When we say Independence Day, what pops up in our mind? May be a holiday. A day for rest. If the day is a Friday or a Monday then an extended weekend. Let us plan a small tour to a nearest holiday destination. Right? So this is the only significance of the Independence Day left in our lives ??
The other day I was discussing this subject with my friends. I asked them whether they felt bad that Independence Day has been reduced to just another holiday in there lives and thought process. At this, all of them gave me a look of
?has it ever been anything else since we were born?. How true !!! I must admit that I was surprised by this sudden realization of a fact. Even without speaking it aloud, mention of the subject had led us to this strange understanding about how we take our national festivals and anything related to national interest.
One of my friends surprisingly shrugged it off. ?Why and what should I feel bad?? was her quick reply. So what exactly did she think about this day? ?Well, I just remember that lots of great leaders made lots of sacrifices for the independence we are enjoying today? .That?s it? Just the leaders? What about the countless common men who sacrificed their lives for it? What about the countless people that are still not enjoying the fruits of it in the real sense ? I again got a shrug for an answer. One of them told me about her hostel days. She liked to go to the flag hoisting ceremony which was held on the terrace of the hostel. ?I would wake up early, take a bathe and then go up the terrace for saluting our national flag?, she said with pride. Wow! That was quite unusual thing to do for a hostelite and that too on a holiday. I tried to probe their concern a little further. Don?t you feel that we should do something for our country?. I asked hoping to stir some part of their conscience. I was mistaken.
?What should we do yaar? Just drop this ok. Its enough that we stay here and are not running away to become just another NRI. Doesn?t that count??, was her curt reply. Hmmm. So that?s it. . Isn?t it? She had a point.
Fair enough.
This is what I got from some young girls my age but I m sure its not much of a difference if we try and ask people in other age groups, unless they are very old freedom fighters. The fact is we take our freedom too much for granted. It doesn?t make any difference to us if we are celebrating 62 years of our independence and still we have not realized the significance it holds in every individual?s life. Imagine if we were denied to enjoy the simple pleasures of life like traveling, investing, purchasing homes, talking, expressing ? Yes I know we can?t imagine it. And there are two reasons why we can?t imagine it.
One: we can realize that that?s really an awful situation to be in so we fear to even think about it.
Two: we are too na?ve to think that it could ever happen.
It?s the second reason that most of us would be thinking. Right ??
And this alone constitutes that we should value our independence more than anything in our lives. For valuing our independence we don?t require a reason or a day, just if all of us could spare some time and give it a thought it would be sufficient. Some simple duties like keeping our surroundings clean, following traffic rules, objecting to corruption, helping the poor can bring about a considerable change for our country so that we uphold our independence and eventually make us feel happy and proud that we live in a free, independent country.
Come on guys, Ours is really a very beautiful country. . . we all know that. But it is high time now that we start feeling it that way for each and every aspect of this country.
I find Independence Day quite similar to one?s birthday. We think of what we have done for ourselves in the last one year on our birthday. We do plan for the next year. Similarly, on the Independence Day we can introspect about all that we have done for our country and fellow country men. And I m sure the day wont be far away when Independence Day would cease to be just a holiday for all of us.
Have a thoughtful and enriching Independence Day.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Some things we never think are worth thinking !!!
This makes an interesting reading .
:-)
1) When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
Wow !! i look gorgeous in wet hair :)
2) How much cash do you have in your wallet right now?
Rs : 750
3) What's a word that rhymes with DOOR?
MORE !!! I want to learn more and more and more . . .
4) Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone?
My mom. . generally its her habbit to call at weird times. And i usually miss it !!!
5) What is your favorite ring tone on your phone?
Swades Theme music - absolutely pleasant and sufficiently alerting !!!
6) What are you wearing right now?
Jeans and T - shirt, how come i am always wearing what looks best on me.
:)
7) Do you label yourself?
Never because i dont know what is a label
8) Name the brand of the shoes you currently own
No shoes for me
9) Bright or Dark Room?
Dark room when am sleeping, otherwise a bright room.
10) What do you think about the person who took this survey before you?
A very interesting and funny person. Must be an intellectual.
11) What does your watch look like?
Sleek, decent and simplistic. Like me
12) What were you doing at midnight last night?
Dreaming . . in my deep sleep
13) What did your last text message you received on your cell say?
