Kamala’s Entropy is the title I’ve given to my upcoming book. Whether it’s going to be the title that will appear on the cover or whether it’s only going to be my WIP (work in progress) title, I haven’t yet decided.
What is entropy? As you probably know, I am an engineer. Or should I say I was schooled an engineer, as I left behind the corporate world of environmental engineering 4 years ago? I read Bioprocess Engineering at Uni. This phase of my life was crucial in my own character development, but by nature I am inquisitive, and always had a keen interest in the natural word. As an adolescent I especially loved the scientific concepts in chemistry and microbiology. But, ok, coming back to entropy. The first time when I heard about entropy and enthalpy – in high school- for some unknown reason I was intrigued by the significance of entropy.
Entropy is a scientific concept that is associated with a state of disorder, chaos, randomness, or uncertainty. The concept states that every isolated system is always in search of an equilibrium, and that equilibrium lies in the state of highest entropy, or in other words the state with the highest level of disorder. As a young adolescent this resonated with me. Even though disorder is often seen as something negative, it ought not to be in the case of entropy. Recently -while writing the ‘note to the reader’ for Kamala’s Entropy- I discovered that entropy derives from the Greek word for ‘transformation’. A high level of entropy resonates with the person I was, and with the person I am in my 40s.
As a writer I often let my mind wander. Ideas are forged, or might I say arise, during (long or short) spells of procrastination. What thoughts run through my mind when I think of entropy? ……….. A happy-go-lucky person, a colourful multifaceted person, a chaotic person who grabs all the opportunities life has to offer.
Yes. In entropy I recognize my own character traits. I see the person I was at the age of 15 and I see the person I am now. I also see the person I was keeping caged within while on the treadmill of ‘working life as an engineer’. A person not in equilibrium with herself. A person trying her utmost to curb her chaos, and trap it under a bell jar.
Nowadays I see beauty in a state of disorder. Each one of us has her/his own state of equilibrium, with its corresponding entropy in which we find our peace. In Kamala’s Entropy I urge Kamala not to suppress her chaos, but let it guide her on her journey through her life. Allowing Kamala to not try and fit in nor adhere to the ‘aught to’s’. I allow her to find her personal equilibrium and stop striving to attain perfection.
I’ve reached the final stages of the draft version of Kamala’s Entropy. It was a thrilling, and at the same time daunting, sensation to press the ‘Approve’ button below. I have ordered a proof copy of my upcoming book!
How do you perceive order and chaos in your own live? Can you too appreciate the beauty that lies in entropy?
Shakti Hannie 