I wish to be immortal......

This was one of my first poems...and one of my all-time favorites! What I wish to convey by this poem is not just my wish........I think consciously or unconsciously, everyone wishes to be famous and known, to be remembered by the world for their great deeds and achievements.....as a famous piece of advice goes, "When you come into this world, you are crying and everyone around is smiling; Make sure you live your life in such a way that when you die, you are the one smiling and everyone around you is crying!"

In other words, you should lead by example......Live in a manner that people after you wish to replicate..........leave behind a legacy that people from different generations relate.......it should be the ultimate aim of everyone to be known by their deeds, rather than simply by their name. What I mean by name is an identity that is given to us by our parents and our family. But our deeds are our very own and it is the deeds which comprise the elements that actually design our identity.......

So all I wish to say that this poem is my ULTIMATE aim in life.......a goal above all other goals, a desire superior to all other desires, an ambition far beyond the achievable but what is life if not making possible the impossible!!! As the ADIDAS tag-line goes.........."Impossible is Nothing"!! As I always say, Aim for the moon....even if you miss, you'll land among the stars........immortality through my deeds is my "aim for the moon"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope this poem, which is one of my personal favorites among my literary works, rings a chord with all of you and reinforces your faith in the notion of Immortality, which is not really a perception, but a ground reality!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wish to be Immortal…

In a world of mortals,
I wish to be immortal;
Not in physical form or structure,
But in the heart and soul of the future.

In the wave of the development in the world,
I wish to play a significant role;
To be remembered for my deeds,
When I’m no more.

In the midst of all the unrest in the world,
I wish to console the disturbed millions;
So that I’m remembered for my words,
Which folks may quote after years.

In my heart,
I wish not to be a nobody;
Where I stand today,
I’m in transition – To Somebody.

I know the day is not far,
When my motive shall be acomplished;
When I shall be known not by my name,
But by the deeds that will have gotten me fame!!!

Later now....from slo, this is tally-ho!

Maggie's Recollections............look hard, they may be yours too!!!!!!!!!!

It was a sultry summer afternoon and Maggie sat in her porch, reclined on her easy chair. She never realized when her eyelids fell and she went spiraling into a little enchanting world of her own.

She remembered the first time her dad had taught to skate. She was an over-enthusiastic seven-year-old raring to learn something new. She was so excited she picked up skating on the very day her dad gifted her the pair of skates. Her dad beamed with justified pride when he saw his beloved daughter wheeling around!

She recalled how she had once wished for a giant teddy bear she’d seen in a shop window and longed to have one like it. And her dad had bought it for her birthday. How thrilled she was!!!!

And then there was the time when she was first leaving home to attend a boarding school. Her father had told her, “Always remember three things. First, Think before you act and do the right. Second, Compromise always, but never to the point of losing your self-respect. And lastly, always give others more or at least equal of what you expect of them, be it respect, love, freedom or support.” Maggie had never forgotten those golden words of advice and they had helped her make the most important decisions of her life with astonishing ease.

She joined university soon after high school and her dad never forced her to live his dreams. Instead, he urged her to go all out and fulfill her own. He was always the silent supporter and a source of immense strength to Maggie.

When Maggie got married, her dad wished her and her husband well and was still there to lend his ever-strong shoulder to his daughter each time she needed it – whether it was stress at home, tension at work, inability to make the right decision or anything else…….he was always there. He had held her index finger and taught her to walk but he never really left it even when she learnt to sprint and skate!

Her kids always enjoyed their holidays with dear ol’ grand-daddy as he always had something intriguing to show them, something valuable to teach them and something so invaluable they cherished it – his time! He never tired of answering their endless questions. He was a giver – he had given his all to the most important people in his life. He was a gentleman, a family man, a perfect man! Maggie suddenly realized that knowingly or unknowingly, she had always looked for characteristics of her dad in her life-partner!

She also recalled the innumerable times he had reprimanded her for things that seemed largely insignificant. But he had always been quick to forgive her – of course after making her feel thoroughly guilty for what she had done!!!!! He had always accepted her with all her faults – her tantrums, her temper, her adamancy and her ego. But he had also taught her to remain absolutely grounded – ALWAYS!

Yes, Maggie was an out-and-out Papa’s girl!!!!!!

A strong breeze blew Maggie’s hair onto her face and she was forced out of her reverie. As soon as she opened her eyes, she knew what she had to do. She ran to the telephone to tell the first MAN in her life what he meant to her!!!! A gruff voice at the other end of the line told her he’d been asleep but she didn’t care! “Happy Fathers’ Day, Dad!!!!! I love you!!!!!!!!!” she managed! Her dad was a bit taken aback but thrilled all the same…..thrilled beyond words!!!

