ON KEEPING SECRETS!
‘THIS IS BETWEEN YOU AND ME’ is how it normally starts. And continues in this manner --- You are the only one I have told about this secret. Do not share it with anyone, not even with your wife or your sisters----blah, blah, blah--- This is how ‘secrets’ are normally shared. The whole secret is whispered into your ears. But you simply can’t bear its burden. You want to pass it on to the first person you meet or speak to and get it off your chest. And this is exactly how it started. I got a phone call. After exchanging the pleasantries she said, “This is between only you and me. No one else knows about it. I haven’t told anyone but you – not even my-------Vinay, do you know----. The other day Mrs. XXX told me about this. No, she hasn’t disclosed this even to her son or her daughter-in-law. Don’t tell this to anyone, not even your wife or your children--- ” She was telling me in a hushed tone. I asked her, “Is there anyone around?” “No” “Then please talk a bit louder. You are barely audible.” So she repeated the whole secrete once again and continued telling me that I should not share it with anyone. She must have told me at least ten times, ‘Vinay, do not share it with anyone’ and stopped only after she made me promise at least ten times that I wouldn’t share it with anyone. Obviously, she likes borrowing an ear and I happen to be a good listener, I suppose.
‘On keeping secrets’ reminds of the story of King Midas, I had read in my childhood, perhaps you too have read about it.
We all know how once Dionysus was pleased with Midas after he had successfully brought back Sillenus, his old school master and foster father, who had gone missing. Dionysus offered Midas his choice of whatever reward he wished for. Midas asked that whatever he might touch should be changed into gold. Midas rejoiced in his new power, which he hastened to put to the test. He touched an oak twig and a stone; both turned to gold. Overjoyed, as soon as he got home, he ordered the servants to set a feast on the table. Midas swelled at first with pride when he found he could transform everything he touched to gold; but when he beheld his food grew rigid and his drink hardened into golden ice. Midas realised that this gift was a bane and in his loathing for gold, cursed his prayer when he found that his daughter had turned to gold as well, when he had touched her accidentally. Cutting this part of the story short, we all know how he now hated the very gift he had coveted, how he prayed once again to Dionysus, how he got everything and everybody reversed back to normal. But this was not the end of the story for Midas. He got entangled in the dispute between Pan, the god of the fields and whom Midas worshiped and Apollo, the god of the lyre. Pan had challenged Apollo to a contest. Tmolus, the mountain-god, had awarded the victory to Apollo, and all but one agreed with the judgment. Midas dissented, and questioned the justice of the award. On hearing the protest from Midas, Apollo remarked, “If you do not understand who the clear winner in this musical contest is then indeed you must have ears of an ass!" And so this caused Midas to have ears of a donkey.
Again cutting it short, Midas was mortified at this mishap. He attempted to hide his misfortune under an ample turban or headdress, but his barber of course knew the secret, so was told not to mention it. However, the barber could not keep the secret; He simply couldn’t stomach it; he had to get it off his chest; he went out into the meadow, dug a hole in the ground, whispered the story into it, then covered the hole up. A thick bed of reeds later sprang up in the meadow, and began whispering the story, saying "King Midas has an ass' ears". [thus we have the Whispering Meadows] Wood- cutter cut the trees and had musical instruments like the drums and even our own ‘tabla’ and even today we can hear the same "King Midas has an ass' ears". There is legend that this curse has been passed down, generations after generations of the kings (those in authority), who all had donkey’s ears and barbers who couldn’t keep secrets. Each of these kings would hide their donkey-ears, and ordered each of his barbers to be murdered in order to hide his secret. The last barber among his people was counselled to whisper the heavy secret into a well after sundown, but he didn't cover the well afterwards. The well water rose and flooded the kingdom, creating the waters of Lake Issyk-Kul. This barber effect thus continues.
These days it is different. Why blame the poor barber. It is, I think, a human tendency ---or a folly? Salon is not the only place where you can unburden your secrets. There are those kitty parties where you could gossip away your secrets off your chest. Now we have lot many avenues as well. You don’t have to whisper into someone’s ears. We do have phones. We can pass the secret via email, only to be shared with the recipient of the mail. Or better still, you can share it on Face Book. This then is the ‘Barber Effect’ on me. I’m sure there will be call asking me, “Who phoned you? What’s the secret?”
