Flippant indulgences

Flippant indulgences

 A very Happy New Year -2015 to all my readers.

At the outset I must mention about the political turnabout in Srilankan elections, Paris shootout at a media house, a pathetic but partially successful outcome as France apprehends future attacks. And the not- so- surprising an utterance from Sakshi Maharaj (India)---Hum do hamare chaar. Oh how I wish I was newly married and soon conceive twins in the first year then again a pair of twins next year. Wishful thinking, but age not being on my side I do wish many youngsters will think about it. A serious issue in Japan today where the birth rate is falling below par.

 According to the Hindu scriptures if a man wishes to opt for Sanyasa yoga it is not wrong -but if he has gone through Grihaprastha yoga then a convenient escape from domestic responsibilities paves way to take up sanyas is a point to be noted.Once the man attains a self-imposed status in life whereby he dedicates himself to God then he loses all rights to speak about domestic responsibilities.

These days I smear myself with the crème de la crème…? news from the arena of politics not to show how up-to-date I am but to look for humor in all developments. Still cannot help recounting what I wrote with more purpose and less humour, in my last piece, I do not regret.

( My last piece on having stepped into the realm of forbidden information was considered by a few as impudent and indulgent. I did not think so; as playing saviour for those wrought with problems in relationships can go to the extent  of bringing sleeplessness to those unaffected. As I discussed them with a friend she did direct me to the venerable “Fatima” a devout Christian who wanted to genuinely help some and so I obliged to do so with pertinent information. Fatima still lives in the same lane with a handful of clients turned well wishers.)

Do Dream and be indulgent

This piece will be dedicated to all those who cling to a rainbow that is so abstract like a colourful mirage with a bend, the bend will caution you of the unending obstacles ever ready to snip your dreams---------

till you realise at least a part of your dreams have fructified despite obstacles. I am writing this in memory of a friend who retired recently from a plum post with the Government of India. She had many but she did realize some dreams despite her holding a highly placed job when things could happen with the snap of a finger.

 Why is it getting difficult to plan an action today and that must work out tomorrow with the least effort? Impossible! I can start on that jamboree about people I know elder and those younger who try to wriggle out of situations (often self-created) but give up half way either due to lack of support, unwelcome circumstances, unclear ambitions and so on.
 I hate to preach -----but one gets into this mode of counseling that does not sell but can support or nurture youthful aspirations. We have Parsons, Godmen, Motivation speakers, Leadership pundits—are they needed? During my school days there used to be a subject Moral Science which often sounded magnificent--- Aesop’s fables or Biblical quotes or slokas from the Bhagvat Gita, at times proverbs by some worldly wise persons. The subject seemed interesting so long as you do not hear the same story or fable again. Repetition can stir the ear with a ringing pain. Repetition can be a problem, unless your memory is stunted.

 When will we learn to admit that problems which are like crumpled clothes that need ironing out then folding them, till it would dawn on us that NOW they are ready to be worn?

A 40 year old’s 40 ambitions

It is difficult to convince and concede but he was such a man----RK. A super human effort unleashed through him, quite magnified and tough to digest (The dreams), no doubt, but  the man kept rolling them like a ball on a steep slope. I cannot name all his 40 ambitions but I can enunciate a few without squirming or even hurting his near and dear ones. He led a sputnik life.  He selected a few close friends and relatives to voice his ambitions. All sound no fury, I mean furious ambitions. He should have seen Enter the Dragon fifty times, which was his loss.

At the outset he did accomplish a few degrees in the academic race. He more or less looked like a hulk, resembled Venkatesh (a Telugu actor from the south).Then looks and a gift of the gab earned him a few rightly -placed- contacts, his so-called ‘ rise’ began. His journey began from being a video tape manufacturer to running a video library, to bagging a few insignificant roles in Films and Television serials, he also dabbled with journalism. In time he developed a weakness for the fairer sex, loved to be called a Casanova; scattering broken hearts here and there.  Later he did manage to rough up with law a couple of times. Finally this high flying ‘big’ entity turned victim to a severe brain stroke. But as you can see I too noticed then but dared not demoralise RK, who cared a tuppence about fructifying his ambitions…..perhaps it was pre-ordained that he knew he would die?.... He kicked the bucket at the blossoming age of forty R.I.P.----RK.

Beaumarchais’ exemplary thoughts

If one could delve into the intricacies of human behavior and thoughts/actions one wouldn’t need Freud.BMS (Beaumarchais) was the 7^th of the 10 children of his parents. His father was a watch maker in the 18^th century, a befitting job in the era of the Industrial Revolution so it was fair to deal with machines. However BMS turned to writing plays, a man of letters despite carrying forward the family profession. His trilogy of plays made him popular.

The era of watchmakers was trendsetting so the then king Louis XIV started used the Stopwatch—a mini timepiece. Then evolved time for appointments-late ones, cancelled ones, advanced ones, announcements for death and birth… do not forget the gong of church bells. But the French never failed to call God the Great Clock Maker. Of course sense of time is puzzling if you study the Universal time of planets and their lesser known cousins, The point is that we are all wonder struck at the unclashing or silent revolution of each celestial body which baffle all even today. The flawless timing of the Universal bodies.

So if somebody says you are “Late” Just smile like a lunatic, think of God.

Tarun a young philosopher

Is there a reason to be late ? If I called him (Tarun my student) at 11:00 am he would undoubtedly arrive at 12 noon and promptly reset his watch at eleven. His recital of the Psalm of life was marvelous, rings in my ear today as well which is a reminder for all dreamers ‘to act in the living present with God within and Heaven above’-- and may I add also, have an ambition for humanity in general. That includes propagating the human species too.

One man's food....poison for another

In an unimaginary environment one would have thought of scribbling poems with a blunt pencil but of late even sketching cartoons on topics to be touched with the longest pole looks remote.

Some of my good humored friends did this on the first day of the week and with sparse consultations (?) got them published midweek…I mean cartoons. This  irked some religious fanatics who decided to attack the cartoonists fatally. This in turn did fuel ire  within the fourth estate whereby the government beefed up the security got the visual media screaming so one concludes that it is not safe these days even to scribble(sketch) faces. The weight of the written word weighs down the pen….which precariously hangs like a sword all in the name of religion?

Religion which is of course man-made. Anything man-made makes man mad to the extent of shedding blood which offers glee only to the attackers. But for quite some time I have developed an aversion to the colour RED. And Lo here falls a book “Red Handed” on my lap which elaborates 20 criminal cases that shook India.I am shaking already and to top it my dear husband wants me to watch Taken-3. Brrrr… is it the cold in Delhi and reminiscing some recent despicable bloody incidents makes me shudder.Take Care.