Purane sambandh, naye rishtey - L. Aruna Dhir (A Podcast)

पुराने सम्बन्ध; नए रिश्ते!

                                                          Picture courtesy - Google Images

आज कुछ पुराने सम्बन्ध
तोडना चाह रहा हूँ,

वो घड़ी जो बीते समय पर टिकी है
वो तसवीरें जो ग़म में डूबे पलों की याद दिलाती हैं
वो पल जो आँसुओं में नहाये थे

वो ख्याल जो दीमाग में परेशानी का मकड़ी जाल बनाये हुए थे

वो दिन जो इतने खालीपन में रमें थे की
अपना वजूद भी कायम ना कर पाये थे

वो आदते जो रास्ते का रोड़ा बन
सफर को मुश्किल और बेमजा बना रहीं हैं;

सोचता हूँ आज नए रिश्ते जोड़ लूँ,

एक समझ की ओढ़नी 
जो फजूल बातों को बाहर ही रक्खे,

साहस का टिकाऊ मफलर
जो हर हवा का सामना करा दे,

उमंग के ऊन से बुना कोट
जो निखारे मेरी शकसियत को,

मोबाइल पे लगा रिमाइंडर
जो इस बात का एहसास दिलाये
की मेरे टाइम की पूँजी घटती जा रही हँ,

हौंसले और विश्वास का नया जोड़ा
जो मेरे मन को सवारे, मेरी सोच को सुन्दर रखे,

और जोश, जिन्दादिली के जेवर
जो मेरी ज़िन्दगी को अमूल्य बना दें। 

                                         Picture courtesy - Hidlight, Ziyafot, deviantart.com

मैं ज़िन्दगी की रेस में थक सा गया हूँ!

                                                       Pic. courtesy - Los Ojos Perdidos

नींद की चादर तार-तार हो
चन सी गयी है
ढाकती कम, परेशानीयों की परते खोलती ज्यादा है

सूरज की गर्मी अब मन को सेंकती नहीं
शरीर को जलाती ज़रूर है
चाँद छुपता चला जाता है
मस्तिषक के अंधेरों में
तारे टिमटिमाते हैं
मगर दूर कहीं पहुँच और आशा से

मैं ज़िन्दगी की रेस में थक सा गया हूँ

कभी उठकर मौके का दरवाज़ा खोलना
मुश्किल सा लगने लगता है
कभी विश्वास की आवाज़ थक कर
शांत पड जाती है
कभी हिम्मत साथ छोड़
हाथ खड़े कर देती है

मैं ज़िन्दगी की रेस में थक सा गया हूँ

मंजिल क्या है
पहचान नहीं आती
उस तक पहुँचने का रस्ता
भूल सा गया हूँ

बीच में आते पड़ाव
अब थकान कम, रफ़्तार ज्यादा घटाते हैं
हमसफ़र अब बेवजह सोच और परेशानी बन गए हैं

मैं ज़िन्दगी की रेस में थक सा गया हूँ

चिड़ियों की हंसी, बारिश की बूंदों की टिप-टिप
कभी शोर से लगते हैं
कभी लगता है
फूल मुस्कुराकर 
मजाक उड़ा रहे हैं
पत्झर के पत्ते
आगे का हाल सुना रहे हैं

मैं ज़िन्दगी की रेस में थक सा गया हूँ

कई दिन विचलित मन
उमंग का लिबास और जोश का साफा नहीं पेहेनता
विचार समझदारी के कपडे उतार देतें हैं
भावनाएं दिनों के उतiर-चड़ाव में
अपना संतुलन खो देंती हैं

मैं ज़िन्दगी की रेस में थक सा गया हूँ

कई बार समेटता हूँ
अपने बिखरे अरमानो को
चाहत के धागों से
बुनता हूँ अपनी शमता के लिहाफ को
पर कई बार, ज़िन्दगी की रेस में थक सा जाता हूँ!

                                                       Pic. courtesy - Google Images

YOU KNOW YOU ARE FROM DOON IF -

We have virtually grown up and lived most of our lives in Doon - from the age of three to 24 and then have gone back several times a year because the parental house is in Clement Town. The plural WE denotes contributions by yours truly and my not-so-little-anymore niece Karuna Dayal -

1. You have something or the other to do with Ruskin Bond, Victor Banerjee, Nayantara Sahgal et. al.

2. In spite of making a career killing elsewhere, you have still done your B.Ed in those decisive years when you didn't know what to get into. Plus you must have also sat for those CPMT exams..........