Vinay Trilokekar
‘THIS IS BETWEEN YOU AND ME’ is how it normally starts. And continues in this manner --- You are the only one I have told about this secret. Do not share it with anyone, not even with your wife or your sisters----blah, blah, blah--- This is how ‘secrets’ are normally shared. The whole secret is whispered into your ears. But you simply can’t bear its burden. You want to pass it on to the first person you meet or speak to and get it off your chest. And this is exactly how it started. I got a phone call. After exchanging the pleasantries she said, “This is between only you and me. No one else knows about it. I haven’t told anyone but you – not even my-------Vinay, do you know----. The other day Mrs. XXX told me about this. No, she hasn’t disclosed this even to her son or her daughter-in-law. Don’t tell this to anyone, not even your wife or your children--- ” She was telling me in a hushed tone. I asked her, “Is there anyone around?” “No” “Then please talk a bit louder. You are barely audible.” So she repeated the whole secrete once again and continued telling me that I should not share it with anyone. She must have told me at least ten times, ‘Vinay, do not share it with anyone’ and stopped only after she made me promise at least ten times that I wouldn’t share it with anyone. Obviously, she likes borrowing an ear and I happen to be a good listener, I suppose.
‘On keeping secrets’ reminds of the story of King Midas, I had read in my childhood, perhaps you too have read about it.
We all know how once Dionysus was pleased with Midas after he had successfully brought back Sillenus, his old school master and foster father, who had gone missing. Dionysus offered Midas his choice of whatever reward he wished for. Midas asked that whatever he might touch should be changed into gold. Midas rejoiced in his new power, which he hastened to put to the test. He touched an oak twig and a stone; both turned to gold. Overjoyed, as soon as he got home, he ordered the servants to set a feast on the table. Midas swelled at first with pride when he found he could transform everything he touched to gold; but when he beheld his food grew rigid and his drink hardened into golden ice. Midas realised that this gift was a bane and in his loathing for gold, cursed his prayer when he found that his daughter had turned to gold as well, when he had touched her accidentally. Cutting this part of the story short, we all know how he now hated the very gift he had coveted, how he prayed once again to Dionysus, how he got everything and everybody reversed back to normal. But this was not the end of the story for Midas. He got entangled in the dispute between Pan, the god of the fields and whom Midas worshiped and Apollo, the god of the lyre. Pan had challenged Apollo to a contest. Tmolus, the mountain-god, had awarded the victory to Apollo, and all but one agreed with the judgment. Midas dissented, and questioned the justice of the award. On hearing the protest from Midas, Apollo remarked, “If you do not understand who the clear winner in this musical contest is then indeed you must have ears of an ass!" And so this caused Midas to have ears of a donkey.
Again cutting it short, Midas was mortified at this mishap. He attempted to hide his misfortune under an ample turban or headdress, but his barber of course knew the secret, so was told not to mention it. However, the barber could not keep the secret; He simply couldn’t stomach it; he had to get it off his chest; he went out into the meadow, dug a hole in the ground, whispered the story into it, then covered the hole up. A thick bed of reeds later sprang up in the meadow, and began whispering the story, saying "King Midas has an ass' ears". [thus we have the Whispering Meadows] Wood- cutter cut the trees and had musical instruments like the drums and even our own ‘tabla’ and even today we can hear the same "King Midas has an ass' ears". There is legend that this curse has been passed down, generations after generations of the kings (those in authority), who all had donkey’s ears and barbers who couldn’t keep secrets. Each of these kings would hide their donkey-ears, and ordered each of his barbers to be murdered in order to hide his secret. The last barber among his people was counselled to whisper the heavy secret into a well after sundown, but he didn't cover the well afterwards. The well water rose and flooded the kingdom, creating the waters of Lake Issyk-Kul. This barber effect thus continues.
These days it is different. Why blame the poor barber. It is, I think, a human tendency ---or a folly? Salon is not the only place where you can unburden your secrets. There are those kitty parties where you could gossip away your secrets off your chest. Now we have lot many avenues as well. You don’t have to whisper into someone’s ears. We do have phones. We can pass the secret via email, only to be shared with the recipient of the mail. Or better still, you can share it on Face Book. This then is the ‘Barber Effect’ on me. I’m sure there will be call asking me, “Who phoned you? What’s the secret?”
Vinay Trilokekar
Dear Vinay,
ReplyDeleteIt was nice to get your input after long break.
1) Borrowing somebody's ear is a weakness many of us suffer from.
2) In the second one, the two examples bring out the passion some people have for a particular activity Unfortunately the law keepers in Mumbai are neither sensitive to such acts nor can appreciate such gestures and the underlying feelings or motive.
Do keep sending such mails which make a different reading.
Thanks & regards
Kiran Kothare
mobile 9819816150
Ronica Vijayakar Very well written. Easy and smooth flow of words.enjoy reading your posts
ReplyDelete