Our country was one which prided itself in its age-old philosophies that carried us all through these centuries and stood us in good stead....we could boast of yesteryears that were richly laid out in history for the whole world to see.But then, we were not so famous as the Britishers ,Americans ,Japanese etc.It was always 'the land of soothsayers , snake charmers and the 'suffering'.Our forefathers brought up children firmly believing the theory of 'delayed gratification'.Children were taught to be scared to ask for anything and even when they did ask for bare necessities,with trembling knees and quivering lips,it was ensured that they never got to see the light of all that they asked for,until well after some time.The punch line was "Never give in to a child's whims and fancies ....they are young and do not know what they ask for ...we must let them know all the hardships of life ....don''t cater to their needs immediately.....maybe after some time...then only they will realize the value of the thing ."Good!" Now, after all these years ,looking back, I can only say that .Though,like all others, I felt different at that time.I still remember when I had to wait for 15 minutes for an answer from my grandfather (who brought me up) for my request for a 10 paisa!Mind you, a mere 10 paisa! For buying 'Soldiers of God'...( a small pamphlet which all Christian students had to buy from the convent sisters at school.I had to stand behind the door while he sat there reading the newspaper or , at least, (to my eyes) pretending to read.He would give me no reply to my coward call of "Appacha! APPacha!.....APPacha!".(different tones and intonations used).Then he would scowl and growl (it seemed to me that way)."WHAT?"......(without turning back to look at me).
"I want 10 paisa ".
"Mmmm...for what?"
"For soldiers of God".
Finished! I would have to listen to a lecture on how to be frugal and how not to waste my father's money( though he was working in Singapore for Hindustan Lever.)and also clarify his doubt on whether I was going to school to study or read story books and pamphlets.What was the mark I got for my last Maths test? I hated him when he asked me that question.He jolly well knew that I was weak in Maths .Then what was his problem? So on so forth. All for a mere 10 paisa!
This was only a small dose of bigger things to come.That was the prelims of 'delayed gratification'.
Now we hear this phrase only for weight losers! You want to lose weight , then you will have to delay gratifying your desires or cravings for food.The 'DONT's stand out much more than the 'DO's.
Everything else has become 'INSTANT'. You have from 'instant coffee' to'instant degrees' and instant ways of getting noticed or getting rich.Children get their needs 'instantly' fulfilled.Grown-ups get 'instant' recognition by being malicious or by passing snide remarks about others .
Today TV channels and institutions are vying with each other to grab public attention by producing 'Instant News'.Be it good or bad , you can trade anything and everything for 'instancy'.Men ,women and children ,who had been there all along ,have 'instantly' been recognized, thanks to reality shows ,politrics and infamous tricks.One can even kill someone and hog the limelight 'instantly'.Villainy has earned 'instant' public appeal and negative attention seekers are ruling the roost.
'Instant Gratification'.....is here to stay.You want to make or mar a person , you can do so instantaneously.You want to build or destroy the World , you can do so ' instantly'.
But,remember,dear friend, the Law of Karma always has the last laugh....and will catch up on you....'Instantly', you will be humbled.If you still evade that very law,then you will be transported 'instantly' into the next world!!!
Wednesday, 23 February 2011
crooning thru life......!
If music be the food of love,play on...
Blessed be the man ,who can enjoy or express his desires through music .It is a mistaken notion that only a few in life are talented enough to take up singing or enjoy music .Far from it. In fact, untapped talent going unnoticed is in plenty.When the channels are promoting big -time talent hunt and not much reality is evident in these 'reality' shows ,one is left wondering .....'Where is the real talent?What is all this exhibitionism about?What is it that anyone or someone is trying to prove?And why are we all glued to the T.V sets as if the end of the world is here?'
Every one of us has the inbuilt system of the epicurean in us .And that is all the more reason why music should form part of our daily lives -one can listen to or sing through melodies even if his voice has not been tailor-made for it .
Coils of tension unwinding within you can almost be visualized when the strains of music flow uninterruptedly through the system .Ragas have been known for their therapeutic uses.People have been known to come back to life with the help of music.