I love you -
14) What's a word that you say a lot?
SAHI :)
15) Who told you he/she loved you last?
My sweetheart - The love of my life.
16) Last furry thing you touched?
My dog - - Snowy !!!!
17) Favourite age you have been so far?
Every age and everyday has been my favorite
18) What was the last thing you said to someone?
They have blocked the blooging from office, damn it !! These heartless creatures.
19) The last song you listened to?
Sathi ya ye tune kya kiyaa !!!!
20) Where did you live in 1987?
Akola
21) Are you jealous of anyone?
Nope
22) Is anyone jealous of you?
Might be in dozens :)))
23) Name three things that you have on you at all times?
Finger ring - gifted by my dad . . thats the only thing.
24) What's your favourite town/city?
Akola - my home town
25) When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it?
April 16th 2009 - For my dad - for his bithday - on april 17th
26) Can you change the oil on a car?
No.
27) Your first love/big crush: What is the last thing you heard about him/her?
He is my best friend. Going great buddies !!!!
28) Does anything hurt on your body right now?
No.
29) What is your current desktop picture?
L n T infotech - boring offwhite empty space
30) Have you been burnt by love?
Yessss !!! still burning :)
:-)
1) When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
Wow !! i look gorgeous in wet hair :)
2) How much cash do you have in your wallet right now?
Rs : 750
3) What's a word that rhymes with DOOR?
MORE !!! I want to learn more and more and more . . .
4) Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone?
My mom. . generally its her habbit to call at weird times. And i usually miss it !!!
5) What is your favorite ring tone on your phone?
Swades Theme music - absolutely pleasant and sufficiently alerting !!!
6) What are you wearing right now?
Jeans and T - shirt, how come i am always wearing what looks best on me.
:)
7) Do you label yourself?
Never because i dont know what is a label
8) Name the brand of the shoes you currently own
No shoes for me
9) Bright or Dark Room?
Dark room when am sleeping, otherwise a bright room.
10) What do you think about the person who took this survey before you?
A very interesting and funny person. Must be an intellectual.
11) What does your watch look like?
Sleek, decent and simplistic. Like me
12) What were you doing at midnight last night?
Dreaming . . in my deep sleep
13) What did your last text message you received on your cell say?
I love you -
14) What's a word that you say a lot?
SAHI :)
15) Who told you he/she loved you last?
My sweetheart - The love of my life.
16) Last furry thing you touched?
My dog - - Snowy !!!!
17) Favourite age you have been so far?
Every age and everyday has been my favorite
18) What was the last thing you said to someone?
They have blocked the blooging from office, damn it !! These heartless creatures.
19) The last song you listened to?
Sathi ya ye tune kya kiyaa !!!!
20) Where did you live in 1987?
Akola
21) Are you jealous of anyone?
Nope
22) Is anyone jealous of you?
Might be in dozens :)))
23) Name three things that you have on you at all times?
Finger ring - gifted by my dad . . thats the only thing.
24) What's your favourite town/city?
Akola - my home town
25) When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it?
April 16th 2009 - For my dad - for his bithday - on april 17th
26) Can you change the oil on a car?
No.
27) Your first love/big crush: What is the last thing you heard about him/her?
He is my best friend. Going great buddies !!!!
28) Does anything hurt on your body right now?
No.
29) What is your current desktop picture?
L n T infotech - boring offwhite empty space
30) Have you been burnt by love?
Yessss !!! still burning :)
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Come rains !!!
I had to go out of the office today in the afternoon to have lunch with Mom and Rahul. It was after around one month that i was out on the roads of the city at such afternoon hours. The incessant rains since the last 20-25 days had made the weather absolutely miserable with the constant wetness and moisture. Along with it the obligations of work had me locked in the air conditioned interiors of a posh corporate house. So either inside and outside, i was stuck in constant feeling of cold and boredom with no brightness and sunlight to enjoy.
Let me tell you, i enjoy the rains immensely. There was a time when i used to crave for rains to come and make everything wet and cool. Somehow rains used to make the dullest of the things come to life and make it beautiful. Even the footpaths along the tar roads would look beautiful with all the fresh grass growing alongside. But that was when i was in Akola and everything around had a different aspect to it. Basically being a hot place, rains were always welcomed by all in Akola. Rains used to be minimal and for a short while and the sorroundings would remain considerably dry with rare cases of dirt and mud ponds. It would be enjoyed immensely for the short time it stayed and in that short while it would turn everything into green and splendour.
