A friend that one was

Strangers we two were

Till we became best of friends

Shared cared and learned

Little things of life as one

We never gave our talk a miss

For they meant a wholesome miss

Then came a time we must admit

When we gave all of it a miss...

We gradually moved on

Leaving the other behind

Learned new lessons, made new friends

Thus ignored the dying one

No tears shed, no loss felt

For we lost, only a friend

And it hurts; only when it's love

But Friend weren't we sharing the love?

 

It’s easier to blame the other

But who I am to say

For none of us tried

And flowed with the rhythm of life

But what about the friendship we shared

It exists or is buried; do we care?

One fine day I question myself

Once my best friend still a friend?

Today I look back with no clue

Only to take one last look

For I know; I wont get back
My friend that one was!!

Do Be Do Be Do

Did you just start humming the Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers in the Night"? If you have not heard the song yet; do listen to it."Do be do be do" could just be a folderol with respect to the song. But it’s simply not in reality; they (to do and to be) are the two basic verbs we use the most. It was well described by the Newton’s law of inertia – a body in motion tends to stay in motion (do), and a body in rest tends to stay at rest (be).

It may sound strange but the well being of our existence actually comes down to these two words. We often think about our destiny and say "Why am I here and How will I Be" and which naturally leads to the thought "what will I do"

Which mode of philosophy should we follow? “To do is to be” or “To be is to do”?

There has been and can be an endless debate on which is important “Being” or “Doing”. Is it better to be in your mind or to take a step and do something? After all we are “Human Beings and not Human Doings“.

We don’t really need to do things to be happy. Being is our natural state; and what we need to do is to simply acknowledge it. We often hear people saying happiness lies within us. All we need is to allow our self to move into the awareness of this calm peaceful feeling.

Now when we say "allow our self" doesn’t this hit us back?? It does right?? After all we do need to "allow our self " to be happy. Therefore there can never be no doing without being and no being without doing. They are simply intertwined and interdependent.

And Sinatra’s humorous piece “Do be do be do” unknowingly expresses the importance of their coexistence.

The truth is we do more but only because we are being more and we are being more only because we doing more.

Fish against fish. Blind leading the blind .The one-eyed is the king.

This is India today!!

I am an apolitical person and hardly understand the political ideologies. But; it is hard to ignore the recent "happening" incidents happening across India making it a happening country all through.

India is a country where terrorism and corruption meet. The two together has caused economic insecurity and mortal danger to all humanity.

Democracy; in true sense symbolizes the power of Mango people. We Indian represent the world largest democracy. Are we using this power; an antidote to corruption and terrorism in a correct sense?? I doubt!! I feel the recent incidents such as Anna Hazare and Ramdev social fascism was an attempt to redundant the very instrumental key of democracy; or rather a misuse of the power of democracy to turn the Mango Country into Banana Country.

I am not here to argue their intention; but the very approach towards achieving their goal seems incorrect. The approach "fast to death"; to me; didnt seem a rational, practical and realistic approach to combat corruption. On the other hand it was an attempt to instigate masses and hurt the normal routine of common man fighting to earn their livings.

There are better ways to fight them; one example is "JAGO RE JAGO INDIA"an excellent attempt of Tata group to spread the awareness. Someone rightly mentioned Indian Democracy today has become “Of the Corrupt, For the Corrupt, and By the Corrupt”. Corruption at the grass root level needs to be abolished first.

It is important to bring a change in oneself to see the change in others. We need to rise from our deep slumber in a real sense and not in surreal sense.

Its high time now for our conscious and subconscious to speak the same language.

JAGO LOG JAGO!!

“It’s all for the best” – Huh!! Really?? Indeed Yes!!!

Have we ever heard this before?? Has our reaction been the same??

Delly Belly has quite blatantly strengthened the harsh truth of life “Shit Happens” There is no good logical reason for these shits happening around. Senseless, atrocious things keep happening to perfectly good people like us who don’t deserve it. This wasn’t enough to handle; additionally we hear the voices all around us saying everything happens for a reason and its all for our best. Our reaction to which depends on which state of mind we are in.