3. Number One and Count Down are places where you first started going out to, as a young teenager, and enjoyed your first espresso, pizza, burgers, Chinese food etc.

4. Stick jaws and plum cakes are your favourite sweet things and gift ideas to bring back to people.

5. You are so proud of the fact that 45 minutes out of Doon in ANY direction gets you to a scenic spot.

6. You have often trekked to Muss. or gone on day visits on many a weekend.

7. Walking on the Mall in Muss., leafing through new arrivals at the Book stores next to Chic Chocolate and enjoying chocolate softie and cheese buns at Chic Chocolate were your idea of up market fun.

8. You have gone to Tibetan Market again and again to beef up your wardrobe with the replicas of stuff popular on the international fashion scene - scarves, jackets, hep T-shirts with pictures of Rock stars, belts, socks, shoes.............

9. You hated the Welhamites because you were from CJM and they seemed more elitist or had an ongoing tussle with you on YOUR brother school - St. Joseph's.

10. A family dinner outside meant at places like Kwality, Madhuban and Moti Mahal...........

11. YETI was the hallmark for Chinese food in the Valley for decades.

12. If it is Chaat and Aloo tikkis you craved for then the place to go to, ALWAYS, was Chaat wali gali, diagonally opposite Gaylord's.

13. You always caught the nicest of Hollywood flicks in CAPRI or the morning shows in Prabhat - Tootsie, Rambo, Against All Odds, Lonely Lady (yes that Harold Robbins semi-porn too), Omen series, Nightmare on Elm Street, Heavenly Bodies (which the local louts thought was a blue film and sadly for them turned out to be a dance flick)............

14. Doon is famous for a lot of its localities' names ending with the famous 'walla' word like Dalanwala, Doiwala, Bharuwala, Beriwala, Lachiwala, Bullanwala, Harrawala, Teliwala, Banjarawala, Jogiwala, Mohabbewalla, Morrawalla and the list goes on and on...

15. Visits to FRI, IMA, Wildlife Institute of India was a moment of honour for school children though most of it was for fun and it is only now that we realise that we have these premier institutions in Doon.

16. You have always been proud of all the ranges of Rajaji National Park and have gone there often for excursion, picnics, safaris etc.

17. Having moved out of Doon and into flats for professional reasons, you have always been slightly snooty of the fact that you have a sprawling bungalow you can boast of, back in Doon.

18. Having a mini orchard of guava, papaya, litchi, plum, chakotra, mangoes and pear trees, in your backyard, is commonplace for you.

19. You MUST have witnessed the POP - Passing out Parade at IMA at some point or the other.

20. Your idea of fun and sports has included Horse Riding, Swimming, Lawn Tennis and Table Tennis.

21. In certain years, you have enjoyed snowfall in Muss and the surrounding hills and heard from the older generation of the time when it used to snow in Doon.

22. You have cycled to school and bicycle has been your mode of transport for several of your growing up years.

23. You've been taken to Sahastradhara by your family either for family picnics or sulphur cleansing rituals.

24. Willy nilly and regardless of your religious non-inclinations you have been on spiritual treks up the various hill peaks to all the Devi Dhams - Surkhanda, Santala et. al.

25. On purchase of any new vehicle - Luna, Scooter, Bike, Car, you absolutely have gone to Daat Kali for the mandatory puja and breaking of the coconut in front of your vehicle.

26. Your idea of pure fun and dare devillery has stemmed out of bike rides through the Daat Kali tunnel.

27. You've taken part in several Dance Competitions held at St. Thomas, Hotel Aketa and that Hotel near MKP whose name escapes me at the moment.

28. Having done your schooling from Doon, you've most often than not graduated from MKP, DAV, DBS before moving onto greener pastures.

29. You thought that the Bun Samosa at the chai-ki-dukaan on DBS Chowk was unbeatable and it WAS.

30. You knew that the place to go to for keema samosas was NANNY's and no other.

31. If you studied in MKP then you detested its real name that MKP expanded into and you never ever referred to it by the full name.

32. The place to get good English music was always Pratap's on Rajpur Road.

33. Dance parties at your home or your friends' places was your idea of weekend fun and New Year's Eve always meant party hopping.