But when it comes to Pune, rains are a constant hazard making everything dirty wet. Roads, societies, gardens, bus stands, stations, public places are all converted into huge dirt grounds and the constant wetness makes it almost impossible to go out without nauseating about the surrounding. There is stench everywhere, there is shit everywhere. And due to lack of sunlight, there is constant feeling of boredom, decay and depression. So much so that at some point i had started to hate the rains which i loved so much. I had even got to point of getting a phobia whenever it rained heavily.
In such a situation, it was plasant experience for me when a warm, bright sunlight fell on my face when i was outside the office premises. The rains had stopped in the morning itself and sun was shining proudly since long, soaring the temperature by 8-7 degrees. The mood in the environment immediately reflected in my heart and i started enjoying every moment of my driving. The traffic was usual high but even all the drivers seemed to be enjoying this sudden change in weather. The wetness on the roads was considerably lessened and the trees and leaves were all shining and giving off a divine radiance.I remembered Akola. I deliberately slowed down my pace and took much more time to reach the destination. We decided to eat outside in the open to enjoy the weather. While having lunch, i was thinking about this sudden change. I wondered about the natural phenomenon called rains. Strange how it has different meaning, aspects and different repercussion depending on the place and environment.
Never in my life had i thought that i would somehow start hating rains. But after today's experience, i realised that rains are after all just that - rains, when water pours down from the heavens. Whether i feel wet or fresh all depends upon where i am and what i think. I am off to enjoy the weather for now, and i am sure that next time when it rains real bad and everything changes to wet, i will have at least a different perspective about it rather than complaint.
Let me tell you, i enjoy the rains immensely. There was a time when i used to crave for rains to come and make everything wet and cool. Somehow rains used to make the dullest of the things come to life and make it beautiful. Even the footpaths along the tar roads would look beautiful with all the fresh grass growing alongside. But that was when i was in Akola and everything around had a different aspect to it. Basically being a hot place, rains were always welcomed by all in Akola. Rains used to be minimal and for a short while and the sorroundings would remain considerably dry with rare cases of dirt and mud ponds. It would be enjoyed immensely for the short time it stayed and in that short while it would turn everything into green and splendour.
But when it comes to Pune, rains are a constant hazard making everything dirty wet. Roads, societies, gardens, bus stands, stations, public places are all converted into huge dirt grounds and the constant wetness makes it almost impossible to go out without nauseating about the surrounding. There is stench everywhere, there is shit everywhere. And due to lack of sunlight, there is constant feeling of boredom, decay and depression. So much so that at some point i had started to hate the rains which i loved so much. I had even got to point of getting a phobia whenever it rained heavily.
In such a situation, it was plasant experience for me when a warm, bright sunlight fell on my face when i was outside the office premises. The rains had stopped in the morning itself and sun was shining proudly since long, soaring the temperature by 8-7 degrees. The mood in the environment immediately reflected in my heart and i started enjoying every moment of my driving. The traffic was usual high but even all the drivers seemed to be enjoying this sudden change in weather. The wetness on the roads was considerably lessened and the trees and leaves were all shining and giving off a divine radiance.I remembered Akola. I deliberately slowed down my pace and took much more time to reach the destination. We decided to eat outside in the open to enjoy the weather. While having lunch, i was thinking about this sudden change. I wondered about the natural phenomenon called rains. Strange how it has different meaning, aspects and different repercussion depending on the place and environment.
Never in my life had i thought that i would somehow start hating rains. But after today's experience, i realised that rains are after all just that - rains, when water pours down from the heavens. Whether i feel wet or fresh all depends upon where i am and what i think. I am off to enjoy the weather for now, and i am sure that next time when it rains real bad and everything changes to wet, i will have at least a different perspective about it rather than complaint.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Ek chehra !!!
I am glued. I am completely and absolutely glued. I just listened to that marvolously romantic song from a long forgotten film " Takshak " .
Khamosh raat . .
Sehmi hava . .
Tanha Tanha dil apna. .
Aur dooor kahi roshan hua
Ek chehra . . .
Ye sach hai ya sapna . . !!!
What an absolutely delightful experience.!!!
