Of Screamers’ & Whisperers’
You have probably heard of the givers and takers. Have you heard of the screamers and whisperers?
A thought struck as I surmised about my brand-new purse bought on an immediate redeemable voucher with no options to choose from; the brand initials printed all over in bold font & dopamine colors on white leather- a definite screamer this. I would have in fact preferred a toned- down version in self- print camouflaging with the base color- more of a whisperer; but alas, stock had run out. Got me brooding over the human stock, too many screamers out there for comfort. Ouch!
We would prefer the companionship of a whisperer who would perhaps silently and softly tread along without being the noise in our heads but would seize the opportunity for management lessons on how to be a successful screamer, pack a punch and sell our talents to the highest bidder. Darn!
Look around. If we are doing numbers, popular music taste has largely gravitated from soft whispering melodies to thundering loud genres. Soothing classical musical recitals has a smaller niche audience as compared to the booming market for rock concerts. The high decibels may give tinnitus or render you hearing impaired, yet the performers do not refrain from yelling “Make some more noise people”.
Screaming over the top commercials, flashy F & B packaging popping out of overstuffed racks in hypermarkets has our hand inadvertently reaching out for them for FOMO on an assured QOL that such captivating branding dictates. At the risk of sounding technophobic, I somewhere feel the same holds true for gadgets, apps (sic) and apparels. “All that glitters is not gold and all that is ritzy is definitely an environmental wrecking ball”. Greater the attack on our senses, greater their pull & charisma. So much for screamers.
We have not let our pets miss this swanky bus either. Well- groomed cute paws with coat hair straightened or smoothened, perhaps even lavished with keratin treatment as that of their chic owners, a sassy ribbon here, a pretty bow there- “screaming beauties”. Who then would as much throw a glance at our desi mongrel always offering voluntary guard on our way back home through dark empty alleys, at most whispering for our attention or a morsel of food.
Let us now turn serious attention to other pressing issues. Affluent screamer nations make the most noise at world summits while peacefully discharging the greatest number of effluents; pledging tall donations for the Green Climate fund but dramatically falling behind while the world sears. The less developed nations suffering the consequences of climate catastrophe in the form of droughts, displacement, tsunami due to heavy greenhouse gas emissions by the self-entitled nations, their pleas and representation very often muffled to a whisper in the cacophony of bigoted geopolitical dialogue. Whether goals outlined in COP28 shall make a significant difference in protecting vulnerable communities and mobilizing inclusivity is to be seen!
In conjunction with the collective dynamics of blood coursing through our veins (Bohr effect) and world economics, shift to the right is a good thing. And maybe yet, there is time for a good switch, a virtuous shift from screaming anti- environmental, self- perilous choices to whispering acts of kindness, gentle living with gratitude (preached in teachings of Bhagwad Gita and Japanese practice of Mottainai), thought for fellow humans and the world around us. And if scream you must, scream for the rights of the lone whisperers with neither the moolah nor might left to fight.
Shake the world but in a gentle way. So, for all things spoken and unspoken, lets “Shift to the right.”
"Life is a matter of choices and every choice you make makes you (John C. Maxwell)". So, choose responsibly.
#environment #COP28 #greenclimate fund #tsunami #rockconcerts #blogger #womenwhowrite #mycolumn #rachnacreates
Are you a screamer or a whisperer?