It was one of those moments when realization hits you, and you feel like you’ve uncovered a truth omnipresent, yet seldom comprehended.
“So it seems to me that our rate of blinking is somehow geared more to our emotional state and to the nature and frequency of our thoughts than to the atmospheric environment we happen to find ourselves in.”
This quote, from the book ‘In The Blink Of An Eye’ by Walter Murch, made me pause my reading, put down the book and take a minute to sink in what I had just read. A film is like a thought, and cuts are like blinks, which separate and punctuate what we aspire to convey. It was one of those moments when realization hits you, and you feel like you’ve uncovered a truth omnipresent, yet seldom comprehended.
Ever since I was a child, I have been extremely fond of reading books, for they transport you to a world where imagination knows no bounds and at the same time serve as a means of catharsis. However, as I grew up, it became increasingly difficult to satiate my urge for reading and as responsibilities grew with age, I gradually learned how to ‘prioritize’. I channeled all my energy towards doing things that conventionally matter, and in the process, got out of sync with my inner self.
Quoting Mr. Murch again, “Most of us are searching-consciously or unconsciously- for a degree of internal balance and harmony between ourselves and the outside world”. I found this balance when I started introspecting, and consciously taking out ‘me time’ to do things that mattered to me. Reading is one of those, and was rekindled by reading ‘In the Blink of An Eye’.
The book was gifted to me by my college, Symbiosis Centre for Media & Communication, as a token of appreciation for my performance in the second semester. The course doesn’t merely aim to accord us all with a Bachelor’s Degree, but inculcate in us a sense of discipline, prepare us for the professional world by grinding and teach us how meaningfully appreciate things by example.
The simple act of encouraging consistency by felicitating course toppers with books creates a positive impact on everyone. The books that I have been presented with aren’t mere words printed in black and white, but words of gratitude imprinted on my heart. They are a constant reminder to strive just a little harder, push my boundaries just a little more and try to be a better version of myself.
Article by: Bhavna Kankaria (Batch of 2019)
Photograph by: Bhavna Kankaria (Batch of 2019)