Yes friends, I’m a day late…..Fathers’ Day was yesterday…….18th June. But what the heck??? I mean do we really need a day to tell him how much he means to us? Do we really need an excuse?????? Tell you what……………do as I say? Get up from where you’re seated, go engulf your dad in a mega hug, plant a kiss on his cheek and tell him what Maggie told her dad…..and do this irrespective of whether you’re a “son” or a “daughter”!!!!! And don’t forget to tell me how it felt!!! I bet nothing felt better…….not even hot chocolate on a chilly winter’s day!!!!

Don’t wait for occasions to tell people what they mean to you. Tell it to them and make it an occasion! Not just your dad….anybody…….mom, granddad, grandma, uncle, aunty, cousins, friends, anybody….tell them what they mean to you if its really true!!!!!!! Don’t wait for the “right” time…..it may never come....and if and when it does, it may be too late! Tell people and watch their face glow with pride and happiness!!! Go do to your mom what you just did to your dad (I’m assuming you did it!!!) and watch her wanting to dance in joy! What better gift to give to your parents – the two most genuine and important souls in your life who care for you all through their life and yours????!!!!!!!!! They deserve that and much more!!!!

So here’s to my dad………who’s miles away from me…………sending you a hug and a kiss to tell you that you’re simply the BEST!!!! I love you, dad…….Happy Fathers’ Day…..today, everyday!!!! And to my mom……….the epitome of unconditional love……..here’s to you, too........all my love, always!!!!!!!!

Hope my article threw light on the value of our “janm daataas” and inspired you to celebrate their existence day after day!!!!!!

Disclaimer: All characters (there are very few anyway!) and events in this story are entirely figments of my restless imagination and any resemblance to any person living or dead is not coincidental, its natural, because its based on events that hold special importance in all our lives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So till next time, from slo, this is Tally-Ho!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Adding life to your years!

Hello, Hi, Namaste, Aadaab n whatever other "hello" greetings exist!!!!!!

So people, how are all of you doing?????? All's rocking with me!!!! College begins tomorrow and I can't wait!!!! Yea yea I know I'd said 12th...but it got postponed!!!! What the heck??!!!!!!

K so considering I'd written about reservations, I'd surely expected a better response....where are all of u??? Thanks Avrosh..prompt as ever!!!

The other day, I was reading an old, tattered issue of Readers' Digest and chanced upon a quote by Abraham Lincoln......Pretty commonly used one it is but all the same, I thought it really inspired me! It goes like this:

"It's not the years in your life that count, but the life in your years........so add more life to your years and make your life that much more worthwhile!!!!"

How true, how profound!!!!! Somehow, we are all so caught up in the trials and tribulations of modern-day living and our hectic lives that somewhere down the line, we've forgotten what we are really here for. All we care for is work (never mind whether its office or school or home....work is work irrespective of the prefix!). We've engrossed ourselves so completely in the mindless hassles of everyday living that we don't have the time.....or rather we are unable to make the time to take in the little pleasures of life.

The complaint is always the same......."Who has the time???" Well, time is a lame excuse.........after all every person has exactly the same number of hours each day........no person is blessed with a day of 30 hours, neither is anybody compelled to live a day of 20 hours.....24 hours is what each one of us gets........not a second less and not a second more....so what's this about not having the time??!!!!!!!! Ok, so let's interpret it this way........what we mean by don't-have-time is that we are just so freaked and worn out that all we want to do is sleep!!!!!!

But then what is a life where each day is the same?? Wake up, shower, eat, leave home (work/school/college or wherever), eat, work again, leave for home, shower, watch TV, eat and sleep..............imagine a day like this.....horrible! Now imagine everyday like this........Gosh!! That's terrific! And now think of your life........does it ring a bell??? Strike a Chord?? OMIGOSH!!!!!!!! That;s my life you say........

Exactly........so back to square one....where's the time to add life to years??!!!!!! Well, believe me, its not really so tough! You all must have surely received those emails that list the 50 most enjoyable yet under-rated things in the world....like stopping to smell the flowers, taking in the aroma of freshly baked bread, playing with a kid, helping an elderly person, spending a few light moments with your loved one, getting crazy with friends.........if you thought these were just mails......think again!!!!!! And if you still think they are just mails, try doing them and you'll realize they're much more........they're true.......

