The toothy grin

The bus I was travelling by, was an AC Volvo. Many people cannot handle the closed nature of these buses and tend to get motion sickness. One such person was seated in front of me. She was in great discomfort and her approximately 4 year old didn’t make things any easy for her. Soon she was forced to ask the conductor to stop the bus. The bus was in the middle of a good snarl, so the driver immediately obliged. She went out (probably threw up) and had to came back in and wait near the door when the snarl made way for the bus. However, in all this, her little one had created a ruckus inside the bus. On not finding her mom, she filled the bus with a full throttled wail, that woke up many. On getting a gist of the situation all the people (well, almost all!) decided to pamper her. And pamper they did! Some gave her chocolates, some made faces to distract her, some gave their phones to her but to no avail. She refused to budge. Finally, one carried her on his shoulders to where her mother was. Only then did she find solace and decided to enjoy the gifts that her admirers had bestowed upon her. Out came a toothy grin and the bus almost lit up as her admirers smiled back too.

Life is similar...when it gets into the cranky mode one needs to pamper it without irritation or worries. The toothy grin is not far away :)

Free speech ...

"You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours.

~ the movie  American President 

Living and Leaving...

As I explore more and more cities I realize my love for places. But I also realize that the love exists because I would leave them. If I have to live in a new place then the place would stop being new and so I would eventually stop loving them.
When we live in a place we know everything about it. When we visit a place we visit only the best parts of it. The problems that exist don't manifest themselves , well, because maybe they know that you would leave soon. I live in a city that has such an amazing climate and yet an aspect of it is so cringeworthy that anyone I know hardly talks about the amazing weather. Everyone talks about leaving this city for good but I kind of enjoy the madness.

Living is mundane......Leaving is exotic.

What's changed?

Someone asked me why had I disappeared? I realized Its been ages on any forum. I wondered about the choices made. A choice that has grown stronger with time. What is the need to be known? Why should one’s opinion matter to anyone else? Have always been totally happy in a crowd as much as in my room quietly reading.  The need to present the 'I' has vanished. Maybe because its existence has become even stronger.

A small set of people who just drop by when time permits or drop a line to keep in touch, girlfriends who meet up whenever they can, friends who can pause on conversations for years and then pick up right where they left......find this better than the need to catch up in social circles.

The writings have ceased because the mind is in an overdrive. When that calms down then maybe the thoughts that formulate and the words that get penned down would have more articulation and clarity.

Someone wise, aptly said - "Do not break the silence unless you can improve it"

Man Bairagi...

मन बैरागी तन अनुरागी , कदम कदम दुश्वारी हैं 

जीवन जीना सहल ना जानो बहुत बड़ी फनकारी हैं 

औरों जैसे होकर भी बाइज़्जत हैं बस्ति में 

कुछ लोगों का सीधापन हैं 

कुछ अपनी अय्यारी हैं 

While watching the movie Aiyaari I came across these fabulous lines of the poet Nida Fazli.

The full poetry can be found online but right now these lines are just apt for me :)

Me, my kid and God :P

The chutney was spicy, and there was no time to make a new one just to accommodate my little one who is actually not that little now :). So I thought of a plan.

Me: Kiddo, I have kept a chocolate in your box.
Kiddo: Why? [Surprised, because mom isn’t really the chocolate giving kinds]
Me: The chutney is a little spicy, so after you have had your food you can eat it.
Kiddo: Alright.
Me: Please simply eat your chocolate and stop showing it around to other kids or teasing them
Kiddo: Why?
Me: Because they would feel sad exactly like you would; if someone showed you a chocolate but ate all himself that is.

At this stage, i don't think he has appreciated my general philosophical thought so i choose a more direct approach.

Me: And god will punish you if you show the chocolate but don't share them.
Kiddo: Really???
Me: Yup, God will take away your chocolates as a punishment because you caused sadness.
Kiddo: How is that possible? The statue in that room, how will it move and take away my chocolates?
Me: Facepalm.

Moral: Never use abstract concepts with a logical 4 year old.

Do not go gentle into that good night - Dylan Thomas

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.