Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Just wondering..

Why do people sometimes give unnecessary explanation when it is neither asked nor required? Does this avoid misunderstandings? Or does this make things look fishy? :)
Sunday, October 26, 2008

Shubh Deepavali..

Bursting crackers, lot of noise, lights all around - a few synonyms for diwali- 'the festival of lights'. 

Ever thought about what is shown in this video? Before you burst crackers, think about these kids, some aasthma patients around you, pollution caused. 

Crackers are not the only way of experiencing joy. Diwali is a lot more than bursting crackers. Why not illuminate someone's life this diwali?

Wish you a safe and wonderful diwali.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

A walk across a cemetery..

Ew! I don’t like to talk or listen about 'it'. I had never thought about 'it' little more than a month back. Then by chance (was it just a chance?) I walked across a cemetery for the first time in my life. I wasn’t scared(reminded me of someone who is scared of ghosts and so doesn't want to visit a cemetery). It was a strange feeling walking across a place where so many dead people have been buried. Artistic tombstones. Beautiful flower arrangements. Implicit silence in the breeze. Pleasant, yet unpleasant. It was there that i thought about 'it'. Yes.. 'it' is death.. There were lots of thoughts in mind. I started thinking something really creepy. 'What if I die in next 10 minutes? How will i spend last 10 minutes of my life?' And I actually planned it before leaving from there :) My 'to-be-done' list was long. Certain things which we take for granted reveal their importance when we think something like this. Well, here i am, blogging after days and trying to express something which i don't know how to. It would be irresponsible on my part to attempt to explain what i felt that time. Some things are better not explained.
Monday, October 13, 2008

The roadside painter..

I was walking on one of the busiest streets, in a land far away from mine, with a friend when we saw that some people had gathered to see something. We looked with curiosity what made so many people gather there. There was a beautiful painting drawn on the road. It was giving a 3-D effect. It was so beautiful that I wondered if this is what heaven looks like. He had kept two bowls in which people were putting money. There were a few other framed paintings which he had kept there.
I looked at the painter. I wondered what such a talented person is doing on a roadside. Probably he would have searched for a job, couldn’t find any, gave up hope to find any and finally ended up there-in that street, for earning something at least for that day. I don’t know why he was there. His eyes didn’t look away from the painting, not for a single moment. His hands were busy drawing with the colourful chalk pieces. A shower of a few minutes could have wiped away his effort of hours. Yet, he was doing everything with so much of perfection. He was enjoying his work in spite of not being recognized the way he should be. His whole concentration was into his work as if nothing existed beyond it. I was reminded of the quote ‘Do your job so well that the God and the Angels in the heaven are moved to say- here lives a person who did is his job so well as if only he was destined to do it’. And I could see a perfect example of such a person right in front of me. He was destined to be there and enjoying whatever he was doing. It was not only a necessity for him but also his reason of living because he loved doing it.
As we walked further, I saw a handicapped man exhibiting his talent with a ball. Then a very thin and short lady sitting at a corner and singing beautifully. Her voice was loud and clear. Don’t know why but I felt she was suffering from some disease (I remember seeing her there many times before). A few steps further were a band of people playing lovely music. Some people say this is the way these people beg. Can we call it begging? Isn’t it an insult to their talent? How many of us have these talents? How many of us have the ability to admire and respect their talent? We have a lot to learn from them, from their persistence.  
Then I asked my friend the question that was still haunting me and i wanted someone to answer it- ‘why are these people here in spite of having so much of talent?’ The answer I got was- ‘This is what you call life.’
Yes, this is life for them. It isn't always fair. I turned back and looked at that street full of talented people. As we walked further, a few drops of water rolled down.
Saturday, October 4, 2008

Smile :)

Smile is one of the best expressions that God has given us. It feels so good to see someone with a cheerful smile. A genuine smile sets everything right. 

How about a smile in silence? They (don’t ask me who) say “If you smile when nobody is around you, you really mean it.” Have you ever found yourself smiling like this? I have! I was thinking about an incident in recent past and before I could realize, I found myself smiling. I wondered what made me smile. It was the everlasting joy of those memories that my smile expressed.

How about silence in a smile? Smile, can be mysterious too, with lots of secrets. A silent smile speaks its own language. What do you do when someone asks you a question you don’t want to answer? I just smile. What do you do when someone you respect, unintentionally, says something that isn’t pleasant to listen? I just smile. What do you do when someone asks you something that you can’t answer? I just smile.

What if your smile is misread and misunderstood? Oops, it hurts! Once I made someone angry with my smile (Hey, I didn’t want to hurt you, it wasn't intentional). So just be careful with the sweet smile on your face. 

Don’t forget to give a smile to a person who you think doesn’t like to smile. It looks strange when your smile is not reciprocated. But remember, nobody needs a smile so much as those who have none left to give.
Smile, even when you are hurt. Look at the mysterious sky, beautiful flowers, wonderful creatures or anything that makes you smile. It makes you feel better. Smile, I feel, is the best solution for anything that isn't right.
Keep smiling :)
RC Musings