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Dear Rafi,
Although I have never met you physically, yet I find myself
thinking about you and our friendship many times. I have an intuition
that we can do something wonderful together, but I do not know what it
is yet. I know it would be creative and philosophical.
I feel we have a number of interests in common
Science
Philosophy
Psychology
and
Literature
So I have decided that I would write you a series of
letters sharing my philosophy and life experiences. You feel free to
respond to the letters that inspire you and overlook the ones that do
not touch you. I am hopeful that as we discover a common rhythm, we
might be able to have an exciting dialogue. I feel there is so much
inside you that needs to be expressed and shared with the rest of the
world. Wherever I see some creative potential, I like to engage in a
creative dialogue. For me dialogues are like three legged-races, both
parties have to find a common rhythm.
In our relationship, I just have only one concern. I do not
want to get into a debate with you. I see a dialogue different than a
debate. In a dialogue there is no pressure to convince and convert the
other. The emphasis is on sharing and letting the creative flow lead the
discussion. Dialogues are like love letters and Khalil Gibran once said,
“Don’t you ever think, you can guide love, if love finds you worthy, she
will guide you.” So if our affection for each other grows through these
letters, we might be guided by our mutual love and admiration for each
other. I wanted to be honest with you about my concern as one of the
reasons I withdraw from some of the dialogues on the inter-net is when I
see dialogue transforming into a debate. That is when egos are bruised
and feelings hurt.
I want to keep on learning and each friendship is an
opportunity for me to grow. I hope, like good friends, we bring out the
best in each other. There was a time I loved to win arguments but I know
I would like to win a few hearts through my writings as all my writings
whether poems or stories or essays are love letters to the world.
So let us share our philosophies and life experiences with
each other and the rest of the world. Let us follow the tradition of
Socrates who taught us that dialogue is one way of finding the truth. I
am aware that there are as many truths as there are human beings in the
world. Sharing our truths is fascinating as the process challenges us
and helps us grow. I hope I keep on growing till the day I die.
I am always intrigued by people’s dreams and wait till
those dreams come true. When I was a teenager I had the following dreams
…to become a writer
…to become a therapist
…to travel all over the world
and
…to have friends from all over the world
I feel fortunate that I have been successful in fulfilling
my dreams. As I grow those dreams become more enriched. Since I do not
know you that well, I am curious what kind of dreams did you have as a
teenager?
Sharing your dreams might a good start for me to get to
know you and initiate a creative dialogue. Looking forward to your
response.
Affectionately,
Sohail
May 10th, 2006
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