I am irrelevant, a non-entity, nothing...

Assuming 2 births every 3 seconds and 1 death every 3 seconds and 600 Cr people live on this earth, a statistics which may be true, would reveal 1800 Cr lived and living in all.

Normally, we say 'you are one amongst many'.... What an over-statement!!! If we remember many who lived, contributed and died, we should include all in the universal set.

'Universal' set?!!! Again what an over-statement!!! Universe consists of, I don't know, thousands of solar system. Our solar system itself is very small compared to universe. Earth may be one-hundredth or even less of one solar system. Water is two-third of earth, thus, the land we live is very small.

Land consists of 7 continents, every continent consists of so many countries, every country has so many states and districts and cities. City has so many areas, an area has thousands of buildings, every building has so many houses.

Every house has few members. And and and I may be one amongst those few. I being I, ignored microbes, plenty of herbs, insects, centipedes, trees, birds, animals, fishes and many more unknown creatures to me.

Why 'I', how 'I' is relevant in such a magnitude of Universe...

'I' may be relevant only when there is need to take blame. 'You' is relevant when credit is to be passed. If believing in God Krishna, credit or debit, nothing is mine. 'I' am just a mortal tool.

'I' may be appearing at the centre of vowels. That's the only area 'I' can remain at the centre. Else, I can be sidelined at every other place, most importantly from the mind.

We the people, let's have a great life...

Oh Rain...!!! Are you a woman

Oh Rain...!!! Are you a woman !!!

கரியடர் கூந்தனினள் தலையோடு நீராடி, அது துவட்ட நீர் கொட்டி, பின் சொட்டி, நாள்முழுதும் ஈரம் கசிய....

இவ்வாறு பன்முறை நீராடினள், உள்ளத்தோடு உடலும் தூயதாகி, அன்று துலக்கிய குத்துவிளக்கென சுடர்விட்டனள்....

அழகு மிளிற, அதை மனதரினம் பார்த்து பரவசமடைய, செயல் மற்றும் மனவேகம் தடைப்பட்டாலும், நாட்கள் நகர்ந்தன....

பெண் கண்ணீர் பெருக்கெடுத்தால் மனிதனும் மாய்வானென, ஆங்காங்கு சிலர் அடித்தும், மடிந்தும் போயினர்....

ஒரு மாதம் தாய்வீடு சென்று திரும்பினள் காதலி, ஆறத்தழுவ இருவருக்கும் ஆசை, ஆதவன் அப்புறம் செல்ல, கார்மேகம் போர்வையாக, நிகழ்கிறது காதல்.....

மழையே நீ என்ன பெண்ணா!!!

Nuisance or necessary.....

One recent morning, I walk and try entering office premises. It was dusty. I have to cross a one foot wide and almost 100m length (along the road) gaddaa. I just give two or three scolding and enter into office for the nuisance created. These govt department has no other job but to open and then close.

Post lunch walk outside premises passes the heat onto my body and I miss the air condition which I enjoy throughout the day.

My observation during walk indicates the same job is half completed. The gaddaa is filled with big stones and a layer of sand. A small kid is playing in dusty area. May be around 18 months. A wetty nose, coming out often as she exhales and going in as she inhales.

The mother (actually could be around 20, and not more) slogging in sweltering heat and humid conditions. She picks broken bolder stones and fills the gaddaa. Again spreads sand on top of it.

A small tiffin box and water bottle(?), I suppose lunch for mom and daughter and a torn saree, I believe a cradle or a bed on the floor for the daughter are kept on the parapet wall.

What a tough life the tender lady is facing and she faces with confident....just to ensure, I ask her, 'who is this baby?' She says 'my daughter'.  I ask 'had lunch?'. She says, 'in 30 min'.

I want to capture her photo. No, i can't ask her to pose for me. It will be unfair to stop her work. Also, I feel odd to take a photo. I just take a snap of tiffin box and saree.

In the evening, I see, the gaddaa is fully filled in. Nicely done. A necessary job has been finished. Money, I assume, has been earned for the day. Indeed hard earned money.

I am sure the kid enjoys her life with her sweet mom, plays well, eats well and sleeps well.... 

I re-think that gaddaa filling is very much necessary and definitely not a nuisance.... Let more and more gaddaa get filled in...

Have a great day!!!

Freedom of choice...

"One has to live his/her full life. In order to live full life, there has to be a full understanding of friends, family and work. It doesn't come easy. It is difficult."

"If you want easy life, and if you want food to come to your bed, take a hammer, a big one and drop onto your head, with an extra force."

"If you try a new stuff and it fails, you have got two choices to make.
One is to bitch the reality and scold all the situation, people. Second is to understand why it failed and how it failed. The learning will not only lead to success of initiative but also will help in moving towards fulfilment of life...."

