acting unfairly, it's best to tackle it head-on, and then, when you have done all you could, sit down and find something absurd to laugh at. After all, life is what we make it.
There are three, no, four things I enjoy reading at breakfast, while eating cereal or bacon and eggs: mathematics, theology, Harry Potter, and the funny papers. While this may seem an unpalatable mix to some, to me, it's a perfect start to the day. For me, it's a perfect balance between the profound and the not-so-profound.
It's best not to take life too seriously.
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