It feels so refreshing that sometimes some of the most neglected or forgotten songs are rediscovered by chance.
This is one song i had heard long ago and thought as a boring run-of-mill creation from the mystero A.R.Rehman himself.
But luckily, i found this song in one of my common songs folder and just out of habbit of random selection i played it. And to my utter delight, that was something which woke out all my tired senses. Now i am playing the song continuously for the 35th time i guess.
My God !! the guitar, the violins, the strings and finally that remarkably honest voice. .
Mr Roopkumar Rathod has woven magic with that honest, rasp and deep voice . . not to mention the feelings he induces in it.
When you hear "Ek chehraaa " you feel like going Ga Ga over the mood.
The mood and the feel of the lyrics is so convincingly captured out of the voice and the rhythm. There is one moment when in the background an entire symphony of guitars is being played complementary to the voice. . and its like soaring to some unknown heights and then again falling in a cool water with a splash.
Thats amazing.
I then thought about other such long forgotten songs which instantly makes us believe in the magic of music.
Take for Ex. Jane do naa - from chini Kam
Kismat se tum - from Pukaar
Aey kash ke hum - from Kabhi haa kabhi naa
All these are some of the most sensitive and sensuous songs created from Bollywood which i think havnt got their due popularity.
But whenever you listen to them, they do blend in with your emotions so convincingly, that it becomes mandatory to accept their beauty and splendour.
I am off to find out more such songs now.
In the mean time - Ek chehraaaa . . . !!!!!!!
Khamosh raat . .
Sehmi hava . .
Tanha Tanha dil apna. .
Aur dooor kahi roshan hua
Ek chehra . . .
Ye sach hai ya sapna . . !!!
What an absolutely delightful experience.!!!
It feels so refreshing that sometimes some of the most neglected or forgotten songs are rediscovered by chance.
This is one song i had heard long ago and thought as a boring run-of-mill creation from the mystero A.R.Rehman himself.
But luckily, i found this song in one of my common songs folder and just out of habbit of random selection i played it. And to my utter delight, that was something which woke out all my tired senses. Now i am playing the song continuously for the 35th time i guess.
My God !! the guitar, the violins, the strings and finally that remarkably honest voice. .
Mr Roopkumar Rathod has woven magic with that honest, rasp and deep voice . . not to mention the feelings he induces in it.
When you hear "Ek chehraaa " you feel like going Ga Ga over the mood.
The mood and the feel of the lyrics is so convincingly captured out of the voice and the rhythm. There is one moment when in the background an entire symphony of guitars is being played complementary to the voice. . and its like soaring to some unknown heights and then again falling in a cool water with a splash.
Thats amazing.
I then thought about other such long forgotten songs which instantly makes us believe in the magic of music.
Take for Ex. Jane do naa - from chini Kam
Kismat se tum - from Pukaar
Aey kash ke hum - from Kabhi haa kabhi naa
All these are some of the most sensitive and sensuous songs created from Bollywood which i think havnt got their due popularity.
But whenever you listen to them, they do blend in with your emotions so convincingly, that it becomes mandatory to accept their beauty and splendour.
I am off to find out more such songs now.
In the mean time - Ek chehraaaa . . . !!!!!!!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Kausani - In the midst of Himalayas
Kausani / Kasauni
Once Gandhiji was residing here in Anashakti Ashram for some time .
And he loved the place so much that he called it mini Switzerland of India .
True to this metaphor, Kausani has maintained its tranquill environment and uncomparable beauty up to the core.
Kausani is a distinct hill station in the Bageshwar district of Uttrakhand and takes long to reach definitely. The nearest railway station is Kathgodam around 142 KM from Kausani. There is a daily train from Delhi to Kathgodam.Once you reach Kathgodam the road from here to Kausani is itself a bliss to travel. A two lane highway between lush green chinar, deodar and chritmas tree, bright hills and zig-zag routes takes you to Kausani in 4-4.5 hours. The weather is cold throughout and max. temperature is around 23 degrees. Kausani itself is situated in the midst of Kumaon Himalayas. The greatest attraction here is the view of snow clad peaks of Himalayas 180 degrees straight. Its an absolutely beautiful part of nature where you can feel the vastness, hugeness and the divinity of the great mountains. The peaks are black rocks and white snow sometimes sneaking above the clouds too. The 180 degrees view is the reason why Gandhiji called Kausani mini Switzerland. There are no tourist spots here, but most of the tourist come here to enjoy the peaceful life and wonderful weather. You can also visit the Anashakti Ashram where Gandhiji stayed.
