Trip to the Dark Side of the Moon... and back

I write this as I am coming down from my Dark Side of the Moon trip. Last night I  experienced what I can best describe as feeling - infinite. The Pink Flyod audio-visual tribute at Hamburg Planetarium was a total treat to all the senses. The cosmic stage set with choreography of 3D images, laser beams and occasional smoke released in the air was blockbuster stuff. Of course, the music from the entire album, Dark side of the Moon was intense as always, and with the great acoustics you could feel it in your skin. The show is actually a collaboration with the Salt Lake City Planetarium (USA) and proved to be a whole new platform to experience Pink Floyd on the 40th anniversary of the album.

There is something about this psychedelic music that I had always enjoyed listening to sitting upside down among other things. The rush of blood to the head with the music reverberating in the ear drums makes you float higher with the musical crescendo, and then dropping into a dark abyss. The songs remind us of our place in the cosmos, and the fact that how infinitesimally relevant our individual hopes and fears are actually in this vastness. Irony is, these two factors govern our whole lives. Many say the prism in the album cover represents ambition and madness. I think its pretty neat. (For those interested about this artwork, can follow this link further.)

Anyways coming back to the show, the visuals are designed to make you feel like you are on an acid trip. The theoretical smoke released occasionally during the show further confirms my above statement. I love the effect of laser beams cutting through this haze. All in all, the show is a total mindfuck. Excuse the last word, as I find no better way to explain that feeling. As you immerse yourself in that moment, there is love, joy, peace, elation, sadness - all hitting you at the same time. You can either close your eyes and savor the moment, or dare to keep them open and bask in it. Either way, you feel infinite.

There's someone in my head but it's not me.
And if the cloud bursts, thunder in your ear
You shout and no one seems to hear
And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes
I'll see you on the dark side of the moon....

Insurance

Mothers are like our old-age insurance

Not only they teach you to get old gracefully

But also show you what you will be like when old,
Like a mirror to the future.

Thank God, mine is an entrepreneur, doctor, an amazing singer - my supermom

But most importantly,

Someone with a Big and Beautiful heart.

Now, I can't wait to get old.

Something borrowed

~Dance Like No One's Watching~

We convince ourselves that life 

will be better after we get married, 

have a baby, then another. 

Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough 

and we'll be more content when they are.

After that we're frustrated that we 

have teenagers to deal with, 

we will certainly be happy 

when they are out of that stage.

We tell ourselves that our life will be complete 

when our spouse gets his or her act together, 

when we get a nicer car, 

are able to go on a nice vacation, 

when we retire. 

The truth is there's no better time 

to be happy than right now. 

If not now, when?

Your life will always be filled with challenges. 

It's best to admit this to yourself 

and decide to be happy anyway. 

One of my favorite quotes comes 

from Alfred D Souza.

He said, "For a long time it had seemed 

to me that life was about to begin -real life. 

But there was always some obstacle in the way, 

something to be gotten through first, 

some unfinished business, 

time still to be served, 

a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. 

At last it dawned on me that these 

obstacles were my life."

This perspective has helped me to see 

that there is no way to happiness. 

Happiness is the way, 

so, treasure every moment that you have. 

And treasure it more because you shared it 

with someone special, 

special enough to spend your time... 

and remember that time waits for no one.

So stop waiting until you finish school, 

until you go back to school, 

until you lose ten pounds, 

until you gain ten pounds, 

until you have kids, 

until your kids leave the house, 

until you start work, 

until you retire, 

until you get married, 

until you get divorced, 

until Friday night, 

until Sunday morning, 

until you get a new car or home, 

until your car or home is paid off, 

until spring, until summer, 

until fall, until winter, 

until you are off welfare, 

until the first or fifteenth, 

until your song comes on, 

until you've had a drink, 

until you've sobered up, 

until you die, until you are born again 

to decide that there is no better time 

than right now to be happy... 

Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

So, Work like you don't need money. 

Love like you've never been hurt and 

Dance Like no one's watching.

- Author Unknown

Came across this poem while ago, and it got stuck in my head since then.  It is a stark reminder of how much we lose while waiting for things to fall in place, for the pieces to fit in the jigsaw of our life, that we often lose sight of all the happiness that has always been around us, and most importantly within us. Ironically, the day all these things fall into place will be the last day of our lives. We are our obstacles, the pain, the gore and everything that is wrong in our lives. We are also the good moments, and the little joys in our lives. Its up to us how we define our lives. A little bit of this, and a little that. Sugar and spice, and everything nice, eh?