Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Everyone is a Medium

As we walk this earth, we have learnt many lessons, we are learning lessons and there are lessons that are yet to be learnt. As I ponder over the need, the reason as to why I exist, one of the most striking things which has come to my notice is that all of us in some way or the other is a medium. And no matter what the problem, there is always someone who comes to help us. No matter what the means, be it a word, be it an email, there is always that someone who comes to help us and make our situation better. And many a time we are led by some unknown inspiration to serve as a means of help.

This has led me to believe that one significant reason of our existence is to be a medium through which help can reach people. I have sometimes wondered as to how I could help some people inspite of myself, and it certainly was not because of my personal strength, it was simply because I allowed myself to act as a medium of help. I am sure all of us have had instances where we have helped or help has come simply because we allowed that "something" to flow through us. Intuitively we feel inspired to help.

It is almost like electricity. Electricity can flow from one point to another, but it requires a medium. The medium might never be as powerful as the electricity, but the medium simply acts as a means to transfer the power. So the medium becomes as important as electricity itself. Call it luck, call it grace, call it by whatever name, it is waiting to flow to us, flow through us and flow with us, only if we allow ourselves to be a medium.

I remember my school prayer, which goes like below:

Make me a channel of your peace:
Where there is hatred, let me bring your love,
Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord,
And where there's doubt true faith in you.
Make me a channel of your peace:
Where there's despair in life, let me bring hope,
Where there is darkness, only light,
And where there's sadness, ever joy.
O Master, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved, as to love with all my soul!
Make me a channel of your peace:
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
In giving of ourselves that we receive,
And in dying that we are born to eternal life.

I think once we think ourselves as open channels and mediums and try our best to do what we can, and be humble, we will find our own lives becoming more meaningful. And needless to say what goes around definitely comes around.

And on a lighter vein, I have made this small quote "No matter whether you studied English medium, Tamil medium or malayalam medium, you are definitely a medium" :)

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Marriage - the HUMDINGER??? !!!!

I don't know when I heard this word "HUMDINGER".
I think it has been there in my head for as long as I know :)
The Brittanica defines it as below
Definition of HUMDINGER : a striking or extraordinary person or thing
Example of HUMDINGER: The last storm was a real humdinger!

And yes there has been no event so far in my life to use the word "HUMDINGER".
Though I would say I have been fortunate to be associated with a lot of remarkable people.

The events of the past one month can probably be grouped into one as "HUMDINGER" particularly because so much has happened in so short a time.

A month back I was this bachelor looking back and wondering if I have been right all along with my decisions, my acquaintances, my friends and as a person. And also looking forward at life wondering if marriage was the next logical or illogical step in my life; and if so will I ever meet such a person who would consider me worthy enough and was willing to take that risk with me :) I had decided sometime back that I am going to leave the process of finding a girl for me to my parents . I was kind of convinced that there are not many girls who think/feel I was worth the risk and say "yes" to me!!!

My parents had given me the phone number of this person and I was contemplating if and when should I make that call. Then I thought its best to let this person decide and I heard she was teaching and I did not want to interfere in her classes. So I sent her an sms asking for a time when I could chat. And I spoke to her for about an hour or so and I started getting the impression that this person seemed to be more intelligent than me. Now any guy reading this would know how intimidating this is. I did not nurture any hopes that this person would actually want to meet me in person. And I was surprised that she did ask me as to when I am coming home to meet her and she had also added "with family". That was on 30th March.

After some consultations and "mutually" convenient time discussions my parents decided to come down to Bangalore on April 3rd a sunday and go to her house on April 4th which happened to be festival of Ugadhi - the new year - a "HUMDINGER" of hope :)

I met her on April 4th and after the meet I was convinced that I was completely fine with her and I was wondering if she felt the same...may be I did know that she would...and that added more anxiety and to have some peace of mind I decided to be pessimistic.
I told my parents "I am fine with her but then....you never know what they will say....".
I went back home and had a good "troubled" sleep :) much to the annoyance of my parents.
Her parents had said "We leave the decision to our daughter and we will get back to you by evening".

And then that evening her dad called up my dad. I was right next to him and all I could see was my dad saying hmmm....hahh...ok...fine....and I was like ok so that means a thumbs down. May be my dad kept a deliberate poker face to add that extra bit...and after the conversation he turned to me and said "they are ok". I have never felt my pulse run so fast, my heart was beating close to bursting point and I was choking almost as if I had an attack of asthma.
Finally a girl had decided to say "yes" to me.

The elders then met and decided that the engagement is going to be on April 24th and marriage on May 18th considering our horoscopes :) Oops I never expected that my marriage just like other things in life would be amidst tight deadlines and short notices.I never took the engagement seriously and I don't know what people thought when I was keeping a great sense of humor and literally held her trembling fingers when I put the engagement ring.

It has been just about 2 weeks now. And next week is my marriage I wonder if I can use the word "HUMDINGER" to define or describe the event.
The best thing about the word "HUMDINGER" is that it can refer to a person and an event.
I think time will eventually decide if my wife thinks I am the "HUMDINGER" of her life
and whether the marriage itself has been "The HUMDINGER" for her !!!

But for now I am going to assume like all "wise" husbands to be :) that my wife is definitely the "HUMDINGER" and marriage is going to be "The HUMDINGER of the best things"in my life !!!



Sunday, March 13, 2011

The Social discipline of the people of Japan

The twin attack by Nature on Japan has left all of us reeling wondering if mankind can ever defend against nature's fury. But as I was reading articles, what struck me most was the articles which talked about how the people of Japan showed impeccable social discipline even in the face of perhaps the worst disaster in recent history. One article showed how there was just one grocery store and a single vendor managing the counter. The doors and windows were broken by the earthquake and there was a small makeshift counter put up. The people who came to get rationed groceries stood quietly in the long queue waiting for their turn without the slightest aggression. And there was no authority to control or regulate. People were just being socially disciplined. I really salute the social and personal discipline of the people of Japan.

It also brought me a painful reminder of what happens in India. While I fully respect my country, what agonizes me is the total lack of social and personal discipline in our country. There is no respect for fellowmen anywhere. Be it traffic, ration shops or even a marriage lunch, there is absolutely no self discipline.If this was in India, I am sure the grocery shop would have been smashed by usurpers, people would have hoarded food, there would have been a stampede, many would have got killed....and so on even if there were policemen watching over.

Believe it or not, most evils in our country happens because of this root cause - total lack of personal and social discipline. India was definitely a country known for the virtue of its people, but somewhere down the lane we have misused our freedom. India has to go back to its roots and get back its core values. Unless each person thinks that he/she should be morally and socially disciplined, no matter what there can be no real progress. Discipline and accountability should come from the person and then alone will the entire nation be accountable and disciplined.What we have achieved is just one-sided growth and this will result in social and political turmoil in the long run.

My prayers and salutations to the people of Japan. May they quickly recover from the disaster caused by this unreasonable fury of Nature. I am sure by virtue of their social discipline and work ethic, they will rise again and prosper.