Another place worth visiting here is the Baijnath Temple. These temples are a gruop of around 14-15 old stone structures which were build in 2nd century. Baijnath or Vaidyanath - the Shiva temples come under the archeological survey of india and are maintained in the finest conditions. Its around 15 km from Kausani.
Nainital, Almora, Ranikhet and Bhimtal are nearby hill stations in this part which are famous.
So if you are looking for a long holiday, you can plan a week long span for Nainital and Kausani. I am sure it will be a memorable trip.
Imp. Points : There is no market in Kausani, therefore no chance of shopping. Spare that for Nainital or Almora.
Most of the hotels here are cottages and resorts emphasizing on stay with nature and tranquility.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Home Sweet home !!!
This is too much !!! Home as a jail ????? Thats an absolutely ridiculous statement to make.
I was nearly going to fall down from my chair when i heard one of my friends talking about her home.
She has been living away from her family since she completed her HSC.But recently, due to a prolonged illness she had to take a leave for 1-1.5 months and go back to live at home. But since the first day itself, she started complaining about her stay. Its too hot here, there is load shedding, i cant watch TV, i get bored, etc etc etc. I realised the significant change the life style in the city has brought into her perspective. She even went on saying that she feels like being in jail and wants to run away to come back to her hip and happening life in the city.
Hey hey hey . . . hold on. I can imagine the emotional and physical aloofness she might feel at home due to a prolonged stay away. But to call home a jail is preposterous and extremely unthoughtful of her. This even when she doesnt have any life long obligation to stay at home.
I thought about the small trips I get to have to my home since i joined my company. How i crave to get some more time to spend there everytime. I get excited at the prospect and start planning for it quite early. Two-three days before the journey, i start day dreaming about the things i would do at home. My plans change according to the seasons and the changes they bring in the activities at home. This may sound stupid, but this is completely true and the intensity has not decreased even slightly in the last two years and approxiametely 25-26 trips ( thats 1 per month i guess ) i had to home.
True, summer is hot, but with summer come mangoes and a variety of fresh "kairi" and "amba" dishes to eat. There is no TV due to load shedding, but it brings mom, dad, brothers, sisters, cousins, dada-dadi together for a fun game of cards or carrom. Nights are spent sleeping on the terrace. There are pillow fights, ghost stories and star watching. Water tastes sweeter and cooler in summers. .
And about other seasons. . well mine is a place where i get to experience extremes of all the seasons. If summer is 47 deg then winters are 7 deg straight. But no one can imagine the feeling i get when early morning sunrays touch my skin during one of those colder days.. Its exilerating. I can sit hours under the thick shadow of gooseberry tree in the afternoon watching the swirling leaves and small fruits falling when they make a "Tup Tup" sound. What a beautiful sight it makes.
I thought of the numerous afternoons i had spent there, studying.
I remembered the times when my mom and my Aaji would sit in the courtyard after lunch to enjoy the warm weather. If somebody asks me the most memorable memory i have of child hood i would tell this - Aai and Baba reading newspaper, aaji chewing beatle leaf and making a typical sound with her "Adkitta" and me and my brother making a clay fort for the coming Diwali. Thats something which makes me instantly nostalgic. Again there are nights to enjoy hot coffee and sleep under warm "dulai" .
Everything looks green and beautiful when it rains. But at home, i feel the difference when the droplets fall on the big leaves of papaya tree - 4 feet tall. Thats a beauty i am sure no one can imagine. I feel like the entire greenery has accumulated on this one big leaf and its glowing in radiance to show the world its freshness and purity. There is no electric supply at night due to heavy rains sometimes. But i enjoy it tremendously in the candle light when i am inside a cozy blanket and all i can see are the wet drops through the stainglass window. The sounds outside add to the ambience.
These are all insignificant things if someone thinks practically, but somehow i have memories attached to these simple things scattered all through my childhood and teens, and thats what makes my stay at home most memorable everytime i go there. These things have somehow shaped my emotional and physical well being and they cant be erased now. I have not even mentioned the things that make me feel emotionally liberated from all the baggages when i am at home. My home is my paradise. And i think everyone should feel the same about their homes too. Atleast people who are close to my heart. If not, then they dont realise the treasure they are missing in there lives. How can one expect people to be caring and faithful for others if they dont feel any attachment to their homes - which have the most significant physical part in their upbringing.