Thanks Dr Eliyahu Goldratt, I am starting to read "The Choice" for the second time, one of your last books (I think only book by you and your daughter). Everyone of your books has given me new and different insights when I read second or third time....

You are a true Scientist...

Want to build Taj Mahal? Say it...

"My Son, what are doing?"
"why, in what way, 'what I do' concerns you?"
"No Son, I thought of going to a movie with you"
"Oh I see"
------- ------- ------- --------
"Can you come home early today from office?"
"Why should I? I will be busy till 9pm"
"Because, your sister and family are coming to our house after many years. I thought you would want to spend time with them"
"Oh, I see"
------- ------- ------ ------ ----

These happen on daily basis. We say without 'purpose and context'. We get poor response. Once clarified, realisation starts.

Many tend to treat others as mere 'medium' of information or 'a tool'. In Hindi, people tell me this as 'maathre Saadhan'. This can happen knowingly or unknowingly.
If we don't communicate, we can't unleash full potential.

If building worker is not told anything, he would tend to work normally. If he/she is communicated that he is helping in constructing a Taj Mahal, then, the worker would stretch himself/herself.

As an individual, we are source of information. This information can be turned into powerful weapon only thro communication. If we think to withhold without passing to the team, it proves counter productive.

If Chairman/Parent/Son/coach/subordinate communicates, it is for aligning and make it more actionable.
------ ------- ------ ------ -----
I dont remember what Shahrukh says in Chak De India climax... He says 'you have 70 min for your own sake. Go and show who you are' during scheduled world cup hockey match.

Have a great day!!!

Retired....not hurt...

For me, Still 14 years to go become eligible for getting into a community, a group of retired people living together in a place.

Today, all family members went to a temple at Nerul. It also has a trust by SIES South Indian Society, which houses kids and teach veda. Also, it gives place to live for retired people. All rooms named as sacred rivers.

Amma gave food to all kids today and we too joined them to have lunch. Satisfying day indeed.

While we were waiting, I engaged conversation with an old lady. She says she has a son in Chennai and a daughter in New Delhi. However, she prefers to live her life with her husband. She is far comfortable in living there. She is teaching language to students.

I read thro news article about one Mr Rao and his wife. They live in Chennai in one of similar such community. He says his wife is suffering Alzheimer and apparently no cure. They try living with their daughter in Detroit. They recognise it is extremely difficult to take care of old parents especially when parents fall ill.

Even to have a cup of coffee, they need to depend on children. Mr Rao says as old getting older, they develop an attitude to be fiercely independent and when that is not becoming possible, frustration grows.

Mr Rao has not failed to see the other perspective. Since, they live in community they have to have food which is commonly prepared (there is a dependency here too). He gets a feeling the people around are always old and sick. He can't see kids playing around. And when people die, there is a scary feeling too.

(Personally, I hated when my mother/father to continue to live in Pune when I got transferred to Mumbai. That was in 2007. I was 38 then. Somehow, I tend to think to book a place NOW to live after retirement. When I want to visit my son, I can always do visit him for few days. I would retain my independence too.)

Mr Rao says, he wants to live independently with his wife. He has one wish to God. He wants to die after his wife, as she suffers Alzheimer. He wants to take care of her.

(I am not advocating anything to anyone, but, trying to see my life in future...)

Is there a possibility to open up such a community by myself and be the son/bro for many such old people...
Let me work towards it...

What comes first....!!!

Is it egg or chicken?!!!
There is a joke going around in WhatsApp around this. Dad asks son the same question. Son who went to a bar replies, "First came beer, then egg omelette and subsequently chicken!!!". Dad almost faints.!!!

I wonder how the first man was born? There is a common (mistaken?) notion that man got evolved from monkeys and Apes.

Those who believe in God would say He made man and woman.

One of my school days friends wrote when we were in class 11:
"God made world and rested;
God made man and rested;
God made woman and since then neither He nor man rested"
Ofcourse, he wrote humorously.

Why all this now? Yesterday, I heard a tamil song from "Paarthaal pasi theerum". This song has series of such 'egg/chicken' type questions.
Thought provoking love song, beautifully constructed...

"kodi asaindadhum kaatru vandhdhaa, kaatru vandhdhaal kodi asaindhadhaa"
"nilavu vandhadhum malar malarndhadhaa, malar malarndhadhaal, nilavu vandhadhaa"
"Kann, kaatchi; pennmai, naanam; paadal, thaallam; it goes on and on...

What a combination!!! Sivaji Ganesan, Saroja Devi, kannadaasan(?), MSV...
Loving those days songs...

While Sivaji may not be slim, but, the walk (I think he plays a role with a minor challenge on right leg) he does in that is amazing. My dad would love to hear me praising those films, songs, actors, music director and lyricist.

Have a great day!!!