Thursday, July 31, 2008

Old Friends ...............

What's it about school friends ,that makes talking to them therapeutic?

While speaking with them(or these days e-chatting with them),the most complex things about life seem like a bolt of lightning, scary yet so simple that it can be easily understood through an absolute inane e-chat.Just yesterday I was chatting with an old friend(who was not such a good friend back then),and we found we were sharing with each other some really ponderous thoughts about our lives.There was a sense of camaraderie in knowing that someone I had known quite well back then(we shared the same dormitory at Boarding School),shared the same apprehensions about some important things in life.

I think it has something to do with the sheer innocence of our motives,which were the hidden force behind all our actions at that age.The spontaneity,innocence,zest to discover and uncomplicated feelings about people around you,make them connect with you at a fundamental level.When you meet the same friends or chat with them at later points in life,picking up the threads or talking to them about life,becomes very easy.

It's like sharing notes and gaining wisdom from somewhat similar yet remarkably different experiences of life....................

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Cameras and ME

I am one of those people who look pathetic in photographs.I mean it,seriously!

Pathetic is not the word.As one of my acquantainces put it-I look like something the cat dragged home-:)

I mean what's with cameras, they bring out the worst in me.When I was healthy(well some say grossly obese)they made me look healthier than actual(can you imagine!!!!).When I am thin,they make me look skinnier than normal.

Everytime someone says 'Cheese' to me,I look like I am going to have a fainting spell.The expression usually is ,get over with it you bozo.

Were I an Indian Politician,I would say-Opposition Ki Saazish Hain:)

Monday, July 28, 2008

Mustering Courage

Courage-When I was a child ,the word signified a quality that you needed to face the larger problems of life.It had a very grown up feeling to it.It was something that you needed when a major adversity stared you in the face or when life threw up nasty surprises.

But over the years I have noticed people needing courage to perform the smallest and most natural acts of life.People today need courage to be kind or even to smile at strangers.They need immense courage to reach an accident victim to the nearest hospital.They need great strength to speak even the smallest truth,or stand up for their smallest conviction.

People need courage to reach out to a lonely neighbour,an old lady or even throw a few scraps at some poor stray.They need courage to speak up ,to speak out,to look hard,to raise their head,to ask a question........At this rate we will very soon need courage to look at our own shadows.

We need to seriously reach out ,look around and ask questions.If we don't muster the courage,be assured that some day it will be one of us lying on the street in a pool of blood and people will just walk around us without a second thought.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Somnath Chatterjee-The Speaker who spoke against Opportunism in Indian Politics

I am no expert in Indian Polity, nor am I an expert in constitutional nuances; I am just an ordinary Indian who believes that a majority of our politicians are opportunists of the worst kind.

The story of Indian governance is a mixture of corruption, nepotism, anarchy and deceit. I tried to draw a genealogical chart of political and ideological affiliations in Indian Politics and got utterly lost due to the various convolutions. The picture looked like a sand castle washed away by greed and corruption.

No one cares about the 123 or 345 or whatever rubbish they are wanting the world to believe .All that matters are the current or prospective zero’s in their bank accounts.

Kudos to Mr.Somnath Chatterjee, for taking a stand and kicking petty politics. Wish God could give us more of his kind!!!!!!!