Resistance (Huh): The initial state where we don’t agree with what has just happened. Acceptance of any such situation isn’t easy at all and our natural protective innate starts creeping in. We start resisting the situation only to protect ourselves against pain. At the same time we are despondent and irritated; we start to feel hostile, cynical about people or to that matter an event due to which we are where we are now. On the other hand we even keep wishing that our situation was different and more inclined to what we wanted.

Are the people who are resented ever affected by our resentful thought? No; they are simply unaware of this and it hardly matter to them or their emotional wellbeing. Then does resistance of any help? The answer is a VERY Big NO; but having said this; it isn't easy to let go the feeling as it is but a natural one.

Surrender (Really??):  A state where we are no longer exasperated; we feel a sense of calm and peace about the situation. We gradually turn our attention away from the mayhem, not in denial, but toward possible outcomes that we are unable to see while staring at the mess. Suddenly we find the world around us bunch full of Abettors and Sooth Sayers. Who not only encourage us to move ahead but also keep saying “It’s all for the best” .Having surrendered to the tragic and nefarious circumstances; all we have is ‘Hope’ and ‘Change’…which in turn encourages us to curiously respond by saying “really??…How and when would I in ME realize this??” Hoping what they said to be true and trying to move on assuring ourselves yes it is for our good.

Acceptance (Yes!!!): A state where we have accepted the situation. Therefore it is no longer important to us and we don’t worry about it anymore. We now look forward towards our future. We all know when the world brings us down on our knees; we are in the perfect position to pray. So the perfect position and the perfect pray. We start praying for our wellbeing and success ahead. We become more awake to see new opportunities knocking our doors. One door may have been closed but there are unlimited numbers of doors open with new opportunities. Acceptance leads to inner peace and inner peace is the real key to success...And who better motivator than our very own Panda Gradually we reach a phase in life when we say YES it was for the best.

In one line:” It’s all for the best” – is a truth that is desired to be accepted and to be realized.

Lets care with care...

Oliver - I think you scared. You put up a big glass wall to keep from getting hurt….At least I have the guts to admit what I felt…Someday you're gonna have to come up with the courage to admit you care”


Jenny - “I care”


Well these lines are from the heart stopping scene of the classic movie “Love Story”. It had an element of anger where Oliver gives a harsh ultimatum to Jenny to confess her love and she finally does it by simply saying “I care” dissolving the scene into the most romantic moment. It must have been a hauntingly beautiful moment for both of them.


As said the simplicity is the glory of expression … and Jenny by just saying I care had expressed her glorified love so truly.


We all know care is the sweetest form of love…until we don’t look up the dictionary for its meaning…we'll find two contrasting meanings all together…One defines it as mental suffering or grief and other defines it as “to be concerned” or  “to have a liking ” A paradox in itself right?


God provides care to those he loves…lucky are those to whom he bestows this form of love…but its duality does not limits itself to definition..but its very concept of duality exists in real life too...In real life sometimes caring becomes the very source of concern and reason to fall apart. Do we realize why?? Well I guess it's never the intention; it's the action... The form in which the care is been shown…There’s a very thin line between caring and controlling and it is hard to realize when the boundaries of caring are crossed and the controlling behavior over takes it. Over-protective behaviors can cause out-of-control fighting. This usually happens when one partner engages in an activity that the other does not approve of. It is never wrong to be upset over such thing but whats wrong is the way the anger is executed.


Sometimes not saying anything is caring… sometimes just a smile over the small mistake is caring...We don't need a hard core expression for everything;at least not for expressing care.


There are always two sides to a coin and so it’s a matter of perception…Lets turn to the other side of the coin. Why the person who loves would deliberately want to do this??? The very essence of loving someone is to care for that person…God made it very clear in telling us that our relationships are the only riches we can take to heaven… who dare would then want to lose such richness?


Well the concern arises when caring becomes worrying...worry begins when we start fearing of losing our loved ones. Most of us believe that if we are not worrying about a person, we do not really care…Well lets give it a thought once again… Are they really the same?? There lies a big difference between the two.Worry is fear’s extravagance...Its fear and anxieties about things that either are happening or might possibly happen in the future. Basically a co dependency on others wellbeing and basing our own self worth on our perception of feeling needed and in turn trying to control the emotional wellbeing of others...