My friends call me crazy, but if a get a chance, i will settle down at my home - some 30-35 years from now.
But right now i have a lecture to give to my irritated friend - hope she gets at least 10 % out of it.
I was nearly going to fall down from my chair when i heard one of my friends talking about her home.
She has been living away from her family since she completed her HSC.But recently, due to a prolonged illness she had to take a leave for 1-1.5 months and go back to live at home. But since the first day itself, she started complaining about her stay. Its too hot here, there is load shedding, i cant watch TV, i get bored, etc etc etc. I realised the significant change the life style in the city has brought into her perspective. She even went on saying that she feels like being in jail and wants to run away to come back to her hip and happening life in the city.
Hey hey hey . . . hold on. I can imagine the emotional and physical aloofness she might feel at home due to a prolonged stay away. But to call home a jail is preposterous and extremely unthoughtful of her. This even when she doesnt have any life long obligation to stay at home.
I thought about the small trips I get to have to my home since i joined my company. How i crave to get some more time to spend there everytime. I get excited at the prospect and start planning for it quite early. Two-three days before the journey, i start day dreaming about the things i would do at home. My plans change according to the seasons and the changes they bring in the activities at home. This may sound stupid, but this is completely true and the intensity has not decreased even slightly in the last two years and approxiametely 25-26 trips ( thats 1 per month i guess ) i had to home.
True, summer is hot, but with summer come mangoes and a variety of fresh "kairi" and "amba" dishes to eat. There is no TV due to load shedding, but it brings mom, dad, brothers, sisters, cousins, dada-dadi together for a fun game of cards or carrom. Nights are spent sleeping on the terrace. There are pillow fights, ghost stories and star watching. Water tastes sweeter and cooler in summers. .
And about other seasons. . well mine is a place where i get to experience extremes of all the seasons. If summer is 47 deg then winters are 7 deg straight. But no one can imagine the feeling i get when early morning sunrays touch my skin during one of those colder days.. Its exilerating. I can sit hours under the thick shadow of gooseberry tree in the afternoon watching the swirling leaves and small fruits falling when they make a "Tup Tup" sound. What a beautiful sight it makes.
I thought of the numerous afternoons i had spent there, studying.
I remembered the times when my mom and my Aaji would sit in the courtyard after lunch to enjoy the warm weather. If somebody asks me the most memorable memory i have of child hood i would tell this - Aai and Baba reading newspaper, aaji chewing beatle leaf and making a typical sound with her "Adkitta" and me and my brother making a clay fort for the coming Diwali. Thats something which makes me instantly nostalgic. Again there are nights to enjoy hot coffee and sleep under warm "dulai" .
Everything looks green and beautiful when it rains. But at home, i feel the difference when the droplets fall on the big leaves of papaya tree - 4 feet tall. Thats a beauty i am sure no one can imagine. I feel like the entire greenery has accumulated on this one big leaf and its glowing in radiance to show the world its freshness and purity. There is no electric supply at night due to heavy rains sometimes. But i enjoy it tremendously in the candle light when i am inside a cozy blanket and all i can see are the wet drops through the stainglass window. The sounds outside add to the ambience.
These are all insignificant things if someone thinks practically, but somehow i have memories attached to these simple things scattered all through my childhood and teens, and thats what makes my stay at home most memorable everytime i go there. These things have somehow shaped my emotional and physical well being and they cant be erased now. I have not even mentioned the things that make me feel emotionally liberated from all the baggages when i am at home. My home is my paradise. And i think everyone should feel the same about their homes too. Atleast people who are close to my heart. If not, then they dont realise the treasure they are missing in there lives. How can one expect people to be caring and faithful for others if they dont feel any attachment to their homes - which have the most significant physical part in their upbringing.
My friends call me crazy, but if a get a chance, i will settle down at my home - some 30-35 years from now.
