Harbinger of smiles and hope

It is such a common sight in India. Your vehicle stops at a red light and a whole bunch of people approach you for a little bit of help. Infants, toddlers, young and old. They keep tapping your window until it becomes increasingly hard to ignore them. One look at them, and your heart melts away. You're often reprimanded for giving in, since it is a habit with them. I agree. It just might be a habit with them. But I'm sure if someone would employ them, they wouldn't have to do what they're doing. I am sure it's not fun doing that. They say it is all organized and movies like Slumdog Millionaire just publicize it. It just might be.  I don't know. But in the freak case that it isn't, someone will sleep on an empty stomach because you were biased against that community and others thought just like you and didn't give in. Or gave too little. This isn't asking you to donate your hard earned money. Just a perspective.

Today I was eating at an insanely and hideously expensive place. I was served so much food that I had trouble finishing it. My stomach groaned at the sight of a next spoon, but I was in no mood to relent. That is when the thought struck me that I am just so fortunate to have more food on my platter than I can eat. And there are people who can't even manage one square meal per day. How bad it must feel to sleep hungry. Really request people for help and be ignored. For no fault of yours. 

When I was young, I was taught a hymn in school which said 

" Count your blessings, name them one by one,

Count your blessings, see what God hath done!

Count your blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done."

We are really fortunate to be wherever we are. Because this is living proof that it could be far worse! One of my collegues once remarked that he keeps aside a part of his salary to give away to the needy. He says his father told him that " The needy have a share in what you earn". I think that it is so beautiful to be doing your bit for society. It gives you so much, and this is your humble way of giving back to them. No spotlights on you. No articles written in praise of you. A little help from you which might make a world of a difference to someone you don't even know. It would be so heartening to see one of them grow up to gain a respectable job somewhere and make his/her family proud and get them out of the sad situation. You might choose to disagree with me, but that's alright. The amount of money the rich and famous spend at the Indian Premier League or elections could be so much better utilised if it was  given away to people who really need them. But that's life. Let's be a harbinger of smiles. To those to whom life has dealt a tough set of cards.

Welcome to human networking!!

They say that the purpose of Internet was to bring people closer to each other. But even with mobile telephony and Internet, people seem to be drifting away from each other. They have the time to converse with strangers online, but seldom find the time to check on their next door neighbor. I believed in it till very recently, but not anymore. I've begun to believe that barriers indeed break, when people talk! And people will talk, when they know each other. Now how does it matter how they get to know each other! 

At times it takes the power of the internet, to find your next door neighbor, as was the case with me! It started with me noticing an article in the local newspaper publicising a blog and book. Next moment I find myself visiting her blog. Fast forward a few days and lo and behold I discover she is my next door neighbor!! So proud to be her friend. Even though she has moved away, the friendship continues. Needless to say with the power of the internet!

I never imagined I would ever get to converse with people from other countries! Social networking per se does not really work for me, because all I seem to attract is the "Do you want to do franship with me" varieties. But blogging is a new world in itself. Real people, real issues. And the genuineness or the lack of it shows. More than a scrap or a wallpost can reveal.  If you manage to strike a chord with someone and become a great friend, there is so much you can learn about that country and culture. Through the eyes and thoughts of your friend. How else can you hope to meet someone on the other side of the globe! Now again how long these friendships last remains to be seen. And I don't even know how the concept of being associated with the same set of people in every birth fits in here. Could you have been associated with someone in the past, who is now accessible to you only online? Dr. Brian Weiss...I am still thinking! (And Ms. Still Thinking no pun intended this time. I should rename my blog after yours, because all that I seem to be doing is thinking :-) which reminds me of the article I read about Chronic thinkers. It's an epidemic that is increasingly consuming women these days, and I seem afflicted by it too!)

When long distance calls for hours become prohibitively expensive comes the lifesaver-emails, chatting and voice over internet! It sure takes zilch effort to communicate your well being to someone else and ask them for theirs. Again boils down to genuine intentions. 

It is so heartening to see that someone watches out for you even though they have never seen you or don't as much as know your name. But you know that when you express a concern, they will respond to it. They will do all they can to make you feel better! (Thanks Ms. Thinking. This is becoming less of a post and more of a dedication!)Touch wood. I hope that feeling never leaves me :-)

The blogosphere is such a brilliant space to meet like minded people.People who think like you and feel like you. They also give you the much needed perspective when you've lost yours. The entire phenomenon of someone far away bothering to read what you have to say and giving his/her views on it is beyond amazing.

No matter what the country, no matter what the creed, the emotions are still the same. The languages might differ, but the feelings are all the same. I know I'm beginning to sound insane. Ofcourse everyone feels just the same about identical things!! But still!! This is human networking in all it's hues :-) 

Mistakes,Trust and other things

We've all made too many wrong mistakes at some point in our lives or the other. But they say that "Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time." 

The question is (I've a penchant for asking questions in this space, don't I !), how do you differentiate between not repeating mistakes and plain paranoia? When you're thrown in an identical situation with a different set of players, what do you do? There is bound to be a blast from the past. No denying that. But do you shy away from the game because the last time round the players played foul, or do you play it in the true spirit of the game? When the game in question is called Life?

It all boils down to trust. What do you go by? I'd say a combination of gut feeling and pure logic. Something that defies logic, can more often than not, be distrusted. If you've lost big time in the past, it's hugely uncomfortable even thinking of playing that game again. But life is not about giving up. It never was. Oscal Wilde once said "Most people die of a sort of creeping common sense, and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one's mistakes". They teach you so much and more often than not you emerge a new and improved you. You committed them because at some point in time, you truly believed in them. You got what you wanted, but it didn't quite turn out right. You cooked something with great gusto, but it turned out outright pathetic and unpalatable. But now atleast you know what ingredients spoil the show and what enhances the flavor manifold. "You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space"

"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much. " said Mother Teressa once and isn't that just so true! But when you cease trusting, you cease living. When you first tripped and fell, you didn't give up walking. Because you trusted yourself that you could do it. With great trust comes great responsibility. For your actions. For all the consequences that it brings along. For everything that turns right, for everything that goes wrong. It was you and you alone. But your belief in yourself keeps you going. When the whole world gives up on you. When your own don't support you. Someone once said "Someone who thinks the world is always cheating him is right. He is missing that wonderful feeling of trust in someone or something." You lead a miserable existance when you can't trust. Distrust always dispels peace of mind. We will continue to make mistakes. New and improved.But like I always say, if it didn't kill you, it was only to make you stronger!