His father called him Michelagnolo lovingly, rarely. Yes, I'm talking about Michelangelo. Michelagnolo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni. (I crosschecked with googly-yes! I remember! I like remembering things I love-Don't ye too?) You must've heard his name even if fleetingly, in those history books in school eh? Probably you don't even remember. 'Renaissance' - ring a bell? Never mind. Actually, I don't blame you if you didn't give a shit- it's not your fault. But now, you sure can choose to!
"Teach me history as a lesson of mankind's humanity please." - Serena Fernandes (An awesome individual who defines undefinable friendship for me)
Spot on! I don't want to merely know what you did. I wish to know what you were thinking and feeling too!
And what better way to know the history than through the eyes of people who lived in those times? Yes, I'm talking about biographies - I'd always thought such accounts would be so boring but I know now that they are as gripping as any fiction, in fact even more awesome just because they have been true experiences! And if someone like Irving Stone has written it, you cannot deny the pleasure of reading the wonderful loving manner in which he respectfully and truthfully captures the character of the person and the era! What's best is that a biography is written after years of research and reading of lots and lots of material( the bibliography speaks volumes) on that person and presented to us so readily with the life-story of a human being just like a novel, albeit a real story! Imagine- from all those texts?!
You must be wondering what's gotten into me and what's this tone of talking I've adopted?! Haha well, I'll clear the fog a bit- Up until now even for me, Michelangelo was just a name associated with some great work he'd done. That's it- what work, why and how and even when? I don't recall and didn't bother either. History in school had been one of the most haunting subjects for me! I never could understand why I had to mug up the dates and names of heroes and places so remote in time and space- I never could relate at any level to anything. Perhaps you were luckier than me if you had a passionate teacher who made it interesting for you and contextualised it so you could relate in some way at some level and grasp the stories and the people in your imagination. Yes, it is important to have an open-minded passionate teacher for any subject who through his/her own imagination and readiness to learn AND share, instills that joy of learning in the student too- the rest is ofcourse upto the student how receptive he/she wishes to be of the treasure available to her/him (Yeah, I interchanged the gender on purpose. That shows that you ARE paying attention. You sure are smart and ofcourse thanks!)
So, listen to history = his story = the story of the Universe, of man, of God?
Ok, I got carried away with the word 'history'- You know words have some inherent truths in them! Most of them!(Probably all of them?) It's fun to play with words and once you start this journey of wordtruths, things seem much more richer and laden with meaning and it's great fun too! Also, you then start using words carefully and hunt for words to better express yourself or invent new ones! There- You've got a treasure hunt right there with endless treasure to seek and find!
I digress.
Getting back, yes- so I never thought I'd ever be interested in history- though the idea of archaeology was fascinating-an adventure! Who doesn't like an adventure? Well, by now you must surely have guessed and even getting impatient to know what this post is all about? How does Michelangelo figure here? What am I ranting about? What's the point? Why? Why Why? Hehe patience my friend!
There's one thing you must know about me- How I despise the way Education today has majorly become nothing more than feeding facts, testing rote-learning skills, judging and comparing individuals by 'marks' attained on totally irrelevant 'exams' to test the memory skills (I'm getting furious here.) I'll save the fury for some other day when I'll talk about this in greater detail and also give you a balm in the form of my vision for Education as it should be and as it will be- A place for each individual to blossom irrespective of anything. A place where you will be recognised and respected for who you are and who you want to be and who you can become! Ok, I'm giving away too much. Michelagnolo's getting impatient now haha!
So, yes, I love history now. Why? Because I see stories now- of human beings, of their lives- their dreams, passions, fears, emotions, pains, loves - And how the tide of events shaped them and how they shaped the events around them. Human beings just like you and me- Imagine! With unique bodies, minds and souls like no other and yet we find so many similarities! Doesn't it give you faith and courage in yourself? It sure does to me! Until now, all those historical figures and events were empty for me- images with no content but now as I am gradually getting more and more aware I see me somewhere in there, in fact everywhere- I feel the Universal connection beyond time and space yet so rooted in time and space- Funny eh? Isn't it beautiful?
"Teach me history as a lesson of mankind's humanity please." - Serena Fernandes (An awesome individual who defines undefinable friendship for me)
Spot on! I don't want to merely know what you did. I wish to know what you were thinking and feeling too!
