Lockdown day 4 - Introspection during Isolation

Copyright : Obscureoptimist

Isolation is hard. There are so many things that have been sporadic in our list of priorities. We'd pick things up on a patch-fix basis, and not address the most important ones despite knowing the severity!

I am sure we have had a list of things we wanted to do or achieve, or become and never found the time to do so. There are basic things, like cleaning up, which probably was pending since years, has finally found attention of people. I see people exercising - ones who have never had time to do it more diligently before. I see people reading out poems on their IGTV, and sharing beautiful thoughts on their social media.

I see people doing math equations, quizzes and puzzles and sharing them on whatsapp. The mind is being put to work!

People are basically thinking what more to do than what they have always been doing. Especially now when there is nothing to do, nowhere to be.

How beautiful, right?!

I have been binge watching a few series on Netflix. I finished You, and Stranger things - All seasons and now life has come to a standstill. You know how it is, right? I want to watch more series, but there is nothing that can match the rush and excitement that these two series gave me. I guess now it's time to move on to another genre!

The content consumption for me has indeed been drastic. For years, I've had no time to watch the so-called netflix hits, series that were acclaimed. I was always lagging and wouldn't match the consumption speed of people around me. Just because, a good night's sleep after a tired day at work seemed less ludicrous,  and more exciting, I would give up on series and prefer sleeping instead!

It's like, when you've been hungry for days, and you find food, you gobble up only to realise that your appetite is only so much! Then you go without food for another few days and find what really suits your gut.

Same is the case when we feed our minds with things. We have been in a rut, or a routine, whatever you want to call it, since years now. A break to it, has given us an opportunity to delve into all possibility our mind thinks we've missed. So we try to exercise, cook, put posts on social media, try to read, watch series, sing, dance, clean, and eventually reach a dead end, because it isn't giving you the feeling you hoped for!

You want to do things, but it's not really enjoyable! Have you felt this?

It takes a while to break patterns and develop new ones! If you have been observant enough, you will know what is working for you and what isn't. If you need physical rest, give your body all of it. If you need a mental break, take a break and rejuvenate, healthily. IF you need an emotional detox - dissociate from people who cause emotional distress. This isn't a competition. you don't have to do it all during this quarantine time .You can choose to heal, rest, and treat your body, heart and mind they way you want!

Isolation is a great time to do all of it.

And when you have healed, sealed all the gaps, take on the things that you always wanted to do with renewed energy and head-space! You may think this is a long quarantine!! But believe me, it isn't. Time is too less, and if you see and think about all that you always wanted to do, the days are passing by way too quickly.

Rejuvenate your body mind and soul, and find the purpose, which has been long forgotten!

Try it!! The other side of all this, will be golden!!!

Lockdown Day 3 ~ The Mind is a Cage!

It's a dumb post! Really. You can skip it if you want!

I am jotting it down just for the heck of it. Today is day 3 of the lockdown and  I had to step out of the house for some essentials. I went out on Day 1 too, but that was panic calling in and I had to stock up. The other day the roads were awfully quiet and it felt eerie and lonely outside.

It was a very stressful outing. I also was supposed to carry some stuff for my neighbours who couldn’t go out. During this outing, I realised, what a cage we live in. The cage obviously is the mind! My panic and anxiety peaked. I am usually not the one who stresses out so easily. I have a pretty good control over any situation until it really goes overboard. This was perhaps one of those situations.

I remember my grandfather telling me the stories of war. How it used to be during the British time, or during the China war and how during a curfew getting basic necessity was a big deal. They survived through it all. As a generation we are surely better than our grandparents - most of us I assume!

We have bigger houses to live in, food stocked up, and most important we have phone and internet with which we can get in touch with our families who are also isolated in another part of the country!

This time, the trains and basic transportation services were also stopped - this is for the first time in history - imagine the gravity of the situation! And we thought our grandparents have seen it all! And it’s all good for us now!

Nope!

Today the roads had some people going around for groceries too - rather too freely. Was I one of them I wondered. My want probably is a need for someone else at the moment! Do you know, how we go out and buy two things extra anticipating that we will use it when the time comes!

Do you have those multi color mugs, plates and spoons? Or multi flavoured biscuits, oats and noodles?

Or a variety of fruits?