But right now i have a lecture to give to my irritated friend - hope she gets at least 10 % out of it.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Bithday - A truely beastly blessing - Shashi Tharur
This is an article written by Mr. Shashi Tharur in The Times of India on his own birthday. Surely he makes an interesting point here
Why do we celebrate birthdays? This is a perfectly serious question, prompted by the fact that today happens to be mine. I will receive cards, phone calls and messages of congratulation from family and friends, all for having accomplished — what exactly? Nothing more than merely emerging 52 years ago. Whereas the person who did all the hard work that day, the one whose effort and sacrifice and pain resulted in the fortuitous event — my mother — will be ignored by all and sundry.
She will go to the temple, as usual, and feed the poor, as she has done on each of her children’s birthdays for decades. But no one will congratulate her for what she accomplished on that March Shivratri day more than five decades ago. Instead, the tributes will come to the least deserving beneficiary: the person whose only real challenge on that occasion was to be able to manage to breathe.
Yes, life is unfair, especially for mothers. And yet, it’s true that each passing birthday marks a milestone on the road of life, something by which to measure the way you have lived. Not that most of us use birthdays for that purpose: usually it is the occasion for a party, and for the more spiritually-minded, for prayer; some spend it with close family, others with raucous friends; but few use it to take stock of what they have done and where they are going.
Indeed, it takes landmark birthdays to prompt that sort of self-assessment. In my case, 30 did it: it was, after all, the age when my cricketing heroes began to think of retirement, and up till that point i had thought of age entirely in relation to the careers of cricketers, most of whom, in those days, were over the hill by 30.
So at 30 I took a long hard look at my life and concluded that there was a great deal more I needed to do to justify my presence on the planet. Thirty was far more significant a threshold than 40, which passed by scarcely noticed. When I was a child that would have surprised me, for 40 had used to seem forbiddingly middle-aged, the point at which all potential had been exhausted, the beginning of an inexorable descent into decrepitude.
But by the time I got there, 40 seemed to me to be an insignificant age, populated by striplings and rising stars and the leaders of tomorrow, rather than a turning point. Perhaps, it is a reflection of the enhanced longevity of our times that the mid-point has been raised: 40 is still young today, and 50 is the new 40.
But what does that mean? No one I know who has reached 50 seems ready to be put to pasture. The days when office-goers contemplated retirement at 55 are gone almost everywhere, even in the hidebound confines of Indian government service, which now expects its bureaucrats to toil until 60 (and rumour has it that may soon rise to 62).
During my years as a manager at the UN, I used to find it deeply frustrating to lose some of my best staff at 60, an age when many of them seemed to be in the prime of their professional lives and had never been more assured or more productive. (Some, particularly from developing countries, would attempt to claim that their original birth certificates were wrongly filled in or subsequently doctored, a claim whose plausibility was undermined by the fact that they chose to reveal this only when they turned 59.)
Then came 50: an alarming age which seemed to suggest the imminence of irrelevance. At 50, no one can plausibly be described any more as "young" (an adjective that had dogged me all my life), or as "up-and-coming" or as an exciting new talent. By 50, you should have pretty much made your mark; for 99.99% of the human population, you know that in the race of life you are closer to the finish line than the starting gate.
And so 50 tends to be a landmark you notice. Intrepid gerontologists may come up with long lists of people whose major accomplishments occurred after they turned 50, but in most cases, 50 represents the narrowing of possibilities, the closing of avenues, both personal and professional. Choices you haven’t made till 50 are no longer available for you to make.
Of course, there are professions where this isn’t true: Indian or Japanese politics, for instance, where you have to be at least 50 to be taken seriously at all. But even your body reminds you daily of the things you can no longer do without feeling the consequences. Comedians tell you that if you wake up after 50 and don’t feel a nagging pain anywhere, you’re probably dead.
But I'm still here, unless I’m struck by the proverbial bus between sending this column to my editor and waking up on Sunday morning. Fifty-two isn’t a landmark of any sort; it is an age of no particular distinction. It’s the sort of age which, if it were a cricketing score, would carry an asterisk, meaning "not out": innings still going on, much more to do, plenty of batting still to come. The new ball has been weathered, some of the uneven bounce in the wicket mastered (or at least understood), an intelligent estimate of the field taken, and the bowling sized up.
Of course, the bat is now a bit worn, smudged both from the fours that went off the meat of the bat and the nicks and edges that accompanied your scoring, but you’re still there and the great cosmic umpire doesn’t seem to be readying to raise his finger. Fifty-two not out! You squint into the sun. Would somebody please move that sightscreen?