So let there never be a feeling that there needs to be a stage and an audience or a professional training for exercising one's own vocal chords!Sing on , brother!The clouds of doubt and uncertainty of life will wash away before long and you would have reached the end of your tunnel.Croon on, let the song in your heart add color and gaiety to your otherwise drudgery-driven chores.Let the aura of love emanate and rise up from within the depths of your hearts and let there be light all around .Dispel darkness with your song of love!
Blessed be the man ,who can enjoy or express his desires through music .It is a mistaken notion that only a few in life are talented enough to take up singing or enjoy music .Far from it. In fact, untapped talent going unnoticed is in plenty.When the channels are promoting big -time talent hunt and not much reality is evident in these 'reality' shows ,one is left wondering .....'Where is the real talent?What is all this exhibitionism about?What is it that anyone or someone is trying to prove?And why are we all glued to the T.V sets as if the end of the world is here?'
Every one of us has the inbuilt system of the epicurean in us .And that is all the more reason why music should form part of our daily lives -one can listen to or sing through melodies even if his voice has not been tailor-made for it .
Coils of tension unwinding within you can almost be visualized when the strains of music flow uninterruptedly through the system .Ragas have been known for their therapeutic uses.People have been known to come back to life with the help of music.
So let there never be a feeling that there needs to be a stage and an audience or a professional training for exercising one's own vocal chords!Sing on , brother!The clouds of doubt and uncertainty of life will wash away before long and you would have reached the end of your tunnel.Croon on, let the song in your heart add color and gaiety to your otherwise drudgery-driven chores.Let the aura of love emanate and rise up from within the depths of your hearts and let there be light all around .Dispel darkness with your song of love!
Surprise ! SURPRISE!
My daughter kept reminding me about wishing my mother on her 70th birthday.I seem to have a convenient sort of amnesia these days which keeps me reminded till the previous day and then when the D-day dawns , it slips out of my mind neat and clean!I usually end up cursing myself.But this time I was determined to remember to wish her.When I escorted my daughter two days before , she was incessantly chattering away on how she would plan the Birthday.
Since my mom was staying all alone at her place ,my daughter would go over to keep her company and to pass off her revision hols peacefully.So then this time she was planning on how she would wake up her grandma in the middle of the night and bring her to the dining room in all suspense and then lo and behold! the dining table would be laid out with decorations and of course, the cake!The verbal arranging went on and on till in the end I hit upon an idea!True!Why not spring a surprise on Amma's birthday?I'd reach there from my workstation,which was a good 100 kms. away,with a huge basketful of flowers and a cake....oooh! that was it!And I definitely was not going to reveal this even to my daughter,for fear of the secret being broken .
The day dawned and I was up early.Hurriedly I got dressed and drove down....keeping my fingers crossed.Amma should have just woken up,I presumed.I reached there just as she was rubbing the sleep from her eyes.She was really surprised and of course , happy to see me.After the exchanges were over,I was ready to get back.I had two meetings scheduled at the office and I was wondering if I could get back on time.
Suddenly my Mom went into her room and came back with a cover which she pressed into my hands."this is for you", she said.My daughter is the one who usually opens any covers that I receive.That has been the practice for years now.When she did open it she found a wad of currency notes !Rs.25000 in all!!My God ! I stood stunned .This was the least I had expected."What is this for,Amma?" "Oh, that is a small gift from me to you.Go and get yourself a pair of diamond earrings ....you've wanted it for long now," she nodded understandingly.
This was truly a surprise on surprise!!The one and only incident of my life where I had been bowled over and stuck for an action or speech.Usually I gave gifts and sprung surprises! I had given a penny and received a pound!I was too moved for words.I just hugged her and wished her good health and a long life over again!!A mere 'Thank you' seemed out of place here.God could not be everywhere and so He created Mothers!!
Since my mom was staying all alone at her place ,my daughter would go over to keep her company and to pass off her revision hols peacefully.So then this time she was planning on how she would wake up her grandma in the middle of the night and bring her to the dining room in all suspense and then lo and behold! the dining table would be laid out with decorations and of course, the cake!The verbal arranging went on and on till in the end I hit upon an idea!True!Why not spring a surprise on Amma's birthday?I'd reach there from my workstation,which was a good 100 kms. away,with a huge basketful of flowers and a cake....oooh! that was it!And I definitely was not going to reveal this even to my daughter,for fear of the secret being broken .