Believe me, I have hoarded all of these too, not just during this time of lockdown, but all the time. Despite giving minimalism a priority, an inherent human tendency to hoard, always stays! It is a fight for survival, after all! Whose survival now though?

It startles me, how we become family oriented - thinking about a select few, when there are so many out there, walking hundreds of kilometres back home! They are a family too. Could we do something for them? Are we already doing?

If I were in their place, what kind of anxiety would I have? I could even pass out or die given that situation of homelessness, hunger, water depravity and only way of reaching home is to - walk!

 It makes no sense to have anxiety, sitting an apartment, with groceries stocked up!

IT IS ALL IN THE MIND!

The mind is the cage and one needs to set everything in it free.. Breathe freely, and be beyond the doubts of "What if".

I know one fact for sure - Nature made us, and for sure she will take care! Either she will provide, or teach a lesson!

It's up to us to be grateful in all that she has to offer and learn whatever the lesson is …. Or misuse and -stay dumb!

There is a lot of depth and lot of layers in whatever is happening!! Set the mind free, you will see it. Believe me~!!

~

Lockdown Day 2 - Where are you Summer?

Picture Courtesy : Diba

Oh! Sweet Summer

You are as late as my lover,

Who promised to come with warmth of distant lands

And a little sea.

He said he would bring the silences of the woods

And some mystery

Long so long, just like you, Summer,

The sky's been shrouded for far too long

And The clouds are

 in a constant uproar!

I can't tolerate the unforgiving wind

The sea can't stay put on the shore

~

Hopes rising

And falling

Just like tides

The waves, were locked down

For far too long!

The spell has changed the lunar moods

Can't tell, If we all can play along!

Bit by bit,

like the day crumbling into

The dungeons of night

We are touching

what's the trough of it all

A gentle wish, to rise to the crest

To stay afloat, on the other side

After this mighty, mighty Fall!

***

It has been raining, hasn't it? 

What is like in your part of the world? I am not sure what season it's supposed to be right now, but after years of following a certain pattern, I know that this time of the year is Summer! At least the starting of it, if not the peak!

But there are no signs of it.  A few days back, when it started to feel a little warm, I was a tad relaxed, thinking how this will weaken the virus. They say it doesn't exist beyond 27-30 Deg C. But the temperatures have been dropping and though the idea of summers being cool is welcoming, we want this summer to hit its peak as soon as possible. 

What does humidity do to you? Irritate you? Make you comfortable? What is it?

It's like a bad mixture of two potions. You don't get to taste either blissfully! But one good thing about whatever season / weather the nature has been throwing at us, is the colors in the sky!

I am eternally in love with the colors of the sky! I love taking pictures of the vast azure, I love deciphering how nature speaks to us in different shades. I sometimes feel, I am the sky, expanded infinitely, encompassing all that is, and sometimes, it feels like a mere illusion. You know it's there, but it isn't. Sometimes, like my own existence!

Lockdown Day 1

Amidst all that is happening, I thought, i might as well, journal all that is happening during the times of covid-19.

This is day-5 of isolation for me. From what I see on social media and internet, I know that some people have been indoors for longer than that. It really hit me, when the maids were refused entry in our society. That is how dependent we are on external factors.

Organically my diet reduced to what was ''essential" for survival as compared to treating oneself as  a perk for working hard all through the day. Obviously what followed was also cleaning up after meals and maintaining the house. It had been a long time since I did it all on my own. 

I am sure many would be blogging about what they are doing during this lockdown, but I would like to highlight, how wonderfully my affirmations are manifesting.

During the start of 2020, I picked two words for the year - Consistency and Discipline. Both in the same order and sense. None higher than the other.  This was regarding all that I wanted to do in my life but had missed for very many reasons - Writing being one of them! I had fortunately become consistent with writing lately, of course medium being Instagram or just little musings in my diary.

The idea was to be consistent with one post per day, even if it wasn't publishable. While looking back, and turning the pages of my diary, I noted, that I had indeed made a commitment of being regular on the blog too. But that never happened. It has been ages since I took my writing seriously, though that is the only one thing I want to be known by.

Silly and strange how things become.

I had gotten way to busy, in my professional life that I barely found time to feed my interests some time and energy. Finally this lock-down pushed me to do it.

I wish I could have started jotting down a true account of my isolation right from my Day 1, but better late than never!