Adding life to your years can have many more dimensions.........you don't just have to grow in age every birthday.........you can develop your faculties year after year, age no bar! So, its never too late to start. If there's something you've wanted to do all your life, go all out and do it........at least, it'll save you the regret of having never tried....at most, it'll give you a lifetime of joy....you choose!

If you feel you're overworked and stressed, take a break, go on a holiday, spend a few moments with yourself and explore your life.....what you've done, where you're headed, what you want to accomplish and how distant or near is the goal????? And then when you get back all rejuvenated, you'll find the journey a lot less cumbersome.....and a lot more fun!!!! If you can't do what you like, teach yourself to like what you do!!!!!!! An oft-repeated advice, yet seldom followed..........

If you find yourself lonely and with no one to talk to.......find out what's wrong........you'll probably realize that somewhere along your journey in life, in your mad chase for the baser pleasures of life, you've let behind the more valuable ones......you've probably left your friends far behind......you've probably not given your family their due.......you've probably never told people how much they meant to you and so now, suddenly, you find yourself all lost and alone.......Revive old friendships, reach out to your family and show your concern, tell them how much you love them and tell them you still consider them an integral part of you..........watch the change........and revel in it!!!!!!

These little things go a long way in bringing about great joys, immense happiness and untold satisfaction.........After all, it is less important to make a living, more important to make a life!!!! And always remember that while you're blindly part of the mad rat race.....even if you win, you're still a rat!!!!!!!!

So, let's follow Abe Lincoln's valuable advice and add life to our years......it'll probably help us accept the years in our life better and with increased grace.....coz if you're a satisfied octagenerian or, to be more optimistic, a happy centenerian, then you've made a life......a stressed middle-ager has only made a living....not a life!!!!!!

Later now......Till next time............Tally-ho!

Back to pavilion!!!

Hello people!

Umm......Once a defaulter, always a defaulter....is what you all must be thinking!!! But then let me not make apologising for my absence a standard statement in all my blogs......if the past month is anything to go by.......I've totally transformed into the typical irregular blogger!!!! But what the heck.....I'd rather give you guys food for thought than irate nonsense!!!! So now on, I'll only blog when I have something meaningful to blog in!!!!! Let's see how often that is, shall we??!!!

So, as the prominent heading pronounces......I'm back to pavilion, to dear old Mumbai, home sweet home!!! Feels great to be back and can't wait for college to reopen, to meet friends, to freak out and in the little time that all the fun leaves out, to study!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, its back to routine from Monday!!

Meanwhile, a topic that's been plaguing India at large since the past few months is the reservation issue..........enough has been said and discussed about it and, obviously, I'm against it, too.......its a pity really that true merit and intelligence is now going to be of lesser value or importance in comparison to one's caste. Its a shame that in a country which is taking gigantic strides towards development and modernisation, such orthodox practices still exist.....and to quote a line that came to me through email..........has to be one of the most profound quotes in this regard, "We must be the only country in the world where people fight to be called backward!!!!!!!!!!!"

How ironic that on one hand we speak of collaborating with the whole world on ambitious projects, on the other, we are unable to give due respect to the deserving in our own country. How ironic that on the one hand we speak of employment problems and mass unemployment, on the other we reserve seats for people who are either not interested in serving the nation or not bothered or simply not capable. How ironic that in a country that boasts of Unity in Diversity (I could personally never digest this one!!), there are such wide disparities being made on the basis of caste. Unbelievable!!!!!

No doubt, there might be capable individuals in all categories, all castes......but when it comes to educational institutions, all people who strive to get in put in so much of effort and yet, the most deserving people may get left out for the simple reason that they do not belong to SC/ST/OBC......how unfair!!!!!!

What inspired me to write about the reservation problem in my blog was not only the problem in itself, which is of course one of the inspirations but there's this sms that I got from a friend that asked to check up a particular blog dedicated to the cause and I did just that.......and what did I find??? A blog that's truly inspiring, in-your-face and utterly sincere.....truly living up to their name YFE or Youth for Equality...........I hope to be able to be part of their efforts.....not yet joined their signature campaign or any such thing but thought that the least I could do was to dedicate a bit of my blog to their cause......which in reality is my cause, too....and probably yours too.....and by large, the cause of majority of the nation!!!

So friends, check out the blog http://www.yfemumbai.blogspot.com/ and let me know what you think of it....And please do try to do your bit....send mails, smses, post it on your blog or simply forward the link of the YFE blog to all your pals........it's the least contribution we can make for a cause that's of as much consequence to us as it is for the people who are dying for it....Let's just hope for the best!!!!

Umm......well, this is it for today!!!! Later now!

Till next time..............Tally-ho!!!