Random Musings 😏, Part-1

Soul Letter #12

Sep 04, 2021

Hi 👋, Shubham here.

Readers loved the little experiment we did in the previous newsletter.

Going with the flow, I am again gonna try something new in today’s Soul Letter🗞

Random Musings 😏 will be more casual than the regular newsletter. Basically, I will share anything like a scene from a movie that I loved or a line from a book, or anything random which is on my mind. I hope you get the feel.

Let's begin.

‘If you’re happy in a dream, Ammu, does that count?’

The above line is from a book named The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. Estha, a young boy asks this to his mother.

It’s such a thought-provoking line, and I ponder about it often.

Being rational, I feel while dreaming one rarely knows it’s an illusion, so technically they are actually experiencing the emotion like they would in real life.

Granted one is able to remember they were happy in a dream after waking up, then it does count. Plus, if they remember the exact reason why they were happy that’s even better.

However, if you alter the question slightly like if you’re rich in a dream, does that count, or if you’re successful in a dream, does that count?

Its obvious things achieved in our dreams are intangible and can’t be materialized in real life. Therefore the answer to the above question is a big no.

However, I still believe any emotions felt in a dream might count in real life.

I would love to know your thoughts on this.

Ping us on IG(@lettercallsoul) or mail us at lettercallsoul@gmail.com.

A Welcome Change

My parents are highly religious people. They pray and go to the temple daily.

During childhood, I was asked to do things against my will, like touching the feet of the elders every morning (to be clear, I am not against the practice but doing it daily is a tedious task) or waking up at odd hours for pooja.

Surprisingly they have softened up a bit. Nowadays, they don't impose their views.

Like many others, we celebrated Janmashtami this week. Everyone in my house had a fast, but it wasn’t mandatory. My mom asked me whether I wanted to keep a fast or not.

Although I did, I could have easily said no. It’s all up to me and my beliefs.

I remember the days when saying No wasn't an option.

Wouldn’t it be nice if people adopt a similar attitude towards other aspects of their lives like talking about religion or politics?

We can express our views and let the individual make a valid choice.

If their opinions are contradictory to ours, instead of getting offended we should learn to respect them.

What do you guys think?

Shershaah, yeh dil maange more!

Spoiler Alert!

Last Sunday, I finally saw Shershaah, and guys, what a movie!

The story, acting, songs, cinematography, everything was top-notch.

After watching movies like these it feels like Bollywood is moving in the right direction with the aim of making quality content.

Vikram Batra sacrificed his life at 24 and here I am crying about likes at 25 (shame on me). His energy and attitude were admirable.

I always thought the majority of kids especially in India wanted to be a cricketer when they were young. I feel the majority of adults wanna be part of the forces to serve their nation.

Believe me, I have spoken to multiple people and everyone gets pumped up while talking about the military, air force, or navy.

Ek Fouji Ke Rutabe Se Bada Koi Rutba Nahin, Vardi Ki Shan Se Badi Or Koi Shan Nahi… Or Apne Desh Se Bada Koi Dharm Nahin.

The songs are mesmerizing. Listening to Mann Bharryaa towards the end of the movie would literally make you cry 😢

Anyone who hasn’t seen the movie, watch it asap. I personally recommend it.

If you are feeling down, it’s the ideal way to rekindle your fire.

Conversations Threads

As you know I am using substack for publishing these newsletters. Threads is another cool feature offered by substack.

Basically, threads are a way to share our views on any topic. It’s more like an informal discussion.

Top newsletter writers have a dedicated day when they conduct thread conversations.

Following them, I have also decided to do threads. Although I won’t have a dedicated day. It will be random.

Like the newsletter, you will receive a mail for threads in your inbox.

This Thursday I started a thread conversation asking what are the reasons stopping you from reading.

One of the readers made a genuine point saying he doesn’t have a library nearby, and buying a hard copy isn’t economical.

Comment on the Thread

I love conversation threads, they build an authentic relationship.

One gets to know fellow readers’ views too.

I will encourage you to participate in the upcoming threads, given I can find some intriguing topics for discussions.

Build Quality Friendships👨‍👧‍👦

Video Recommendation

Ever wondered how the British royal family makes money?

Final Words

I have been struggling with a stiff neck this week. I played badminton last Sunday maybe that’s what caused it. Looking forward to being fully fit soon.

I ordered a smart weighing scale Eufy Smart Scale C1 from Flipkart. We can track several health metrics like weight, BMI, water percentage, etc on their app. It’s really cool and let’s see how it turns out. I will have a detailed review after 2-3 weeks.