“Denoting” is a philosophy by Bertrand Russell. Descriptivism.
Let’s improvise: “Nostalgic Descriptivism”.
Monsoon Rains. Dampness. The whisper of wet leaves. The grass adorned with tiny water droplets.
Was it the monsoon or the dampness? Was it the person or the feeling? Was it the place or the weather?
Was it specific? Or random?
Random it was!
Isn’t descriptivism random too?
Take an example: Who is the poet who died in Kasur, loved to be called Arain over Shah, and was called “infidel” by the Mullahs of his time? This whole description is for Bulleh Shah precisely.
But what if you don’t know Bulleh Shah? This whole descriptivism is random then. Baseless. Meaningless. Is that what defines Bulleh Shah? What if he had been born in a different city? Like Narowal, to be called Faiz?
What is nostalgic descriptivism? Bertrand Russell didn’t talk about it.
Is it the person? Or the weather? Or the dampness? Or the rain?
For instance: Does it matter if she was from Lahore or Islamabad?
Does it matter if her name was not this but that?
Does it matter if she lied happily or didn’t lie unhappily?
No it doesn’t. None of the facts matter.
What matters is the time. Descriptive time. The time which is gone but rewinds. Again and again. Whenever the description matches, it hits your memory. It invites nostalgia. It gives you the same feeling and dampness. Without the presence of anyone. No presence is needed.
And I don’t know how to describe further.
By the way, next time you read descriptivism, remember I described “nostalgic descriptivism” for the first time.
For you!
Until next time…
