Slices of my daily life

I chanced upon this yesterday: “Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life. Well, not small, but circumscribed. And sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave?” Kathleen, the protagonist of the film ‘You've Got Mail’ says. My mind has been in a state of overdrive since then. I have been seriously examining nearly everything in my life. And I have been cross-examining myself. I’m trying to see each event in its complete frame of reference, instead of disconnected events picked out of context. Yet, some questions I’m asking and some answers I’m giving are quite difficult. It is a very tough exercise I am carrying out…and quite involuntarily, if I may add. Presently, while it is still on, I have no clue what might come of this exercise. I only hope some good does…some wisdom !

There is something spiritual about cleaning up your home.

Here’s a poem I wrote in French today. I am also giving the English translation below the original French one. Vide Beaucoup d'alimentation pour me bourrer. Tant de vêtements pour m'habiller. Mais mon cœur est vide. Tas de choses que je fais pour occuper mes jours. Tant de livres pour remplir mes étagères. Mais ma tête est vide. Beaucoup de personnes pour occuper ma vie. Et un peu plus pour me manquer après ma mort. Mais mon âme est vide. Tout est vide. Tout est vide. Tout est complètement vide. Empty A lot of food to stuff myself with. So many clothes to dress myself up. But my heart is empty. So many things that I do to fill my days. So many books to fill my shelves. But my mind is empty. A lot of people to fill my life. And some more to miss me after my death. But my soul is empty. Everything is empty. Everything is empty. Everything is completely empty.

I seem to have an unusually high number of funny telephone-encounters ! In fact, long ago, I had written a post on telephone manners . What happened a short while ago is yet another incident in the growing list :) My cell phone rang. I saw a cousin's name flash on it. We haven't spoken for ages. In fact we usually meet and chat only at family functions...the usual reason being busy schedules etc. So, I received the call and very cheerily said, "Bol S!" There was this heavy silence for about 10 seconds...during which a thousand thoughts came to my mind...ranging from...is there any sad news and did I sound too cheery for that...to...perhaps she's called to invite me to some function. The 10-second silence seemed a wee bit too long and I heard myself say uncomfortably, "Kay ga ?" ("What's up ?) Then she said, "Oh wow ! Its you ! For a second I wondered why my bai's daughter is sounding like this !" To this, I could only burst into lo...

I got this as a forward...the source is mentioned as National Geographic. A female leopard hunts a pregnant female baboon. While the leopard is dragging the dead baboon, she notices a day-old baboon baby... Leopard leaves the hunted mother and starts taking care of the newborn baboon. When I shared it with my colleagues, one colleague RP remarked, "As some humans are turning into animals day by day in our society, somebody needed to compensate !"

I have observed that, at some point of time or the other, in any in-depth discussion, particularly regarding a decision, already made or to be made, the issue of heart versus head comes into focus. It is as if they are two things opposed to each other, an either-or option, mutually exclusive. I too have my moments of ‘what I must do’ versus what I want to do’…in other words head versus heart. It is a difficult to handle dichotomy. I have wondered why the head and heart are always pitched against each other. Why can’t they complement each other…participate equally in a decision, for example ? This morning I was just flicking through channels and on one I saw a small part of a scene that set me thinking about this. This 5 year old little girl and her mother are walking back from school. The mother’s sandal’s thumb-strap gives way. But she continues walking since there is no other option. Mother is limping now and Daughter is watching her and imitating the mother. After a while Mother rem...