Hope in 2022

We build hope give Hope take Hope wish hope-it’s hope and hope all the way.

Hope for better life

We are taught hope is good – and we hope for things to become better even if everything in our life sucks. What’s the payoff? I guess ability to go on with our life. Question is what’s the price we pay?

Let me tell you a story- 

This hobo is traveling in the train- ticket checker comes and ask him to show his ticket. The guy looks in this pocket and that pocket but skips one pocket in an obvious manner. This doesn’t escape the ticket checker’s keen eyes and he questions him why he won’t look into “that pocket “

The hobo’s response is “I am afraid to find it not being there either”

Well funny it is – but really that is what hope is and not finding it there is akin to hopelessness.

The bottom line we would go to any extent to have hope in our life even if it’s “false hope”

We are willing to live in a deluded world if it offers us hope. It could be in God’s benevolence or the promises of a leader.

Where does Hope takes us?

When we are little, we are powerless, puny, dependent, and we hope one day we would be big, independent and stronger. When we are adults, we hope for the day, when we would be wealthy, powerful and famous. When we are older, we hope we would leave a legacy behind us and when we are close to death we hope for an eternity in heaven.

The problem is “hope” always belongs to “tomorrow” and we can only live in today. Too much “dope”of “hope “and we miss the boat of “today”

Maybe a little Hope could propel us to live on, in the face of the absurdity of life 

It’s a known fact that “hopelessness “goes along with “clinical depression” but psychologists have found enough empirical data that people who are depressed are more realistic whereas normal happy people are little less so.

Reminds me of a two act play by Samuel Beckett in which two characters, engage in a no-nothing kind of ramblings while awaiting a mythical Godot, who never arrives. This waiting game acts as a glue to bind their absurd ramblings.

Just a “sprinkle of hope” in 2022 ,would be good enough, so that we can “wait for Godot” and continue to engage in our shenanigans.

So, I ask for just a sprinkle of hope in 2022-just enough to bind the absurdities of life because a little more would entomb our lives into eternal deadness! 

Published by Trikalsun

Born and brought up in New Delhi - the capital of India , completed my medical school and psychiatric education  at the prestigious Maulana Azad Medical college. After immigrating to the States I trained at Brookdale Hospital affiliated with SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn New York. I was the chief resident and a fellow at New York Psychoanalytic Clinic in my final year of training.  Thereafter , I had a brief training in child psychiatry. I came to the upstate in 2000 and since then I have worked in both clinical and teaching positions at Mental Health Clinics , State Hospital, Mary Black Hospital, Spartanburg Regional Hospital and PRISMA  Health System. My approach in Psychiatry is Client Centered. I strongly believe that psychiatric problems can engulf our whole being and underlying causes are multi factorial - genetic, medical, psychological, social , spiritual and so on. The treatment modalities  should be based  on  our knowledge in neurosciences, behavioral sciences, literature, philosophy and religion. My mantra is to promote “ physical, mental , social and spiritual well being”. Above all, my message to my future patients is that “ we are all struggling with the problems of life and helping them is a privilege and opportunity for learning more about life”

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