End-game Bliss and the power of Machine Head

What, I ask you, gentle readers, do the following concepts have in common?

• The winning runs being completed after Sachin slaps the ball through the covers off the last ball of a tight match and scampers up and down the pitch.
• The appearance of the black screen and credits sequence at the end of James Cameron's Titanic.
• A quick glance at one's academic exam results that reveal that one didn't do as badly as one initially thought.
• The sigh that one emits as one relieves oneself after sprinting out of the bus, into one's building, up the stairs, into one's home and then, the bathroom after holding it in for ever so long.

The answer (in my book, at least) is the notion of End-game Bliss. Relief. "Oh my sweet Lord, it's finally over". I experienced that earlier today and not because of any of the reasons above, it must be added. It has more to do with the conclusion of something pointless I found myself trapped in.
Essentially, I am a born-optimist. I've always been optimistic in my outlook to life, whether to do with interpersonal relationships, the weather or even about a film being good/better than the reviews suggest.

This week I found my optimism smashed to bits about a tiny and rather inconsequential matter that I thought reason held the answer to. Reason is and always has been touted as man's greatest gift and one that seemingly makes him smarter and better off than all other organisms. Bigotry, narcissism and narrow-mindedness brings man back down to the levels (or perhaps lower than that) of other organisms. But, back to it. Reason failed this time around. It's like Navroze Behramfram (aka Living Legend) always said: "No product appeals to all consumers".

So it isn't a big deal really, more so because I'm relieved that it's all finally over. But what was it that really really pushed that sigh of relief out of me? An acquaintance I had the misfortune of making recently established his intent to finally leave me alone in the following message:

"It would be better if you have a control over your language . It has run amock like your mind has.
Life is much about discipline....
Good Bye .... Have peace.....This is my last visit to this Blog....the blog whose author have Zero knowledge about a subject but would still care to be a master in that .
You did not deserve my time ...."

I certainly didn't deserve the time and energy you lavished upon me — all those beautiful comments, messages, tips, nuggets of advice and miscellaneous information. I really am flattered, touched and tickled that you saw fit to spend your precious time heaping all this upon me (would have rather that you didn't, but it's alright), when it's abundantly clear that you have so much earth-shaking work to be doing. *Sigh*

Right! Now that that's out of the way, let's move on to more important things...
Like Machine Head! I am not referring to the Deep Purple album here, although that's good as well, but the Robb Flynn-fronted, Adam Duce-bassed, Dave McClain-drummed and Phil Demmel-lead guitared band from Oakland, California. Six albums later — each replete with its own unique sound and vibe, it must be added — the band are finally getting their due as one of the most respected in their field.

And why not, blasting The Blackening, Through the Ashes of Empires and Burn My Eyes — or albums 6, 5 and 1 for simplicity sake — from my phones and into my ears all weekend, I rediscovered that propulsion effect their music has on me. In that, it literally propels me skyward, by enhancing whatever emotion I'm feeling at the time, be it agony, rage, ambivalence, unfettered joy, glee and indeed, every other entity on the spectrum of emotions.

There's just something about certain pieces of music, artistes or bands that do so much to a person, from sending a chill up one's spine to comforting one when one is down in the dumps. Heartbreak, stress and uncertainty become a thing of the past when that song (or artiste/band) is on and all is well with the world. For me, it's Machine Head who head the list of the few that can do that to me, with the vocals (that range from soothing to downright visceral), the drumming (tectonic plate-shift inducing), the guitars (silky smooth and piercingly quick coupled with slow meaty chugging) and the ever-present rumbling bass.

And it's listening to Machine Head after one of those mentally-exhausting experiences I mentioned above that sends the relief through my system, flooding it with wholesome goodness, contributing to my End-game Bliss.