The Thought Addict

The stagnant, heavy air Reeked of alienation- There I stood, lonely in my glory Cold and hard, that none dared to touch. How indeed could one caress A soul shrouded in contempt, So distant from the self Beyond the reach of redemption. Why then did a gentle breeze uproot me, When hurricanes I've braved? The diamond eroded slowly but surely, By the brilliant drop of water. T'was but the breath of life That sought the spirit within. And taught the flower her fragrance, Showed the rain cloud his rainbow. Only the sculptor sees the statue- Where others behold the rock, I saw me through your acceptance An existence became a life worth living. Loud Speaker

I was sending my son off to school and I saw this man standing in the middle of the road, racing up and down. He was doing the Balancing Act -- laptop wide open on his left hand and his mobile on the other, frantically dialling someone's number. He walked straight up to the junction where three roads meet, and one could tell he was waiting for someone. And mind you, he still had the laptop open, though he was doing nothing. Was this a Showoff Act? Well, perhaps yes. And who's the mega star? The gadget, of course! I stood there, clinging to the window, waiting for the outcome. A taxi arrived. He rushed towards it, gave the driver instructions, and the laptop was still wide open! He struggled to get in, but he was still holding someone on line, on his iPhone! Though this bewildered me, it is the sad state of affairs today. Gadgets, today's mega stars, have come to stay in most of our lives. And these mega stars have brought with them the mega villain, Laziness.  Our life is...

As students, many of us knew only the Absolute Zero, the number Zero, the Empty set (0), the neutral number on the number line, and the natural even number, to name a few. But the zero I'm talking about today is the one that has value! And how much power it has gained over the years! There is a zero in everything I see, hear or do. At least, of late. But the heaviest zero that sends my head spinning into a big zero is the one that I see in my bills. Name any bill -- grocery, telephone, bakery, electricity, shopping malls, eateries, restaurants -- and they seem to have gained a zero in the units place!  Rewind a few years... At least there was one zero less, in the same bills, I mean to say. And probably we call this progress! Or is it just inflation? The expenses we meet everyday have boomeranged, or in the least doubled, in the past few years. Even the domestic helps and small service providers have added a zero to their services. What was a mere 40 has become 400 now....

Every time I travel for longer than half an hour, one of two things is bound to happen - I get lost in thought, or doze off. Whether it is in a bus or train or car or whatever, I simply can't seem to control myself from drifting off. I've even tried listening to music, but all it does is distract my mind from the road to the lyrics. As soon as I had reached the eligible age, I learnt driving and obtained my driver's license both for 2- as well as 4-wheeler. That was a mere formality. Even as I tried to learn driving, every neuron in my body screamed out loud that I'm not cut out to drive. It is not just that I may be mentally absent while driving. I have no sense of direction, and frequently muddle up my lefts and my rights and my straights. Reverse is entirely another matter. How is it even possible to remember all the roads? And all the one-ways and no entries? And the endless flyovers and bypasses? I often require a map to my own house, and that I may end...

My nephew was studying Chemistry the other day. He is in school, facing mountainloads of homework and an unending string of FAs and SAs. I was just observing him study, and his forehead was furrowed with concentration. But his eyes did not show interest. He is such an enthusiastic boy in everything he does, but somehow, studying for exams seemed like such a bitter pill to him. It didn't bother me whether he got good grades or not. It didn't bother me whether he excelled in academics or sports or the arts. What did bother me was whether he knew and felt  the true joy of learning. One day, we just casually started discussing something in biology and organic chemistry, two subjects which I have always just adored and loved from my heart. I was telling him how much I had enjoyed reading those subjects. For me, they were still a part of my life in so many subtle ways. He seemed astounded that these subjects could ever remain with us beyond school years, and that the...

Elders always say, "Be like him or be like her" and what not. But sometimes, they also do say the exact opposite. When asked to elaborate on this, they say "just trying to help you" and walk away. Now my question is: Do you follow the advice? Do you take the plunge? What they say is about their own experiences. They lived in a world free of competition, and studied in libraries and with enormous dictionaries.  Now-a-days, there is a lot of competition in the form of exams, quizzes, and other milestones. It is like a staircase, which seems never-ending. The steps to even reach the landing or get a glimpse of the summit is far-fetched, especially when it comes to studies. Those who make these statements are blissfully unaware of today's problems. So, do we listen to them? Or do we walk away? To be? Or not to be??? Czar of Confusion

Sometimes, I feel I'm a football. Right from the word 'Go'. I can see the goal post and nothing else. Innumerable fans are cheering me and want me to achieve something, or at least score one goal. But this is not possible within a given time frame because this is no football match. And I'm a lone player. Ever since I started perceiving things around me, I've been hearing this word. In its many avatars . Is the word so addictive? The first one came up when I was in school. My life was full of life and threw so many surprises. A mountain of advice followed me like a shadow -- from parents, teachers, elders and family friends: "Have a goal in life. Otherwise you will be nowhere." "Goals inspire you to achieve." "Dare to dream but work towards a goal." Then came the late teens and I was into a bit of reading. Just plain inquisitive. But again, the word "goal" did not let me go. I read some of the quotable quotes f...

I just want to give up my job. I'm not a career person. In fact I'm one of the least ambitious persons I know. I would just love to be a stay-at-home mom. I'd like to be at home and spend time with my family. That set me off thinking. What do I want in life? What kind of a person am I? As I already said, I'm not cut out for a job. No to the career. Maybe just a low-profile job or a lazy business to while away my hours during the day when I'm alone. But even during those hours, I guessed I'd be thinking about my family. I'm not exactly one you would call an adventurous person. In fact, I shy away from anything out of the routine. I simply prefer sticking to what I'm used to (which explains why I'm still stuck in a job I don't like). I'm not a fun-loving person... as in, I don't go clubbing, 'pub'bing, trekking, hiking...you get the drift. Staying indoors with my daughter, playing hide-and-seek with her is probably...

"Doctor, I have excruciating pain in my right ear." "Please sit down, let me examine." "I think my ear drum is infected. Give me some pain killers and antibiotics." "........." "I have acute sinusitis. I had an ice cream late last night. Couldn't avoid. Was my family friend's birthday party." "......!!" "I had paracetamol and analgesics but didn't have much relief."  The doctor quietly writes out a prescription and smiles.  "Take these pills for two weeks. If the pain persists or worsens after three days, meet me."                                                                                                                          * * * * * Patients are more i...

In the midst of a whirlwind day at work, I had a few moments to myself. I took a deep breath and thought, what a day!! I simply wanted to get away from my job. It would be wonderful if I could just have time for myself, to do what I love, to have fun, laze around...but doing what exactly? The first thought that came to my mind is curling up with one of my well-thumbed novels in a cozy armchair with an endless supply of piping -hot tea. Mmmm... That IS an enticing idea.. Or perhaps watching some of my favorite movies, and relive those nostalgic moments of my life inextricably linked with each of them. And then..? What? Much to my consternation, I seemed to have run out of ideas. What else did I like? How did I really fill my hours (minutes, more often) of leisure? How had I been spending my spare time these 30+ years of my life? I thought and I thought..and I realised that I thought. Let me explain that a little more. Every single spare moment I had was spen...