Day 5 is not too bad, considering the government extended the lock-down to 21 days starting 24th March Midnight.

Also, one of the more interesting things is that - This is the period of Aries  (the sun-sign). And I love this time of the year. I hope this bring revelations to all of us, great health, cheer and realizations.

Bear with me, as I mend my blog posts, become more consistent with the format and gradually bring in the much needed discipline in publishing it online.

After all, in the times of social media, the beauty of journaling, never fades!

How are you keeping up with the lock-down?

Kids these days!

In utter disbelief, I gawked at the video screen when my sister told me a conversation that she and her 2.5 year old had at the doctors.

Doc to Kabir : Hi, What is your name?

Kabir: Kabir. I am a good boy.

Doc : Great. How's Life?

Kabir: Life is dangerous!

Oh so true!

It indeed is. Just that he mistook Life for Knife and said how you'd get hurt and how Life is dangerous. In silly repartee, most profound truths come out. This was one such truth.

I wonder what is happening at consciousness level, that is producing this magnificent generation of kids who can actually converse at the age of 2. Mind you, these conversations are not just any conversations, but have a depth, that you may normally ignore, citing the age, but if you really indulge, you'd know the immense depth they carry.

So Kabir loves talking to his Ammamma (Naani/Grandmother) and he usually prefers talking to her over me. So, my sister asked him if he disliked me? He did not say he did, all he said was, he wanted to talk to Ammamma. She insisted again, but never did he accept that he did not like me.

There is no concept of dislike in the dictionary of a 2 year old, wrt people. They just prefer one thing or one person more than the others. 

The concept of dislike is introduced by adults, who, over a period of time have developed a few. There is nothing to dislike, per se, sure - one can have preferences.

There is so much to learn from kids.

I imagine, sometimes, what the world would be if it were run by kids. Kids making big decisions of war and budget - there'd be none. They would trade their legos for food, and games for milk. Their actions would be backed by love alone. No political correctness, and no greed, nothing. Sheer barter system.

The world needs innocence and purity. The world needs sheer love and I am sure, it will be what it is meant to be!

Kids these days - should retain this innocence when they grow up too! Mankind has bright chances of surviving, this way!

There are so many stories, worth telling, since I have so many wonderful kids around me, but, one at a time! 

Book Review - The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Before I jump on to the book review, here are some facts about the Birkenau Concentration Camp, Auschwitz.

1. The Birkenau camp was the largest of the more than 40 camps and sub-camps

2. The Auschwitz camp consisted of 28 blocks. Most of them were residential buildings for prisoners. The blocks were intended for about 700 prisoners, however, their number reached even 1,200. In the second part of the camp – Birkenau – there were two types of barracks for prisoners: brick and wooden. Each of them lacked sanitary facilities, lights, and heating. 

3. Prisoners had to undress before bathing in their barracks and – regardless of weather conditions – go naked to the bathhouse. For many prisoners, it ended with illness and death.

4. Jewish prisoners were persecuted during the procedure of admission to the camp. Authorities treated Jews most ruthlessly, often with sophisticated cruelty. According to SS the value of their life was the lowest. All of them became victims of hunger, cold, work beyond strength and constant abuse or died in gas chambers.

5. There were about 232 000 of children under the age of 18 years deported to the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp.

6. At least 1 million of Jews were killed in Auschwitz

7. A lot of prisoners were used in cruel Joseph Mengele’s pseudo-medical experiments.

Source: https://discovercracow.com/auschwitz-facts/

The book is based on a true love story of Lale and Gita (Ludwig Eisenberg and Gisela Furman), who survived the horrific time at the Birkenau Concentration Camp. This book doesn't necessarily represent the dark truth of the concentration camps unbeknownst to the humans of 21st century, but it beautifully, does take us through the pain and sufferings of two hearts who found love amidst pain and torment.

Why should you read this book:

1. If you haven't read any book based on WW2, this is one of the books you should begin with.

2. It's a love story! 

3. The writer beautifully takes us through the bunks, blocks, buildings of the camps with each character strongly exhibiting grit and strength. This is a book that will instill your dying hope in humanity! 