34. As girls, you always gazed at in fascination and then jeered at the Gentleman Cadets (GCs).

35. As a true Doonite, you have taken part in some kind of Environment Awareness / Conservation Drive and sat at protests at Mohund.

36. You have been excited about sharing a cup of milk tea made with goat's milk while sitting in the clusters of those friendly Gujjars.

37. You have shed copious tears at the loss of Kumar Sweets Landmark at Clock Tower. The new location just doesn't cut the same deal.

38. You have bought some neat antiques from Dewan's at Rajpur Road or those two shops on Rajpur Road close to the Rajpur / Muss Crossroad.

39. You began going on adventure drives on the Bypass between Clement Town and the City only to find it now even busier than the main road.

40. If you are an old Doon loyalist like me then you still detest the upcoming mall, cineplex culture in Doon and pine for the good old times.

41. Picking up and snacking on those rich cheesy buns and local, spicy wafers at Ellora's is an absolute must. Yep, also the rusks (round ones) and toffees.

42. Even today, you have a sense of supercilious air about yourself when impressing upon the Spouse and friends that you are from Doon.

43. You are so proud of the fact that you can cover five banks, one office and shopping all in half a day and still have time and energy for an evening stroll.

44. You run to Dhanaulti every time the weatherman forecasts a snowfall in the area and make do with frost on the grass on most occasions.

45. You love exchanging pleasantries with the Tibetans settled so well and comfortably in the Tibetan colonies off Clement Town and Rajpur.

46. You cry over the loss of space on the Rajpur Road, those long drives, those quiet times with hardly any crowd and wonder aloud as to where that large, seemingly unending length of road has disappeared.

47. You exchange notes with friends and their parents about what's growing in their garden, check out their flower beds and pick up cuttings of those that can be transplanted.

48. You hate the fact that you can no longer see the Muss and Chamba hills from your front lawns and many mornings are spent ruing about the loss of atmosphere and the ugly gain of uglier buildings in the vicinity.

49. There are still some shopkeepers you address as Uncle and who remember the time when you trooped into their shops as a child.

50. There is a sense of immediate affinity you feel with anyone who tells you they have lived or studied in Doon.

51. You are so proud of that Beatle classic ' Dehradun.' - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sa9gOAIHU1U

While the above are our own, here follow some other interesting ones posted on the Facebook Group - You know you're from Dehra Dun if..., created by Kamayani Sharma (Fergusson College) and managed by Nakul Saxena (India). Their list is -

1. You and your gang from the city refer to it as Doon

2. You're still unsure of the spelling of the damn place after having spent almost all your life there...is it Dehradun? Dehradoon? Dehra Dun or Dehra Doon????

3. Telling people where you're from elicits heavy sighs and an expression of envy, usually followed by them saying, "It must be very green and beautiful na?"

4. After the aforementioned question, you struggle inwardly about whether to keep up the illusion of Dehradun as a cosy, idyllic hill station that has been perpetuated since 1923 or disabuse them of the notion and tell them exactly how populated, polluted and criminal it has become.

5. You're always asked whether you went to Doon School or Welhams (even though you haven't)

6. People squint their eyes and mumble a sentence with the word Mussoorie in it right after you tell them you're from Dehradun

7. You have gone to Saluja's or Universal's right after report card day and the blokes at the counter handed you a pre-packed set of textbooks, notebooks and a plastic box of crayons

8. You and your friends have seen English films dubbed in Hindi at Prabhat, Krishna Palace or Natraj (Makdimaanav, Loha, Sitara Jung: Humshaklon ka Hamla etc. etc.) and have heard horror stories about what seedy places Chhayadeep and Payal are.

9. You have defended your school's honour to the death at tuitions when people from other schools ganged up against you.

10. You know what BTM (Behenji Turned Mod) means

11. Momo has to be had every week from whichever street stall you can find
12. You've been illegally manouvering a two-wheeler around town since you hit double digits

13. You don the helmet only when kindly autowalahs warn you that 'aage polees hai'

14. Flapping your hand for vikrams and then clambering onto them, squeezing into the tiny space next to an obese woman or a lecherous oik, has been done ad nauseum by you

15. You do the following at least 3 times a week: flag down an auto, tell him where you wanna go, have him quote an exorbitant price (coz naturally, there's no meter), try and negotiate, have him shake his head sullenly, pretend to walk away and have him call you back frantically as he agrees to meet your price halfway. Rinse, repeat.
16. Rajpur Road and Astley Hall were the cool hangouts for you

