THE SPEAKING TREE

The Invisible Piper’s Mysterious Tune

Homayun Taba 

    There are so many things about us we cannot do much about, right from our DNA structure, to who our parents are, the place of our birth, and the length of our lives. We refer to these, as ‘givens’ and the actual list can be very long. Albert Einstein, putting on his philosopher’s hat, goes a step further, saying that everything is determined by forces over which we have no control, and that we all dance to ‘a mysterious tune intoned in the distance by an invisible piper’. 
    Against this list sits another one, where the items listed out are those over which we do have influence and things on which we can have an impact. Depending on our energy, willingness and level of risk-taking, we are able to generate a whole lot of transformations within ourselves and in the environment around us. 
    One of those prayers found everywhere in stores and curio shops, practically upon every sort of material from glass, to cloth, to wood, is the one that asks the Almighty to grant us serenity to accept the unchangeable and courage to change the changeable. Up to here it has enough insight contained in it. But the crucial few words kept for the third line are ‘…and wisdom to know the difference’. 
    There are many situations in life in which we fail to exercise this discerning wisdom, from our careers, marriages, dealing with our neighbours, or simply in our setting priorities. 
    While changing the material world and one’s financial status are not impossible things to do, it takes a lifetime and many setbacks and knocks to realise that we cannot change others, and that we could have reserved a substantial amount of energy and resources if we had exercised the serenity to accept this. 
    Sufi master Bayazid Bistami offers some insight on this. When he was young he was a revolutionary, and all his prayers to God were to ask for energy to change the world. Approaching middle age, he realised that half his life had gone by without his truly changing a single soul. So he changed his prayer, now asking for power to change those he came in contact with – just family and close friends, and he would be content. 
    Then comes this wisdom-statement: “Now that i am an old man and my days are numbered, my one prayer is, ‘Lord, give me the grace to change myself’. If i had prayed for this right from the start i would not have wasted so much of my life.” 
So the first prayer is about serenity, courage and wisdom and the second one is about energy, power and grace. And this is interesting because there is a vital link here between wisdom and grace. In one sense a true prayer is about asking God to grant us grace and by that, or in the light of it, we may acquire wisdom. 
Wisdom is not always about knowing what to do, but more importantly, understanding about what not to do. Sometimes simply listening, not rushing to help or to interfere can be enormously wise. 
    We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking to realise that in life a lot depends on the willingness to face all that happens to us, and at the same time on learning the limits and extent to which we can overcome, and also what we must learn to make peace with. 
    Life is about choice. But to choose well, Kofi Annan says: “…you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to get there.”






P.S This piece appeared in yesterday's Times Of India. I loved their in depth analysis and couldn't agree more!

Thought for the day

It's good to have money and the things money can buy, but it's good to check every once in a while, and make sure that you haven't lost the things money can't buy

DAILY DIARIES

It happened. Yet again. Alarm is supposed to go off at 8:15. It does. I hit the snooze button (or so I think I do) and decide to wake up 15 minutes later. I do. Time check 9:15. 15 minutes to pack lunch and get ready. A maniac on the loose- ME. 

In all these years of my existence, never have I gone from out of bed to out of house in half an hour. Today I did.

I don't want my company to give me a wake up call tomorrow, so I shall go to bed now. 

I haven't been reading your blogs these days. I am guilty. Come weekend, and I shall comment on everything that you write about all week. I promise. Have a happy week everyone :-)

THOUGHT FOR FOOD..

(This is going to be a no brainer as always, so if there is shortage of time, you know what to do( BINGO Skip this!!)

When :

• You are way too lazy to make yourself food and there's nothing edible in the fridge
• When you want a quick fix to the uncontrollable hunger pangs
• When you don't feel like going out to eat or order food home( because you can't wait)
• When the cafeteria guy at your workplace suddenly forgets to wake up to serve you breakfast
• When you want something appetizing and tasty even if it is zero on nutrition.

What is the first thing that comes to your mind? For me it's Maggi anyday, anytime, everytime. I know it has no nutritional value, it might be fattening, it's unhealthy, maybe even gross( So we could skip comments like those. Yeah? Good).  Two good reasons to have it are :One  it takes 10 minutes to make( I don't know why they call them 2 minute noodles. Maybe if you're Microwaving them it takes just that much. I haven't tried that yet) and Two they are very tasty! No I am not advocating it. By all means have green leafy vegetables, salads, soups, wheat bread sandwitches, green tea. The works! Basically anything healthy you can lay your hands on. But just once it a blue moon it can't harm you can it? (I hope it doesn't)

They can't really be that harmful considering the fact that noodles are the staple diet of the Chinese and Pizza is the staple diet of the Italians ( And we in India, call it junk!! Pray why!!)

Alright. Why this jazz? Well, I ended up having it for breakfast (Blame the guy who generally serves wonderful breakfast but chose to skip work this morning, which left me with nothing better to eat. Alright, maybe there was something better. Big deal!), and after writing this piece I feel like having it again. Take two. Why the jazz? Because I have  had   alright had decided to abstain from it and broke my pledge. Not once but many times over. Do I regret it. No!! Fantastic!!

So until the Maggi packets come with a statutory warning, the pledge goes to the dogs and stays with them!

A VERY SPECIAL GIFT

  

This is what Sparkling sent me today. 17 roses on the 17th of September. It is more than special because NO ONE has ever sent me such exotic flowers! Each of them is flawlessly perfect and very beautiful. So to be receiving THIS BIG a bouquet takes me to a level above cloud 9 (Still floating and have no intentions of coming down). I went crazy clicking pictures of them to preserve them for eternity. Thank you Sparkling! THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH! You have NO idea how much this means to me! You really made my day!

Not like you need it..

