I’m more so the fisherman.

Allow me a moment, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about this space.

First, a fable…

Once upon a time in ancient feudal Japan, a fisherman taught a banker a lesson that would change his life.

The banker was vacationing in a coastal hamlet not far from Osaka, when a fisherman docked beside him with several stunning, enormous bluefin tuna - revered to be Emperor’s food, in his small boat. The banker, immensely impressed, complimented the fisherman on his catch and inquired how long it had taken.

“Just a while”, said the fisherman.

The banker asked why the fisherman didn’t stay out longer and catch more fish.

The fisherman replied as he unloaded the tuna, one by one, “Because I have enough to support my family. Also, I enjoy sleeping in late, playing with my children, tend to our plants with my wife and strolling into the village in the evenings to sip Sake and play Koto with my friends.”

The banker, who was well tutored under Royal tutelage, scoffed and gave the fisherman a lesson in business…

“Spend more time fishing. With the proceeds, buy a bigger boat, and with the additional earnings, buy several boats. Eventually, you will have a fleet of fishing vessels  and you could move to a big city like Kyoto or Tokyo to run your growing business.”

“But then what?” questioned the fisherman.

The banker sneered and said, “Then, you could eventually sell your catches across the kingdom and become a millionaire. You can become the wealthiest fisherman in the empire.”

“But then what?” asked the fisherman, again.

The banker responded, “Then you can retire when you’re old. Move to a small coastal village and build a massive mansion, play with your grandchildren, gift your wife jewels and ride into the village in your own chariot while you have a staff of your own bodyguards & doctors at your disposal. You can lead a life full of riches.”

The fisherman smiled at the banker, winked, threw the stringed tuna over his shoulder and then carried his catch into the village.

I intend to be that wink for the world.

Like the fisherman in the fable shared above, I take a slow & thoughtful (sometimes whimsical) approach to nearly everything in life, remembering that more isn’t always better.

Whether it’s making Paneer Parathas with my wife on a lazy Sunday afternoon, cozying up with our pup or thinking up the next post for here, I’m never one for rushing things. 

No, I want to design and breathe life into the work that I do and the things that I create and then some more.

And, I can’t see myself living any other way. It’s just not who I am.

Esoteric Musings is a space where I reflect on numerous things. From movies to music to philosophy to art to design to sheer fan-service to great works that I adore. And then some more. I try my puny best to see things through a logical & rational lens. However, I love being challenged. Cause if there’s one thing that livens me up like nothing else, it would be GREED! Greed for not many things, but things that are higher, better and deeper! (Yeah, yeah! I know!! I bore you with a story about how less is more and then I say that my driving force is greed. Well, now you know I’m a walking paradox. But hold on! Aren’t we all?! Food for thought!!)  Moments, conversations, people,  art, values that shaped me, that excite me and ones that elude me. These are some of the things that are going to have a space here.

Now, with all that said, if I’m lucky enough to call you a reader, terrific!! But, if for whatever reason you don’t see anything that catches your mind, please walk away with this…

Leave the planet better than you found it.

I encourage you to leave the world better than you found it by thoughtfully choosing quality over quantity, less over more, lasting over “trending” and profound over popular. 

I think now more than ever, our world could use more of the fishermen’s ethos.

A.

Now, Go Fish…