A Long day... And Me...!

In a busy life like ours, has it ever crossed your minds at least once, a deep desire to just have a moment, only for you?

An alarm is set to wake you to your reality! Sadly, I have an alarm that ticks in my head... and beeps me to kick start my day at 5:00 when my mechanical clock is still waiting to strike half past five and set me up with its deafening beeps to a more alarming wake up call!! I toss and turn with a migraine that feels more like my brain cells being electrocuted, and push myself to cleanse away the last few magical specks of dust sprinkled by Ole Lukøje :(. And it slips through the drain and septic tanks and some sewage miles away...

I gorge food like my taste buds don't care to sense goûter(taste) any more and dash my way to catch my bus to work! A walk through the lanes strewn with waste papers crumbled and cow dungs carpeting your way ahead... I glance over to the road further on and see the sweeper curving down stretching the last of his spine to brush away the filth of reckless citizens, who forgot that the earth was his last lair of freedom. Keeping it mucky in his timeless spree to maintain with the pace of a mechanical life, he forgets, that he is crumbling away the last remains of a green world that was nurtured and described by a generation forgotten beneath the Graves. I dash into the bus and before a wink of an eye I'm at the alter of the Corporate Deity, that supply my wallet with the currency to lead an ordinary existence. And yet I choose against the desires my soul looks out for.

I tap away on my keyboard, sensing every muscle wearing away to a tiresome halt. Nevertheless, staying alive beneath the monotonous schedules, becomes obligatory... I smile and chatter away, not knowing what reflection I make for myself in a community that is disparaging. Still, I sit amongst the others like a Gladiator battling away and contemplating that "Targets" and "Scorecards" make more sense than just sensing the feel of the early morning mist on my bare skin.

As the Golden Arc drapes down its weary scarf, hiding its warmth in the far horizons of the Arabian Sea, I walk out through the doors of digital security and nerve wrecking air conditioning, to become aware of the breeze tingling through my curls. And oh no... Here I go again, scurrying swiftly to catch my bus... huffing and puffing, through the crowd and jumping into the motor just in time to head to my dwelling.

Depleted of my energy, with only exhaustion left to experience, I trod back home, trying to make sense as to what I gained and what I lost. I gained the extra bonus of being a couch potato garnished with a pinch of blubber and lost another probably promising day to feel the earth under my feet.

I lie down, not being able to rest my head... It twirls through the day... and before I know I slip into the dreary douse of slumber!! No dreams to relish or enliven the spirit in me... just a few hours ahead of another long day... and me!

Learning of a Life Time...

A trip back to memory lane... Almost eight years it has passed since I stepped out of school. And still the feeling of being young, impish and enthusiastic never stops. My heart takes a leap, on seeing my teachers, cradling the next generation with lessons of wisdom, compassion and momentum!

And then I think...!

Every year millions and millions of  teenagers pass out of school. Most of them accomplish all that they dream for. Some others may not achieve what they dream for, but yes, they still would learn to deal with it.

But in the process of growing from a gullible teen to a conscious adult and then an archaic person, how much do we exercise the values that we learnt at school. Of course we did great with trigonometry and algorithms. We re-lived the era of Shakespeare and soared up from The Brownian Motion to Quantum physics. Scooped through the colorful salts  in chemistry labs and distinguished a Base from an Acid. We became doctors, engineers, architects, PR's and heaven forbid what not!

However, have we given a thought on growing a tree for each person, so that his or her bag of oxygen is secured? Do we know that 4th of every month, our city of Bangalore asks its citizens to travel by buses and avoid taking out our automobiles because its "Bus Day" and it reduces the traffic and pollution; or we could try "Carpooling". When we construct our homes do we consider maintaining a garden over a concrete flooring that blocks rainwater from draining into the soil? Have we contemplated that this could lead to soil erosion, drought prone land with poor or no fertilization and probably desertification. Do we realize that its easy to clear our homes and dump the waste on the road, but its difficult to anticipate that this could lead to epidemics that are incurable.

There is a new trendy phone up in the market every other day. Its great to get the new one... and what about the old one... have we considered the "Take Back Program" where these mobiles are recycled. Do we make the effort to "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle"

Our teachers embedded values of unity, religious harmony and the wisdom to distinguish between the right and the wrong. They taught us that we make the Constitution and as responsible citizens we build the Government, but how many of us either skip the election as we don't believe in the system or vote to maintain our electoral ID? When we were in school we celebrated an Id, a Diwali and a Christmas as one... We understood that our country is very diverse and that's what makes it special. Yet today we fight to lay lines to separate cultures that once we gloated as one.

We were told to always share the bigger half of the apple with others, inculcating in us the value of selflessness and the right attitude. But today our environments that we are in, we all prefer keeping the bigger piece of apple or probably the whole apple. We forget to respect, appreciate and acknowledge others. I remember a teacher of mine once said, if you see me on the road, then walk up to me and say "Hi". She warned that she may not recognize me by my name, but that's the biggest reward she can get.

Our schools not only strengthened our academics; but they engraved a soul in us, that needs to be kept revived and kindled. We age, but the wisdom that we procured during this time should stay young. We need to keep reminding ourselves like how our teachers never forgot to say, "We are the Privileged ones, lets share this privilege and make the world around us better in our small little ways". Our School gifted us The Learning of our Life Time and we in turn can gift a safe and beautiful future for the generations to come...

ThE InVAsIoN oF YelloW BuGs!

If you are just setting foot in the city for the first time, then do not be surprised to be introduced to Mr. Bug man in the "yellow" suit. Every middle class individuals call for a treat or contempt!! On your very first step on land, you will be buried down with an invite to be gobbled down, with not even a bargain to take advantage off.

And then with no choice you stoop down to accepting the Bug Man's provisions and slit your pocket right down to your pants. And then you realise, "God forbid, that is more than I paid for my ticket to travel from another state"

The humour is that no matter how hard the recession strikes, we still choose our very own "Bug Man" over our giant elephant sized BUS. But why?

I for one prefer no crowd, I like my space, even though I am journeying on a public road. :)

And oh!! The thought of hanging down the rod of a bus is like actually taking a ride on a camel through the desert or maybe I can empathise with the tyranny of the pendulum.

The third reason(Last, not the least and very important), yes of course, the lustful brush a little here and a little there. I stream through the crowd to the middle, and there THE "Pervert" looks over, and that was the last of the straw!!I flee, and to my rescue comes the gallant Mr. Bug man.

A gift from Japan, was how the Bug Man came into our lives. Judicially the government controls the fare on these little tuk tuks!! But I say,that if that was the plan then the government would ought to have an actual spying bug on the BIG Mr. Yellow Bug throughout our journey across the city, as we go to and fro!!

How many of us actually get to use Mr. Bug man without any disappointment or resentment, apart from the days when we run for cover from the malicious monsoon rains or the scorching summer heat or even a disappointed love affair that took a steep hill!! With technology came the digital meters and then the common man thought, "I guess now I have no need to regret, as my tuk tuk cannot give me a run for my bills"! But then our Bug Man's beloved right hand "Our very own tuk tuk waala" took to the art of Diplomacy. He took us to the dreaded path of inducing the bargain with only the Bug Man benefiting.

And what about us, we stoop our heads low and continue to journey at the mercy of the gallant Bug Man and his Vindictive ways! I look at the long stretched road and see... many yellow topped bugs waging its way though the traffic, with no dismay and pride upright they gleam on their triumph over their conquest!