Letter to Ansh — 1

Dear Ansh

It is 19th January 2019, just after 11pm. I am in Melbourne and you and your mother are in India attending her cousins wedding. I miss you beyond anything. You mean the world to me, know this your father loves you.

My intention for writing this is primarily two fold. It is an insurance policy for posterity. If for any reason I am not around physically while you grow up, you will have me around in the spirit of the word.

The written word is indeed amazing. It makes us immortal and is to a large extent the basis of all human progress. If every generation had to rediscover every basic thing, then our lives are far too short to make any meaningful progress. Instead we as humans are able to crystallize knowledge in the form of the written word and pass it from generation to generation. The next generation benefits from the cumulative progress made till date.

And nothing is more powerful than alphabets. You are a clever boy, you already know your A B C. You sing it in the most pleasing way. But did you know that even before turning two you have mastered one of the most important and basic tools we as humans have? No it is not fire, nor the wheel, nor the internet or blockchain.

It is the humble alphabet.

You see alphabets can be arranged and rearranged endlessly to represent any piece of information. It allows us to express our thoughts, document facts and communicate information in a manner that can stand the test of time.

Spoken word dissipates, and when it is passed from one person to another, the content can often get distorted. But when it is written with your A B C, it is set. While it can still be misunderstood, but the content cannot be distorted. When facts are documented and ideas postulated, that becomes information. Information synthesised and vetted becomes knowledge and all progress comes from knowledge. And progress makes us human.

You can already sing the entire A B C, keep practising it. Soon enough you will learn to read as well, and a whole wide world of ideas awaits you. Life is wonderful, and we are all very fortunate to be alive. Keep learning, keep exploring. Make the best of life my friend.

Your loving father

Moresh