And what better way to know the history than through the eyes of people who lived in those times? Yes, I'm talking about biographies - I'd always thought such accounts would be so boring but I know now that they are as gripping as any fiction, in fact even more awesome just because they have been true experiences! And if someone like Irving Stone has written it, you cannot deny the pleasure of reading the wonderful loving manner in which he respectfully and truthfully captures the character of the person and the era! What's best is that a biography is written after years of research and reading of lots and lots of material( the bibliography speaks volumes) on that person and presented to us so readily with the life-story of a human being just like a novel, albeit a real story! Imagine- from all those texts?!
Perhaps, you are not understanding any of this- Fret not I say! Even I wouldn't have understood (forget even talking about it like this) a few years back, in fact probably even yesterday it might have eluded me. Here I must make clear to you that whatever I've said here or ever before and even in the future- I can't call it my own because I am aware and very grateful to all those others who have inspired me with their thoughts and stories until now and helped me express my own thoughts and ideas! I'd like to name the sources, I try to remember but I know I can't cover the ones who unconsciously influenced and directed me so I send my thanks to the Universe- I trust it to send these loving energies to all of them, even you perhaps because I know that it sees everything!
(In case you are wondering, I prefer saying Universe rather than God. Somehow when I say God, I imagine many of you to visualise religion and the question pops- which God you believe in? Isn't God one? Universe is God. God is everywhere right? Universe is everywhere too! It's everything- you, me, everything around us even things we haven't seen! Isn't it awesome?! I like thinking that the Universe is the source and that source could be you too! I am only a medium just as you, channeling the energy!)
Believe me, if you have got excited at any spot until here (ofcourse since you cared to pursue and reach here) I guarantee you- Some day you will be writing about your own experience which many others will read and that day even you will assure them- Worry not, You shall see! Or maybe you will express through another medium- art, music, movies, dance, talks or anything else that's your calling, that excites you, a medium that helps you flow and that shall help others find their flow- even perhaps the way you live and love and care?!
(In case you are wondering, I prefer saying Universe rather than God. Somehow when I say God, I imagine many of you to visualise religion and the question pops- which God you believe in? Isn't God one? Universe is God. God is everywhere right? Universe is everywhere too! It's everything- you, me, everything around us even things we haven't seen! Isn't it awesome?! I like thinking that the Universe is the source and that source could be you too! I am only a medium just as you, channeling the energy!)
Believe me, if you have got excited at any spot until here (ofcourse since you cared to pursue and reach here) I guarantee you- Some day you will be writing about your own experience which many others will read and that day even you will assure them- Worry not, You shall see! Or maybe you will express through another medium- art, music, movies, dance, talks or anything else that's your calling, that excites you, a medium that helps you flow and that shall help others find their flow- even perhaps the way you live and love and care?!
HOW DID THIS ALL HAPPEN? WHAT HAS MICHELANGELO GOT TO DO WITH THIS???
Michelangelo has got everything to do with this! He is the one who has beyond doubt removed all doubt from my mind that the Universe, this life you and me have got is truly magical! I just finished reading his biography called "The Agony and the Ecstasy" by Irving Stone. Don't worry- it isn't only about Michelangelo's philosophy or thoughts or any self-help book for only artists- It's a biography- his life right from his birth right to his death and how he lived, what he thought and what he felt! Irving has a way with putting down these stories very humanely- stories so dehumanisingly written in history textbooks! (Aha now you see why I was ranting about history in school?)
I love Michelangelo- the person he was- how he loved and lived- how his intense love for stone guided him through and how serendipitiously he found the right people from right places at right times for his passion, his dream, his only wish to carve and share his vision of the beauty of humanity, the vision of God! It's truly magical! Gives you a perspective on your life you know? Perhaps all you require is the right state of mind to truly grasp and understand something eh?
(I highly recommend this book to anyone who has even had a spark of interest- whenever you wish to or feel like reading it-that's most important-Don't read it if it doesn't pull you in or interest you- find another source that catches your attention and follow your instinct-it knows better!)
Here I'll share my magical story of how I found the book or rather how the book found me! I am cent percent sure that if this book had come to me any sooner or later, I wouldn't have understood and loved it as much! Guess who introduced me to Michelagnolo?
PS: I'd started this post with the intention of sharing Michelagnolo's awesome thoughts that went behind each of his work, his very human experiences just like you and me and how he struggled to never compromise his way of seeing things and how he managed! Gosh, just go on and read it lest I repeat the whole book out here! The Agony and the Ecstasy Hmm, so Irving Stone indeed used the term "biographical novel" to cover his genre of writing! Love it- a fictional narrative on the psychology of private lives of historical figures! Wow! Imagine getting into the skin of that person to be able to write what he felt and thought! SALUTE!
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