4. World history is very underrated. You must read first hand stories and not what is only written in text books!

5. You will appreciate everything you have in life! This story must be shared, told, heard and read!

Why shouldn't you read this book:

1. This is not one of the best reads, in the genre of Holocaust fiction books. Sure there have been better. 

2. This book was written for a movie, I guess, so the flow of the story is a tad flawed, but the bright side is, it is very easily imaginable and easy to read

3. If you are not a fan of love stories don't pick this up!

4. If you want to stay in denial about WW2 and the holocaust, you can give this a miss!

5. There was definitely a lot that could've been there in the book. It could have been more inclusive. You feel the need to know more about other characters! 

But this was about Lale (32407) and Gita and you end up falling in love with their personalities!

Read it anyway! :)

Lale - Tattoo # 32407

Rating this book - 4 stars out of 5

Thank you Sarvesh for recommending this one!! :)

The Year that Was - 2018

2018 has been a year of ups and downs. There have been times when I thought - 'life's over and I cannot keep going on anymore'. And then there have been times, when I thought, 'hmm...not so bad!'

One thing that I learnt in 2018 was - to never give up! When 2018 dawned, I had chosen a word for the year - Resonance!

I stuck by it, and only tried to do things, or be with people with whom I resonated!
Mind you, the word did not pop up on it''s own! It was this message, that I kept seeing on Instagram for a number of times, and I decided to hold on to the sign! 

Going by that, here are some of the "tops" of 2018! 

Top 5 moments of 2018:
1. Meeting my nephew and nieces - Sheer Joy!
2. Chance to be a part of Heartfulness movement, day after day!
3. Meeting my Best Friend after 2 years!
4. Family Reunion!
5. Baby news - from BFFs!

Top 5 "Firsts" of  2018:
1. My First House!
2. My First long drive in my new car!
3. My First time watching a Live Cricket Match!
4. My First time making Sizzlers!
5. My First time with Keto Diet! - Meh! :/

Top 5 things I "Learnt (Skillwise)" in 2018:
1. Self-Love
2. Anger/Mood Management
3. Technical Skills
4. Guitar - Still a long way to go
5. Meditation/Introspection Techniques

Now coming to the Not-so-Good parts of 2018

Top 5 "No-so-good" things that happened:

1. Physical Health - took  a toll! 2019 - Will be the year of transformation!
2. Mental Health - breakdowns and anxiety did not leave me. I managed to live with it, thanks to sincere Meditation and Inner Connect! I have had trust issues, and they continued this year! I cannot easily place my trust in anyone!
3. Though, I learnt really well to manage my anger, but there were times, when the gush of emotions, the heat would consume me! I was thankfully, able to manage it!
4. I did not do well, work wise, hence money wise. 
5. My center of attention was always something/someone apart from me.
(Though, Self-Love was a constant struggle, I did try to draw my attention to the more important things, than other people and other distractions. Late last year, I did a 21 days stint to inculcate a habit and it worked well!)


Top 5 "Lessons from mistakes" of 2019:

1. Don't take your health for granted!
2. Be smarter, when it comes to money!
3. Have goals - short and long term and work towards it!
Can you imagine, I did not have any goals this year - personal/nor professional! I completely missed the point of self-improvement, while trying to manage other weak points of my life
4. BREATHE. Properly. It helps - so so much!
5. Gratitude! No matter what happened, I learnt to accept and be thankful for it. This made things a little easier!

Philosophical Achievement - I understood the meaning of Killat (Less Money), Illat (Ill-Health), Zillat (Criticism) in true terms, and I am so thankful, the experiences in 2018 taught me humility in true terms.

The word/phrase of 2019 is - "Let Go" (Of Inhibitions and blockages which have been holding me back for so so long!). "The Art of Life is "Letting Go" - (read this on instagram again!)

May 2019 be a year of learning/yearning and earning - good health, wealth and peace for one and all!

Happy New Year!

*clink*

10 Years of Blogging

10 years ago, sitting in a plush office, in an IT park, I wished I was someplace else. 
Daydreaming creatively found an outlet and I started blogging. A fellow colleague taught me how to get started, and there was no stopping.

From tiny life experiences to poetry attacks, to story writing leading to fictions - you name it and I was on it!

Slowly, like every good thing, the enthusiasm died - but what did not die was the urge to express.

My very own expressmyway.blogspot.com has now turned to a well deserved theobscureoptimist.com.

