Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high

"চিত্ত যেথা ভযশূন্য উচ্চ যেথা শির, জ্ঞান যেথা মুক্ত, ...
যেথা বাক্য হৃদযের উতসমুখ হতে উচ্ছসিযা উঠে, ...
নিজ হস্তে নির্দয় আঘাত করি পিতঃ ...||"

"...Where words come out from the depth of truth"

I don't know what made me connect Tagore's poem to this picture. The poem speaks of Tagore's vision for his country and the people of the world in general; the picture speaks of perhaps the greatest guilt the 'I' in question will probably ever feel. One is a general approach to 'what should be'~ a Utopia... the other is very very personal, and very much an indication to what should not have been. One is a call to future... the other is a look-back at past.
Both speak of some deep regret.

I was just listening to an interview, an audioclip I downloaded from a Postsecret link, and I was tempted to revisit the site now (in spite of the fact that I have an Xam tomorrow and I'm still doubtful of the syllabus!!). What caught my attention was this terrible sense of guilt that might've been running through the man's mind when he was actually writing on the card and deciding to mail it to Postsecret. Also, the way he doesn't forget to mention that 'she' was 'depressed' when he told her what he did... the emotions he might've felt when she actually did it...


How often have WE spoken carelessly? I've done that plenty of times, and never till now did I actually feel how terribly wrong things might've gone because of me. Every other day I tell my friends "let's jump from this balcony! Where do you think we'll fall? In the middle of the field, or on someon'e head? If we fall on someone's head will he/she be hurt (obviously!) ? Will we die? What if we don't?.... etcetera... etcetera". Did I ever think what if someone actually does it?
Would I blame myself I someone did? Would I, if that someone was my friend? Would they if that someone was me?

Would such a self-questioned person be able to live on with his 'head held high'?