Why do we celebrate birthdays? This is a perfectly serious question, prompted by the fact that today happens to be mine. I will receive cards, phone calls and messages of congratulation from family and friends, all for having accomplished — what exactly? Nothing more than merely emerging 52 years ago. Whereas the person who did all the hard work that day, the one whose effort and sacrifice and pain resulted in the fortuitous event — my mother — will be ignored by all and sundry.
She will go to the temple, as usual, and feed the poor, as she has done on each of her children’s birthdays for decades. But no one will congratulate her for what she accomplished on that March Shivratri day more than five decades ago. Instead, the tributes will come to the least deserving beneficiary: the person whose only real challenge on that occasion was to be able to manage to breathe.
Yes, life is unfair, especially for mothers. And yet, it’s true that each passing birthday marks a milestone on the road of life, something by which to measure the way you have lived. Not that most of us use birthdays for that purpose: usually it is the occasion for a party, and for the more spiritually-minded, for prayer; some spend it with close family, others with raucous friends; but few use it to take stock of what they have done and where they are going.
Indeed, it takes landmark birthdays to prompt that sort of self-assessment. In my case, 30 did it: it was, after all, the age when my cricketing heroes began to think of retirement, and up till that point i had thought of age entirely in relation to the careers of cricketers, most of whom, in those days, were over the hill by 30.
So at 30 I took a long hard look at my life and concluded that there was a great deal more I needed to do to justify my presence on the planet. Thirty was far more significant a threshold than 40, which passed by scarcely noticed. When I was a child that would have surprised me, for 40 had used to seem forbiddingly middle-aged, the point at which all potential had been exhausted, the beginning of an inexorable descent into decrepitude.
But by the time I got there, 40 seemed to me to be an insignificant age, populated by striplings and rising stars and the leaders of tomorrow, rather than a turning point. Perhaps, it is a reflection of the enhanced longevity of our times that the mid-point has been raised: 40 is still young today, and 50 is the new 40.
But what does that mean? No one I know who has reached 50 seems ready to be put to pasture. The days when office-goers contemplated retirement at 55 are gone almost everywhere, even in the hidebound confines of Indian government service, which now expects its bureaucrats to toil until 60 (and rumour has it that may soon rise to 62).
During my years as a manager at the UN, I used to find it deeply frustrating to lose some of my best staff at 60, an age when many of them seemed to be in the prime of their professional lives and had never been more assured or more productive. (Some, particularly from developing countries, would attempt to claim that their original birth certificates were wrongly filled in or subsequently doctored, a claim whose plausibility was undermined by the fact that they chose to reveal this only when they turned 59.)
Then came 50: an alarming age which seemed to suggest the imminence of irrelevance. At 50, no one can plausibly be described any more as "young" (an adjective that had dogged me all my life), or as "up-and-coming" or as an exciting new talent. By 50, you should have pretty much made your mark; for 99.99% of the human population, you know that in the race of life you are closer to the finish line than the starting gate.
And so 50 tends to be a landmark you notice. Intrepid gerontologists may come up with long lists of people whose major accomplishments occurred after they turned 50, but in most cases, 50 represents the narrowing of possibilities, the closing of avenues, both personal and professional. Choices you haven’t made till 50 are no longer available for you to make.
Of course, there are professions where this isn’t true: Indian or Japanese politics, for instance, where you have to be at least 50 to be taken seriously at all. But even your body reminds you daily of the things you can no longer do without feeling the consequences. Comedians tell you that if you wake up after 50 and don’t feel a nagging pain anywhere, you’re probably dead.
But I'm still here, unless I’m struck by the proverbial bus between sending this column to my editor and waking up on Sunday morning. Fifty-two isn’t a landmark of any sort; it is an age of no particular distinction. It’s the sort of age which, if it were a cricketing score, would carry an asterisk, meaning "not out": innings still going on, much more to do, plenty of batting still to come. The new ball has been weathered, some of the uneven bounce in the wicket mastered (or at least understood), an intelligent estimate of the field taken, and the bowling sized up.
Of course, the bat is now a bit worn, smudged both from the fours that went off the meat of the bat and the nicks and edges that accompanied your scoring, but you’re still there and the great cosmic umpire doesn’t seem to be readying to raise his finger. Fifty-two not out! You squint into the sun. Would somebody please move that sightscreen?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