It was high time, I gave the place it deserved. I wanted to start a brand new blog, I have done it a couple of times, but I did not know where to archive the older posts. 

So, I carried them with me, to this new space too!

Most of you, have read, lived this blog with me for years, and now I hope for you to tag along in another journey of - regular blogging and expressing - hopefully!

Find me on Social Media!

Facebook Page: The Obscure Optimist

Instagram: obscureoptimist

Happy Reading!

Dalliance

Midnight, sharp, my cell beeped. I got a message from an unknown number that wished me the most beautiful birthday.

“No matter what they wish for, no matter how far they go, people can never be anything but themselves."

be you! always. Happy birthday!

No, it wasn't my birthday.

Yes, I wished it was.

Because this person on the other end was quoting a Murakami. And he/she had effortlessly used one of his quotes as a birthday wish. Who could possibly be as crazy as I am about an Author of a foreign origin, who writes about dysfunctional humans and cats!

"Sorry. Looks you have the wrong number", I replied.

After waiting for almost an eternity, the cell beeped again.

"Shruti?"

My fingers went over the qwerty in million different patterns.

I managed to type, "No! Wrong number."

An instant response almost ended the conversation.

"Murakami, huh?", I pinged back again, curiosity piling up.

"Seriously?!!", came the response.

"Sorta!", I replied.

"Very Impressive"

"This was perhaps Shruti's earlier number", I pinged resorting to small talk.

"Chance encounters are what keep us going!", the ping came back.

This person was referring to Kafka. That was my favorite read. I wondered if soulmates ever existed.

"No small talks please", the request instantly came in. Rude, I thought!

Our talks didn't limit to Murakami alone. It spanned over my favorite authors and favorite discussions. I had no clue who the person on the other end was. Was it a man, woman, girl, boy, an aged gentleman, a well read retired principal from a school, a librarian, a college student or a doctor? I had no idea at all. I started looking forward to late night chats, discussing books after books, the interpretations, philosophies, how characters came to life in our mundane lives, and how silly quotes from books made utter sense in real world. We lived in parallel universes, entwined in a love affair - unknown, yet very true.

I liked how the fling lasted more than a week. For a month. Almost a year. 

"I saved your name as Reiko", I pinged one fine day.

"How about Midori? or Sumire?", came the reply.

I had not imagined a girl to be on the other end discussing books with me all these days. I did not know, suddenly how I felt about it.

"Good choice", I responded, not sounding too surprised about the discovery.

I saved her number with the name as "Sumire", while she called me Miu.

Like an ethereal escape, both of us deluded into our own lives, realizing, how Sputnik Sweetheart must only be a fiction.

Redamancy

Tahira stepped down from the bus and marched her way towards the salon she worked at. 

She was usually the first one to reach. While she opened the premises for the days work, she thought of Sam. He was always on her mind. Not because she was in love with him, but he was. 

Apparently so. 

"Let's get married", he had proposed. Sort of. 

She did not feel the tingling sensation, while things were progressing to the next level. 

Did she always want this - yes! 

Did she want this at that moment - no, perhaps. 

How life ambitions and desires vary when you compare it with respect to time... 

What you want forever vs what you want now? 

"Yayy", she remembered, reacting to it. Half heartedly. 

"I love you", he said, the meaningless sentence stabbed right through her heart. 

She loved. Not that she didn't. She loved, deeply - an idea, a someone, who did not exist. It was always in her head. This person, or love, or the idea of it. She couldn't put it down in words what exactly that yearning felt like. 

Sam came in like a breath of fresh air and became a habit. Nothing else. 

As she started setting up the primary counter of the salon, Rinku, her pet cat - a daily visitor came in. Today, it was something different. She spotted a chair stealthily climbed up on it, and started licking herself.

 The chair gave way to a great view - the mirror. 

She felt a sense of deja-vu and thought of calling Sam and talking to him about how she thinks cats are souls who guard you. 

"Sam, remember what I told you about cats, the other day?", she spoke on the phone. 

"No Taa. I don't. What about it?", he asked. 

"About Guardian souls..", she hinted. 

He laughed, "Not again, Taa. Talk to you later!" and he hung up. 

Rinku funnily stared at the mirror and took a strange stance and cuddled her self on the leather seat. She closed her eyes and gently grunted. 