17. You've seen Gandhi Park smack in the middle of the city for years but have never bothered to go
18. You were sad when Kwality Restaurant closed down in 2008

19. In the pre-Pizza Hut/McDonald's days, you had birthday treats at Bossa Nova or Countdown or Udipi

20. You get your household sweets from Gupta's, Kumar's or Bengali Sweet Shop

21. You have been hit on by RIMC cadets

22. When references to the IMA, Ordnance Factory, Survey of India, Wadia Institute, Wildlife Institute and the FRI invariably crop up in textbooks, everyone in the class gives each other retarded smiles.

23. You have sat next to/shopped with/eaten alongside/leched at Tibetan Buddhist monks (or perhaps are one, although the chances of that are quite low,what with all the 'abstinence from worldly matters' thingy) and sneaked a peek at their shiny sneakers peeping out from beneath their maroon robes.

24. You manage to keep tab on what everyone else from Doon is up to and can be counted on to tell anyone about anyone else (specifically city/college/current lover) at any given point of time
25. All said and done, you LOVE GOING HOME AND BEING THERE, flaws and all!

And some more by popular demand :-
1. If you have gobbled down bun tikkis from the stall at Dwarka Store

2.You have passed weirdass billboards advertising DJ Melodica
3. From Pulkit Sharma -You have passed Digvijay Cinema next to Ghanta Ghar and pretended not to notice it if you were with adults (coz it's X-rated) and cackled at the classics being shown there if you were with friends. Pour exemple: 'Maalish Waali', 'Chulbuli Babie', 'Maut Ka Nanga Naach', 'Din Mein Sister, Raat Mein Bistar', 'Din Mein Bhaiya, Raat Mein Sainya' etc. etc.
Submitted by Nakul Saxena :-

1. Your school organised an annual trip to Lachchiwala,called it a picnic........And on reaching there you found out that four other schools had the same recipe for fun

2. You proceeded into the Paltan Bazaar only after religiously tasting the Gaylord softy....and a few more steps led you to the aroma of sambhar emanating from the Laxmi Restaurant

3. Your guests and visitors (from outta town) waited eagerly for it to get dark so that they could see the twinkling lights of Mussoorie from your terrace

4. You have spent half of your lifetime in a traffic jam on Chakrata Road.

5. Despite being one of the most important landmarks,you never cared what the clock atop Ghanta Ghar read.

6. You believe the most torturous place on the planet is the 50 odd meter stretch through Machchi Bazaar and you became capable of holding your breath in for record-breaking stretches of time as you wound your way through it

7.You have seen stuff like 'Sirf Tum', 'Dekho Magar Pyaar Se', 'Buri Nazar Waale Tera Muh Kaala' (replete with black faced, red tongued matka thing painted on) behind vikrams along with Nirvick Chhajta's worthy additions:'Rab ne likhi saddi kismat, kachi pencil naal';
'Main bade hoke truck banuga' (that one's behind autos);
'Zakhmi Parinda';
'Malik di gaddi, driver da pasina, chalti hai road pe , banke HASEENA'

8.The local ice creams of choice were Rita, Jolly, Joy, Tivoli and Mebrose...and you'd see their carts being wheeled around all the time
Courtesy Lakaki Pant:

1. While coming from Delhi or Lacchiwala, you always spot hundreds of monkey sitting alongside the road

2. Before the opening of all the major brands in Doon, shopping meant going to Paltan Bazaar

3. You have often had hawkers coming to your doorstep to sell flower pots

4.You have often done a 'tripling' or even a foursome on a two wheeler and no one seems to think it's something out of the ordinary
Rakesh Bhatia's insight:

1.You have scrolled down on your scooter/bike/Hero Puch from Rajpur to atleast Astley hall hundreds of time

2. You like Kumar ki Kulfi and Kotwali ke saamne ke Gulab jamun

3.Have spent lot of time at Capri shopping center surfing internet during the initial days of cyber cafes.
4.Guchupani was one of the favorite hangouts

5.You like Orient ka paan

6. If you remember some of the best hotels as Hotel Nidhi and Shahenshah (Now Great Value)

FACEBOOK FUNDAMENTALS FOR A FRIG***G FEARLESS, FULL-OF-PURPOSE LIFE!