A gradual realization. Not that it would be of earth shattering importance to each of you, but the apparent scarcity of blog ideas makes me do this. So here it is, straight from the mare's mouth!

Just that begrudging people for life is pointless!  We have no control over how people perceive us and how they choose to behave with us. They might choose to behave outrageously but the fact is, this just might be the last time you see them and talk to them. Three months down the line, you wouldn't even know where life has taken them (We aren't even aware of where life will take us. Row row, row a boat, gently down the stream....Ehem. Sorry. Was reminded of a nursery rhyme). Maintain your peace, if need be distance and get on! For all you know, you might become good friends one day and wonder what all that fuss was all about. It happened with me, hence I blabber. Alright, I am done with imparting gyan (knowledge) for the day! Not like you needed it! Peace! No throwing eggs and tomatoes at me! Convert them into omelette's. Recession ain't over yet! 

WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE...

To actually meet everyone you regularly interact with on blogger.We've all known each other for quite sometime through all the highs and most of the lows. Through simple posts about what's going on, we've all kept in touch building a family God didn't give us. Distances and ethnicities have proven to be no barriers at all. There couldn't be a better platform to bring together people who actually connect with each other and very deeply at that. It's very evident when one of us goes missing for even a day or a week for whatever reasons. The best way you can be with each other  and for each other!

Would it be any different if we were to actually speak to each other in person? Would appearances and mannerisms get in the way of good first impressions? I chuckle at the thought. I can sit here with oil in my hair, looking haggard and woebegone (due to the laziness that dawns upon me on holidays, preventing me from moving muscles and doing something about looking good), and can still get away with it :-) Of course I'd look for places to hide if I were to be called to say hello to any of you :-) (No I am not ugly, just shy :-) )

Like you can see, no substance at all. Just struck me when Bernie said that she wished she could sit with me and chat with me over a cup of coffee. Coffee!! My first love (Happy sigh) Anyone else interested in having coffee with me? I'd be more than happy to oblige :-)

ONE MOMENT OR GRADUALLY

Just another thought, but a deeply felt one. If you ask from the core of the heart, and it is for your good, life does give it to you. Without fail. It might take time, and at times it might take so long, that you might even forget that you asked. But suddenly everything that you had longed for, might come rushing into your life, and you might not even notice. Not until you zoom out. All that it takes is one moment or a gradual change of situations to turn around everything and steer your life towards limitless bliss and peace. I am reminded of "According to your faith, it is done unto you".


Life might take away a lot from you. But it also gives you back in kind. Not like I have tremendous experience to back this thought. But so far there has been nothing that has caused me to disbelieve this. There is always a balm for all the wounds and an answers to every prayer.  Something that tells you that even though life gave you the worst of trials and tribulations, there was always a solution and a source of strength to hold onto. And someone up there only wanted your good and was constantly watching over you.


I know I must have written about this a zillion times, and probably this is all that I write here, but this is all that I feel like writing about at the moment. Full of gratitude and very thankful for all the blessings. 


NOTE TO THE ONE ABOVE: Pssssssst! Please don't take it away and let this stay for all my life :-)

SPEECHLESS

Mekong River

REWINDING...

I am assuming children don't read my space (or if they do, they don't tell me). No I am not about to discuss stuff that needs parental guidance. I was just wondering how different life was in our growing up years. When life wasn't as complicated. When I was growing up, my parents used to narrate stories of how in their times, four wheelers is what the uber rich could afford and how deserted the streets of Delhi (The capital of India) used to be. Cycles were the only mode of transportation or maybe hand pulled rickshaws. How there was no electricity in those days and how they used coal to light up the kitchen fire. To make national calls, they had to book trunk calls, stand in long queues .Those calls were prohibitively expensive and were made only when required. International calling was unthought of. When I was born my grandfather sent a telegram to my dad, telling him that mother and daughter are doing fine, which my dad still possesses. I don't even know how a telegram is sent! Who would have thought in a day and time like that, that there is going to be a device which you could hold in your hand, and call whoever you want, whenever you want, wherever in the world the person might be! No waiting in lines, no burning a hole in your pocket. People communicated with those who lived far away by writing letters. Now there are emails. It used to take anything between 15 days to a month for the letter to get to it's destination. And now not even a minute. Air travel wasn't frequent. For long distances there were ships. Now there are luxury cruises. Who would have imagined this! Those were the days of joint families with everyone from the great grand parent to the great grand child living together. Today is a day of nuclear families.

Today is an age of instant gratification. The elders say that the younger generation wants everything quick. Fast money, fast food, fast success. With changing times has come a change in attitude, a change in outlook. Parents these days are their children's friends. Back then, children couldn't think of disobeying. And whatever the parents said back then was followed to the T. Children today have a mind of their own ( I am sure children back then weren't born mindless. Anyways). Kids as young at 7 or 8 have cellphones of their own, and want playstations as birthday gifts. All I wanted at that age was Barbie dolls! Jeez I sound SO jaded and old!! Children these days want accessories to match their outfits and are extremely aware of looking good. Every day of my growing up years must have been a mismatch day. With any hair clip going with any frock :-) It must have been so simple to bring up children those days, who weren't so demanding and spoilt. I have NO clue how in the world am I bringing up my own, as and when I have them. And I am sure by the time they come into this world, the world will have changed so very much that my parent's tales will sound like fairy tales to them :-)

The more things change, it's said the more they remain the same. Or atleast people fight tooth and nail to make them remain the same. Suddenly something that ages back to that time, becomes a huge hit and everyone wants to do the same, be the same. The retro look, retro music, retro virtues. The old school of thinking. The old fashioned views. People are suddenly rediscovering the benefits of living that way, eating that way, the age old remedies. Silently screaming that the more things change, the more they remain the same!