Tahira, arranged her desk with the paraphernalia and wondered about the uncanny similarity between the calmness that the buddha statue and Rinku had. 

A living thing vs a non living thing. 

She took to a chair next to Rinku and stared into mirror. She looked at her self, noted the hair growth on her face, raised her eyebrows a few times, set her hair and relaxed on the chair. 

She gently closed her eyes and wondered what lay beneath her skin. She went one layer down, feeling her veins, the rush of blood, the thumping of her heart. 

Her breathing synced with her heartbeat.. 

1....2......3....4...

She started counting. Soon she was lost in a deep trance, or a sleep she hadn't resorted to in years. 

Her head felt lighter and a brightness within attracted her towards the unknown. She dived in deeper, and tears started flowing. She was discovering the depths of her inner self that she never knew existed. 

Suddenly she pushed herself out of this trance, fearing the unknown. She looked at the mirror and felt a love she hadn't, in her entire existence. 

That's exactly what she was looking for. A love, that she was seeking, had finally sought her. 

"Taa, I love you", she recollected Sam's words and smiled as they dissolve into meaninglessness.

The sense of words was eventually evolving for her. Love!

The Ripple Effect

Pic Courtesy : google images

There are very few things now that surprise me. Kindness, Sanity are few of the acts that make me turn to my blog and actually write a post.

This time, it is about the “lack of it”.

Do you remember the first time you sat in an airplane? Most of you reading this, would have, am sure! What did you do? Did you try to scrap off the leather seat-cover, or tear off the front pockets of your seat? Or did you use your keys or hairpin to write “abc loves xyz” message on the seat handles.

Did you go to the washroom, to write profane messages? Did you draw diagrams of your body parts, or parts you lust?

I know you did not! So, Awesome!

But would you be disgusted by someone who did all of this? You would sigh in your very educated tone “Petty Indians”! Wouldn’t you?

Well, yes! We all would. We as a group should be ashamed of fellow Indians who wreck public properties and if you have guessed it already, this rant is about Tejas express, that the Government enabled for the citizens and we bungled it!

Don’t you say, it wasn’t you! Of course it was one of you. All of you! All of US. You, me, everyone! Educated or not. Literate or not. Wise or not!

Let me tell you the difference between the words I just used.

1.       If you can read and write – you are a literate. That’s about it.

2.       If you have been to a school and “learnt” subjects, how things work, history, math, geography, science, art, languages – you are educated.

3.       If you have used your education towards the betterment of your own existence and that of the society – you are wise.

Please feel free to classify yourself as either of the above.

I doubt how many of us can dare call ourselves “wise”.

You know, let me just talk about how I can make sure, I do not go about damaging a Tejas, henceforth. I need to correct my actions first, to be able to bring about any change I hope to see.

I am educated. I know how taxes work. I know about hygiene and environmental sciences. I know about civic rules and co-existing in a society. I also have had moral science in my school, so I know the basic values, morals and etiquette. So I call myself educated.

How can I go from being educated to wise?

I interact with following people on a day-to-day basis.

1.       My house maid

2.       Sweeper

3.       Watchman, Guard

4.       Cook

5.       Taxi/Cab drivers.

I interact with some on a daily basis, and with some just one time, and I never see them again. With people I interact daily, I can make sure they understand the basics of everything. I can teach them about using Math and applying them in their daily transactions. This will make them wise.

With regular talks, I can tell them about current affairs, what is the right decorum of existing in a society, what it means to use public facilities? The chances are most of them already know it, but sometimes, they turn a blind eye towards significant things.

I can also guide/teach them about safety, savings, health and cleanliness.

I can let them know, by being an example, that monetary status does not define how good a citizen is. It’s all about attitude.

The same applies to cab drivers. I can always engage in friendly conversations, and talk to them about what they feel and think about so many issues surrounding us. If possible, I try and leave a thought behind that he can ponder upon and bring it into action. I shouldn’t be preachy. It is very important to let the other person know, that whatever service he is giving me is valued immensely, and same will be his attitude towards the other person from whom he is taking a certain service.

Kindness, love can go a long way.

Imagine, if your family or someone very close to you, is convicted of a crime and is undergoing an ordeal, can you eat/sleep/live peacefully? Will it not affect you until he/she is alright?

Now consider the entire humankind is your family!