I became a citizen of the Facebook nation in circa 2006 and tasted the heretofore hidden-to-me pleasures of rampant social networking. Despite coming from the professional field of Public Relations and having represented the buzzing world of hotels for the better part of my career, I always seemed to saddle the fence between extroversion and introversion. I had friends but few. My professional networking was mostly business with only some that I got really close to. Then, the floodgates opened – I was liberated by entering into the free for all world of Facebook as it unleashed its powerful influence over me. I was suddenly, like so many others like me, introduced to this whole new world where there was no limitation to what could be shared, how much of it could be shared and with how many.

Looking back to that time of initial euphoria, it is now a case of once bitten more than twice shy. I speak from experience. I have done it all. I have used Facebook as if it were my secret paramour and spent late nights way into the wee hours of the morning with it. I have had a passionate relationship with it and kept up my daily rendezvous. I have used it completely in all its facets – exchanges, messages, notes, pictures, games, applications …… you name it and I have not only tried my hand at it but become quite a pro, for whom a daily fix of Facebook has been as important as eating or exercising.

After all this time I have, now, been hit squarely in the middle of my eyes with the sore fact that I have miserably done myself in. Precious time has been wasted, less stuff accomplished, less of real joys and rewards of daily life cherished – in short, less of all positive outcomes that come from good, well-planned, organized, disciplined, healthy living.

So as I turn over a new leaf, I wish to share my thoughts on the perils of being ensnared and trapped in the world of Facebook, the advantages of extricating oneself from its clutches and the fruit one can reap by bringing big doses of wisdom in using it to work for you in the most optimal manner.

Here is my list of fundamentals that I wish to adhere to, so as to regain my sanity, strive up on my mountain of ambition and be much more aware of the real world around me -

1       

     I will fight the urge to check my Facebook profile every few hours in the day and thereby rid myself of the newly contracted FOCD – the Facebook Obsessive Compulsive Disorder that seems to be afflicting many around the world. Heck, I will not even give Facebook the same importance as I give to personal dental hygiene and will come to realize that I do not NEED to check the site even twice a day.

2      I will not let the “View of myself” get swayed easily by the Public Opinion of my Facebook Circle. I do not mean to say that I will be in a self-absorbed cocoon and keep myself immune to what friends – Facebook and real – think about me. No, no. That would be a grave folly. But I will stop putting a lot of premium on the likes, unlikes and comments that are, more often than not, resting on the shifting sands of Facebook Timeline.

3      I will desist from becoming an Open sharer and transform into a Sensibly thoughtful Networker – mindful of others’ time, inclination, interest and space. Do I really think that people care about when I woke up, what I had for breakfast, who I bumped into at work, what my kid wore to the playground, what anniversary gift my husband gave to me, what part of the world I am travelling to, which sea I am taking Scuba-diving lessons in, whose threads am I wearing to that boring party…………………..

That is not to say that I will recede into a shell. No. But I will be more conscious of what I unthinkingly share and use the button more judiciously for more meaningful and purposeful things.

4     My Facebook Communications will climb to the higher moral, intellectual ground and I will resist from commenting on and updating my status about just everything I seem to be doing – shopping, attending a funeral, getting a haircut, taking my Dog child to the Vet, walking, getting up with a headache, eating a commonplace or fancy meal, driving on a NH, getting stuck in horrible city traffic, meeting a friend, bumping into a foe, changing a flat tyre or the kid’s diaper, watching a movie, eating the overpriced  popcorn …………you get the picture.

5       

     A picture is worth more than a thousand words. And everybody appreciates a good picture or two or maybe three. I will stop boring my friends with hundreds of shots of my mug, my pooch’s face – however cute it may be, my travels to the most exotic location in the world or just to my one horse-cart hometown, the food I eat at home or at a luxe restaurant, the labels I wear to work and party or the rags I wear at home.

6     I will reinstate the Family to its sacred place in my heart and hearth and stop turning personal moments into a Social platform tamasha. I will love my family dearly and to eternity but seriously stop putting up pictures of my kids on my lap or I on my Husband/Boyfriend/Partner’s lap, feeding my new born or getting cake smeared on my face at the rowdy office Do, my new haircut I am ecstatic about or the old, prized records that I still get mushy over, preparing a meal or picking up my pet child’s poop ………. you are aware of the drift this is going into, right?