I agree;worrying does not preclude caring, indeed it is a fine line.But worries don't carry the essence of connective ness. It separates us from who we are and the role we are playing in people's life. In that respect, LOVE is the link, and what better form than care. So just simply care with care. Care about your loved ones and foremost care about being happy…Making oneself happy is the best thing one can do to ensure the happiness of others. After all Joy is contagious!!


In the end I just wanna say I care and would keep caring till the last breath. Take care!!

The beginning of our forever

Walking hand in hand
In the city of light
I secretly promised
To walk side by side

Carrying me in your arms
At the top of La Tour Eiffel
You secretly promised
To carry me when I am feeble

Watching the amazing dance moves
Of the classy sassy Moulin Rouge
I secretly promised
To turn your mourning into dancing rouge

Wrapping your arms around me
In the moonlight midnight
You secretly promised
To hold me tight when there is no hope of light

Dining together on the exotic cruise
Of the majestic river Seine
I secretly promised
To love you deep deep as a river Seine

Watching the whimsy cuddly characters
Of the magical hilarious Disney
You secretly promised
To cuddle me to hilarity in misery

Lightning a candle and praying
In the Gothic loftiness of Notre Dame
We secretly promised
To cling to our promises till forever ends

Zippin’ Up the boots…Goin’ back to the roots

What is a root? A root can be a progenitor from whom a family is descended. It can be an origin where someone or something comes into an existence. Or an essential part without which the existence in itself is nearly impossible. It is easier for people to move away from their roots...but coming back is the most difficult move of all but then it’s the worthiest of all too.

We all know the story of a prodigal son who rebelled and ran away from his family. Only after having confronted with failures and despair; he thought of returning back home. He repented for his deeds and was willing to do anything to win back his father’s love and favor. To his surprise, he was not just accepted but was whole heartedly welcomed by his father without any questions. This is the love of parents who forgive their children no matter how wrong they have been.

It is a general trend in countries like India where people during their young age usually move away to foreign land to pursue high career growth and better quality of life. US of A, a land of opportunities and a dream land for most Indians. People are crazy about going there. It is usually said “In youth we learn, in age we understand”...After certain age when these Expatriate value the importance of their origin, culture, childhood and exodus from past times; they want to come back to their native land.

Only when people come back to their origin; they realize the fact about where they come from and where they are heading to .It shows them that their world is progressing and the star is shining there too. One should accept where they come from and they should be proud of who they are.

It is a known fact that the course of true love never runs smoothly. Love for sure comes to us unexpectedly and the realm of which is indefinable…“Know now not what… know not where and know not how”…With time, people in a relationship grow and so does the love between them...but for love, the direction could be either of the two, up or down. For some it reaches the sky and for some it goes deep down the drain. There could be many reasons for break ups but there are all the reasons in the world to go back to the true love.

As the song says “sometimes loves come around and knock us down. Just get back up when it knocks you done”. There are people who have the courage to fight back the odds and reinvent their feelings of passion even after the blow up. For these people the passion draws them together and in the end the true love ignites the lost spark again in their lives. When people come back; they come back together more strongly with a deeper love and passion.

There are youngsters who abandon their religion. Moral compromises could be one of the reasons as they want to do things which religion forbids. The intellectual doubts and difference of opinions could be other reasons for moving away from their own religion. What they forget is the role a religion play in one’s life. The key element of a society is religion. Even not believing in religion is a religion. Religion defines who we are and what we do. When these same people realize the importance of religion in their life and how religion can lead to a life of love, joy and compassion; they come back to it.

All these people; The Prodigal son,An Expatriate,A Lover and An Apostate while returning back may have sang the song …

Talkin’‘bout the roots in the man.
I feel my spirit getting’ old
It’s time to recharge my soul
Zippin’ up my boots
Goin’ back to my roots

It is often said change your opinions, keep to your principles; change your leaves, keep intact your roots. So let us all take a pledge to “stay in our ghetto”.