How can you eat/live/sleep in peace when you know something somewhere is wrong with someone.

Do your bit.

This is not about what an intense wreck, some stupid people made on the new brand train the government introduced.

This is about getting rid of “chalta hai attitude”, “Respecting the country you live in”, and watching the ripple-effect of goodness. It is a Chain Reaction! Join in!

Solidarity on Sale

It did put me in a zone, from where I could only escape with a blog post. 

Well, she happened to ask me, why do people only express solidarity on Facebook, when something happens outside of India and not when some thing is reported in India. For instance, not undermining the ruthlessness, the terror attacks that took place in Manchester, two days ago, had so many people condemning the attacks.

Any terror attack or any crime, leading to loss of human life, unity, or integrity, only portrays an abysmal state of human beings. It is really really sad!!

My post, or the brooding I underwent, since the topic came up, is not about how the world is succumbing to negative forces, but what makes people so hollow from within? If you have read my posts, my constant whining has been about pertinent hypocrisy.

Why did the Facebook and audience, not express their concern over Rohtak Gang Rape, or the rape of a 2.5 year old kid that left an indelible scar on her body, mind and spirit? Why is there immense consolation for something that happens outside, and so little for crimes and attack that happen here.

Humans are same everywhere. Don't get me wrong. I am not trying to divide people on the basis of how they feel for their "foreign" brethren. I am only asking, why isn't there awareness about crimes that happen around us?

Is it the "yaha chalta hai", "yaha aisa hi hota hai", "India hai, what do you expect?!", attitude that holds us from expressing solidarity? Or is it the acceptance that we have developed over the time, about what's ok and what's not! 

We do not spread any awareness, or we do not express as much, and that's fine. Perhaps, that is not our prerogative as citizens of the nation. But sympathizing with what happens out of the nation, and putting it on social media, will only prove how well you have been influenced by the media. It proves nothing about your reading skills or your knowledge about the current affairs.

This is again not about who reads what and expresses what. This is about, being true to oneself. If you sympathize so strongly with a terror attack outside, I want you to express your sympathies to someone who's suffered on a similar scale in your own country. Or else, just don't express it!

That's the difference between sympathy and empathy. If you were empathizing enough, you would KNOW so much to not express it and feel the pain of the things that are happening around you, first!

Try and change it, because it is affecting you too. And then watch society change, person by person, community by community, city by city and state by state. 

That's when you can associate yourself with the tag of  "Global Citizen" and empathize at all levels.

Stop acknowledging. A crime on humanity is a crime on you. Have emotions, not recognition! 

Let me know, what you can really do, being where you are! Think about it!

On Women's Day, lets thank the Men!

For once, let's forget about all misinterpretations that we hold about feminism and think of all the men who have empowered us to be whoever we are.

Let's thank the men, who have been perfectly alright with our innate ability to express and argue.
Who have encouraged us to voice our opinions and have a say in all matters.

Pic Courtesy : Huffington Post

To the fathers, who never shut down their daughters because they were too "bold" for the society. To the fathers, who did not mind their daughters slipping into shorts and flip flops while going out for a movie. To the fathers who argued that the daughters needn't learn the kitchen chores alone and needed to do whatever the boys did. To the fathers, who did not differentiate between their sons and daughters and played football with them equally, without judging who hit the ball harder.
To the fathers who set an example of how a wife is treated, and made the daughter realize that she shouldn't be settling for anyone less. To the fathers who, proudly let the daughters pursue careers in the Defense, where women recruitment is not common. To the fathers who shared all responsibilities with their wives proving that in a relationship there are no written rules~everything has to be equal. To the fathers, who openly spoke of sex, drugs, politics without creating biases about subjects one could talk with their daughters. To the fathers, who made sure no one blamed women drivers again!

Let's thank the men, the husbands, who have selected a woman for a wife and not a maid. The husbands, who are proud to flaunt their wives in their social circles, because she is a one of the prime contributors to the life they both have decided to create. To the husbands, who share all responsibilities, monetary and household, parents' and children, friends and family and create a balance. To the husbands, who are not ashamed of their wives earning more. To the husbands, who encourage their wives to take up promotions, if offered, without pulling her down, demanding family responsibilities. To the husbands, who love their wives, not own them, but have set them free, to make choices, that would best benefit the relationship. To the husbands, who stand up for their rights too, and do not allow "Feminazis" to get the better of them, proving that equality for all should be the crux of all ideologies. Let's thank the husbands who do not force their wives for anything - even sex! To the husbands who respect their wives and command respect in return. (Respect is not demanded, it is commanded!)