7      I will kill the urge to be a braggart and refrain from putting up messages, pictures about my latest acquisition, accolade, laurel or the favourable roll of the dice of luck.

8       

     I will stop weighing my popularity / likeability with the strength or weakness in numbers of my Facebook family. I will grasp the fact that this has no bearing on my real self. Come to think of it, some of my closest friends may not even be on Facebook, may have deactivated their accounts or perhaps may just be sleeping partners on this fictitious journey.

9      While still holding in utmost importance the power of Social Media and the reach of Facebook and others in its ilk, I will wake up and smell the coffee on the fact that my mere clicks on causes are not going to change this into a better world. Yes, there have been the astounding examples of Arab Spring or finding of missing children, but if I really want to make a difference then I will use Facebook as a medium and put all my matter and might into real action.

Above all, I will reclaim the realism of my actual life and forsake the fun, foolish, fantastical world of Facebook Fiction. I will realize that my time is important and that each passing moment in the Facebook world gives me that much less time to accomplish all that I really wish to achieve, that chatting with friends within the confines of chat boxes and comment columns is just not the same as getting out and meeting them in flesh and blood, that reading notes, updates and messages can never be as satisfying as getting lost within the pages of a good book, that sending hearts to my children or husband on the site can never measure up to hugging, kissing, loving them in person.

I may think that I am God’s gift to mankind. But I must come to terms with the fact that I am just a speck on the wall in the world of others – significant, special, spaced-out from me or social.

 

And yes, I will enjoy this precious gift of life and attempt to do all that is on my bucket list in real time rather than frittering away precious hours leading a virtual existence in a make-believe world.
 

How’s the following for a mental, physical, emotional swap – 

a.     I will actually use my green fingers to grow something rather than tip-tap away on the keyboard to plant trees in Farmville.

b.     I will attempt to meet friends over coffee rather than exchange fleeting messages on Facebook or leave comments on their pages.

c.      I will try and go out to do volunteer work at an Animal Shelter or read to the Blind or teach at a Slum School rather than simply “like” a cause and “share” it.  

d.     I will enjoy the beauty of nature with my naked eyes, relish my plate of food and be thankful for it, participate in the joyful moment that is presented to me rather than get busy behind my camera to click innumerable images to then be shared with my virtual world.

e.      I may just want to take the extra pains to call a friend on their special day or go that extra step to send a hand-written note than just type out a far less emotion-laden “H.B.” “H.A.G.D” on their profiles.

f.       I will try and spend precious time with a friend-in-need at his or her trying hour rather than send soulfully detached words of wisdom or support over the Facebook Freeway.

g.     I will be truly happy in the happy times of my family and friends, solemn during their sad times, supportive when the going is tough for them, congratulatory during their winning moments and counseling when I see that I can make a difference with a word or two rather than simply overusing the dispassionate “Like” button or the disembodied “Comment” space. Yes, I have seen people use the “Like” button even to a “I am missing my baby / I drove my partner madly to the hospital as he was getting a heart attack / I am preparing to sue XYZ airline for losing my baggage / I almost choked on my crab while at a fancy dinner with my gal pals.” Come on guys, is Facebook making thought-less, no brain zombies out of us!

h.     I will not be disillusioned by the reach of the written word on Facebook and tell myself the huge lie that I am an avid reader. I will return to the charms of my musty, friends of paper & ink that have always stood by me.

i.       I will not be in a trance and assume my flashy, frivolous, free-spirited writing on Facebook to be examples of fine literature. I will inject passion and perseverant action into the book that needs to be finished and the articles that must be written for appearance on meaningful platforms.

j.       I will perhaps go back to riding, tennis, ball – whatever I used to have fun with in all those wonderful growing up years rather than waste valuable time – that can never be recovered – in playing nonsensical Facebook games.

k.     I will get out and walk or jog or stretch rather than succumb to the Facebook Pilates or Yoga session in the virtual world of Facebooked fantasy.

l.       Facebook gives a whole new meaning and impetus to “Neighbour’s got a new car.” Comparisons may be odious elsewhere but not so, on Facebook which has become such a hotbed for peeping into other people’s lives or being openly invited by them and comparing what they do and we don’t. My life is a result of my choices, Karma, action and inaction. God and they alone know if all the roads leading to my friends are paved with gold or dust, gore or grime and whether they are rock solid or precariously laid out on shifting sands. No comparison can ever be true or satisfying.

