Sunday, June 27, 2010

Jog down Memory Lane

I spent about 10 minutes today jogging down memory lane....nearing 30 is fun filled as well as stressful I guess. I look back at the years passed by fondly. I feel its as though just yesterday when I used to go to school with pigtail ponytails, a silly looking (boring) uniform, used to feel on top of the world eating anice cream and feel like a millionaire if I had 100 bucks to spend. Its as though a minute later I grew up old enough to start working, get married....its sometime seems as though time just breezed and yet at other times it seems to move at snail speed. I also feel a bit stressed as there are few things I have dreamt of, I have always wanted to pursue and still have not done it. Been pushing it saying a couple of years and I will do those. But before I have realised I am already close to 30. The last thing I want to do is live a life where ifs, buts, could have beens are so many that life seems like a bundle of regret! Its time to wake up and realise that given an average longevity of 60 years I am almost half way through....so if at all there is a time to do things its not later but NOW. Whether to get better fitness, travel the world, eat in good place, let my hair down and dance....its TIME to do all these....I have seen a few people in their old age wishing they had done things differently or they had done things sooner in life....I do not want to be one of them. So as Swami Vivekananda said' Arise and Awake' :)

Friday, June 25, 2010

Mt Everest of Human Endeavours

I read Amitabh Bachann's comments in a newspaper about what he likes to read. It was a beautiful comment that said, "I like reading the sports page as they highlight Human achievment and avoid the front page as they highlight human failures". The comment is an echo of what I feel each day when I open the newspaper and as long back as I can recollect I have always read last page to first....as though a subconscious way of reiterating this comment. May-Jun 2010 is a feast for sports lovers - its a spread of best of Tennis, football and continuing overdose of cricket. The list of countries in the world cup soccer astonishes me as some of them are so tiny that you would not even know they exist if it was not for their football skills. An equally strong emotion that hits me is shame....being such a huge country, we are unable to produce a football team capable of competing at international level. Those of you following tennis would be aware of the Marathon match that lasted for 3 days, went to a tie break of 70-68 and created a record. This is surely a new Mt Everest of Human endeavour. How did those players, umpires and even audience survive the effort and tension for 3 days I wonder? The end result of this kind of game is surely only winners no losers. For that matter any sports that I have talked about here...there maybe winning and losing teams but when you see the spirit behind the game its only victory. A victory of strength, stamina, determination, hardwork, practice....my my all excellent qualities that are the heart & soul of achievement! Thanks to this wonderful world of sports - that gives us a respite from the mundane dramas of politics, terrorism's gruisesomeness and sinful honour killings....atleast makes me get reassured that Life is not all about evil over good.

Yours Lovingly

Losing a loved one is always tough. Leaves you with a heavy heart and a grief stricken soul. The difficulty increases when that one Loved person played multiple roles with ease.....This post is dedicated to My Dearest Dad...I am not sure if its right to say I lost him....yes, he may have gone away physically but the thoughts, values, memories he has left behind are so many that I would mentally never be lost. He was ofcourse a great dad! but apart from that he was a very good friend, philosopher and guide. He gave me the strength and wisdom to not just make decisions but also take responsibility for the decisions. He lived his entire life with few simple beliefs and when I look back I can't help but think there is nothing more beautiful than simplicity.....Today when I have to decide and I know I can't have a conversation with him in the literal sense, all I need to do is ponder 'what would dad have done or what would he have wanted me to do' and I then feel empowered. I will always love him, even miss him. I owe a lot in life to him. He was my Guardian Angel and I look at the sky and tell myself, it was time for him to go to a better world. He has thought me enough to now take care of myself, my family....and needless to say he will bless me no matter where he is. Thank you dad.