Pic Courtesy : Google Images

Let's thank the brothers who not only protect their sisters, but also teach them how to stand up for themselves. To the brothers who fight and argue, but at the end of the day love their sisters unconditionally. To the brothers who do not dictate their sisters what to wear and what not to, because they know everyone has a right to express. To the brothers who believe girls can do a Chokeslam to the cue if taught well. To the brothers, who wish for their sisters to have boyfriends and husbands like them, because they care so much for her. To the brothers who know, and acknowledge, that women can indeed hit harder - and it pains!

Pic Courtesy: Google Images

Let's thank the boyfriends, who believe in honesty while dating, or building up a relationship. To the boyfriends who empower their girl friends emotionally as well as mentally to be who they are. To the boyfriends who put time and efforts into a relationship, not to have fun, but to build a foundation for what in future could turn into a beautiful bond. To the boyfriends who do not misuse the liberties given to them. To the boyfriends who are faithful, who are practical and who do not tolerate misuse of women power to be dragged into abuse either ways. To the boyfriends who respect a girl's privacy, her right to talk to other friends, boys and girls and her independence. To the boyfriends who allow and expect women to pay on a date. To the boyfriends who understand that dating a strong woman is a very empowering thing to do. To the boyfriends, who are not afraid of living or being associated with a woman who has her own identity.

Pic Courtesy : Google Images

Let's thank the sons, who believe and accept that the major part of their lives was shaped by their mother, who is an epitome of love, sacrifice and patience. To all the sons who feel proud of their mothers despite their educational status, background and knowledge of a certain language.  To the sons who do not give up on their mothers because life takes a different turn. To the sons who protect, serve and give back to their mothers what she gave them all through their lives.
To the sons, who understand and accept the disabilities and challenges that may pose and support the parents in times of ill health. To the sons who make their mothers feel proud for having borne a son who respects women, and is an example for all the men out there.

Let's thank the men, who do not drool over a cleavage when a girl wears a low neck top. To all the men who do not judge women who drink, smoke or wear skimpy clothes. Also the men, who do not judge women, who have undone brows, sad dressing sense, and a bad figure. To the men who believe that women are human beings too, they are an individual who have the right to make a choice, express and be the way they want to. To the men who do not treat women as objects. To the men who let women open the door, pull their own chairs. To the men who are proud of a woman leader, who do not call women bossy and are not demeaned by women taking over certain professions. To the men who are men, but respect women because of their inherent beauty but do not wish or desire to possess it. To the men who are free and who set women free!

This could as well have been a Men's day post. Why am I writing about Men, here, when there are so many pertinent Women issues out there? Also, when today, it's Women's Day?

Certain societies have percolated different ideas about how a man or a woman should be, and that is something that needs to fade away with the increasing literacy (and wisdom).  Men have been overpowering, commanding, exploiting women since centuries. But now the times have changed. Women don't need to prove or fight with anyone to be who they are. They are already powerful. Women could not be who they are because of suppression from the society and it's ideologies about men being the dominant sex.

That's exactly why, we need(ed) a Women's Day to highlight what issues persisted and how things have now become better in some parts of the world, where still some parts are dealing with issues like Female Genital Mutilation. The idea of what a women should be or do, is still dictated by men in certain societies. Just because women have privileges in certain part of the world, doesn't mean we can turn a blind eye towards where women are suffering to an extreme extent.

Men in many parts of the world, live under the idea of being the "boss", having the power of exploiting women, they need to know, that, that's not how it works. While things have changed now, it is very important to have a revision about basic human rights and both the genders existing peacefully without overpowering the other.

The men who do all of the above as a father, husband, BF or a son - congratulations, you are a feminist, already, if you have not understood what it means, yet!

Women who are lucky to have these men, you don't need a women's day, every day is a women's day for you.

Being a woman is a blessing. The strength, the grit is unmatched! Kudos, fellow Women for finding yourselves and being who you truly are. Happy Women's day!

And Dear Gentlemen - Thank you!

For most of us, every day is a celebration, because of individuals like you!