m.  Henceforth, I am staunchly going to practice Carpe Diem and seize the innumerable opportunities a day in my life throws up at me. No more frittering away time of so much worth on the fleeting and on-the-surface pleasures of Facebook.

n.     I will always remember that Facebook is a mere means to some of my ends. It is not the mega matter on which my life depends.

o.     I will reaffirm to myself that I am a smart, cognizant living being willing to use the magnificence and might of these social networking vehicles with caution, good judgement and intelligence. I will not be a dumb jackass who gets swept away by the superfluous suffusion of the social media.                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

p.    The Facebook world, for an individual and not a marketer, is largely phantasmal, unreal, totally virtual that at best helps one in connecting and de-stressing. Nothing more, nothing else. Hence it will not be allowed to swallow large chunks of my life into its bottomless womb.

As I get on a path of enlightenment, while some of my Facebook friends will say ‘good riddance,’ I in turn bid you bye-bye Facebook. May you and I meet each other less frequently and impinge on each other’s life and space even more rarely. We will meet; yes we will but only as long lost lovers who still have that hushed up feeling for each other but for now must part our ways only to meet again secretly at another brief point in time.

Finally, I comprehend that Facebook is not the all-consuming monster in my life. It is just a via media, a sometime ‘time pass’ and connection / communication tool. I reclaim that I am the Master of My Universe!

 Picture courtesy - Google Images and www.deviantart.com

 

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WONDERFUL WISHES FOR A SPECTACULAR 2013 & BEYOND!

At the threshold of 2013, when the world did not end and there is still hope that human spirit may yet soar to exalted positions of thought, sentiment and action, I wish you a bottomless bucket of wonderful wishes that you may put in your best to achieve from now until your end of time. May new moments, new years, new time always hold a sense of happiness, hope, promise and fulfillment for you and yours.

Here's My Bucket List -

1. Learn to meditate
 
2.       Earn money, lots of money
 

3.       Share my money with those less privileged, especially animals

4.       Open an Animal Farm

5.       Age gracefully

6.       Work till I am 80, if I live to be 80 or till my last few days on this planet

7.       Be mobile and self-reliant till my last breath

8.       Renovate my homes – both – in the City and the Valley

9.       Travel – well and widely

10.   Learn to skydive

11.   Learn at least two languages

12.   Live for sizeable length of time in other cultures

13.   Write, prolifically

14.   Get awards for my writing

15.   Get Famous

16.    Read, voraciously

17.   Get into the list of 100 most influentially inspiring people on earth

18.   Return to Riding

19.   Play a sport or two

20.   Increase my IQ

21.   Study, all through life

22.   Lose Weight, once and for all and keep at it

23.   Master a hobby, like photography

24.   Smile, a lot

25.   Think, even more, before acting

26.   Practise being wise always

27.   Make a difference to both my inner and outer circles and hopefully to all the concentric ones thereafter

28.   Be the best companion that I can be

29.   Master the craft of Gardening; grow flowers and vegetables

30.   Give a sincere part of me to those around

31.   Read at least one book every month

32.   Save energy – water, electricity,

33.   Save mental energy from rampant wastefulness

34.   Reduce, reuse, recycle

35.   Become somewhat carefree and let my spirit soar with the birds at least once a day

36.   Worry about my actions, Worry less about other’s reactions

37.   Reflect on how I have led my life so far and learn from the gaps

38.   Put a thought out, often, to how I wish to spend my waking moments henceforth

39.   Be interviewed by Oprah Winfrey

40.   Try not to relax the grip on my passions

41.   Work hard towards my goals, every  single day

42.   Realize that the day – in its life - gives us the gift of 24 hours to do something worthwhile in

43.   Be grateful to God each day for giving me the gift of health, happiness, family, friends and above all hope.

44.   Fight off my phobia of water

45.   Aspire to be a philanthropist

46.   Day dream

47.   Spend the day such – in body, spirit and mind – that there are no nightmares

48.   Help the elderly, influence the young at every given opportunity

49.   Learn to be happy even when sad and temporarily bereft

50.   Learn to play at least one instrument in this lifetime

51.   While destiny plays out its cards, be camera- ready with all my plans painstakingly written out, typeset and spiral-bound.

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