The day dawned and I was up early.Hurriedly I got dressed and drove down....keeping my fingers crossed.Amma should have just woken up,I presumed.I reached there just as she was rubbing the sleep from her eyes.She was really surprised and of course , happy to see me.After the exchanges were over,I was ready to get back.I had two meetings scheduled at the office and I was wondering if I could get back on time.
Suddenly my Mom went into her room and came back with a cover which she pressed into my hands."this is for you", she said.My daughter is the one who usually opens any covers that I receive.That has been the practice for years now.When she did open it she found a wad of currency notes !Rs.25000 in all!!My God ! I stood stunned .This was the least I had expected."What is this for,Amma?" "Oh, that is a small gift from me to you.Go and get yourself a pair of diamond earrings ....you've wanted it for long now," she nodded understandingly.
This was truly a surprise on surprise!!The one and only incident of my life where I had been bowled over and stuck for an action or speech.Usually I gave gifts and sprung surprises! I had given a penny and received a pound!I was too moved for words.I just hugged her and wished her good health and a long life over again!!A mere 'Thank you' seemed out of place here.God could not be everywhere and so He created Mothers!!
Thursday, 17 February 2011
Fading Ink
I was trying to tidy up my cupboard! Such an unholy mess!I had prided on myself being extra meticulous and neat.But the sight before me left me cursing myself...how much time should I have to waste before I could have my lunch? Unless I finished the job at hand , I was doubtful whether I would be able to have my morsel in peace.More than tidying up ,I was eager and anxious to find the book where I had jotted down my feelings as they appeared in my mind.Not a diary,just a notepad .I wanted to write open heartedly. But there were constraints.Anyway what I could manage I had done......mmmm. there it was , safely tucked away in a corner of the cupboard.
Hard bound , it was once my source of relief in times of sorrow.I wanted to be known for my sorrowful writings.....no, on the other hand , was it happy musings I had intended ? Oh, I had not made up my mind as such.Maybe a mix of both.I seemed to be a totally confused child.That confusion arose out of the fact that my parents would NOT look at it too kindly.As it was , I had always been regarded as a girl who had one nut too loose!God knows how I was born into such a conservative family!
I turned the pages of the book slowly. I had written in it with the only Hero pen I had .The ink seemed to have faded and the words were blurred. But I could still read between the lines .Only I know what prompted me to write those wee little poems.Hey!They sounded good now, though I didn't think so at that time.How would I treasure this for posterity?My mind wandered.Maybe it was not worth showing people.I'd have to explain the text of it all.No, I'd save it for a rainy day and re-read it over and over again till I 'by-hearted' it!And one day(hopefully the day was not too far) I would be recognised for my works of literary fame!
But the point of the matter was, " Should I write short stories or should I stick to poems?I thought that these poems were too easy to pen till I attended poetry classes.Verse,iambic pentameter, free style and whatnot's!Who could be bothered?I vetoed auto suggestions one after the other till I decided that instead of living on love and fresh air and rosy dreams,it was better to be practical and have my LUNCH !
Hard bound , it was once my source of relief in times of sorrow.I wanted to be known for my sorrowful writings.....no, on the other hand , was it happy musings I had intended ? Oh, I had not made up my mind as such.Maybe a mix of both.I seemed to be a totally confused child.That confusion arose out of the fact that my parents would NOT look at it too kindly.As it was , I had always been regarded as a girl who had one nut too loose!God knows how I was born into such a conservative family!
I turned the pages of the book slowly. I had written in it with the only Hero pen I had .The ink seemed to have faded and the words were blurred. But I could still read between the lines .Only I know what prompted me to write those wee little poems.Hey!They sounded good now, though I didn't think so at that time.How would I treasure this for posterity?My mind wandered.Maybe it was not worth showing people.I'd have to explain the text of it all.No, I'd save it for a rainy day and re-read it over and over again till I 'by-hearted' it!And one day(hopefully the day was not too far) I would be recognised for my works of literary fame!
But the point of the matter was, " Should I write short stories or should I stick to poems?I thought that these poems were too easy to pen till I attended poetry classes.Verse,iambic pentameter, free style and whatnot's!Who could be bothered?I vetoed auto suggestions one after the other till I decided that instead of living on love and fresh air and rosy dreams,it was better to be practical and have my LUNCH !
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