Why this Blog

Answering a question of my friend, I happen to tell him about my blog. He asked me- why was I writing blogs and whether I thought I have done that big an achievement to write blogs and let others know about my life? That got me into thinking- Why do I write blogs?

The answer that I received is beautiful. I am the most special person of my life. I simply love the way I am, the way I talk, the way I think, the way I dress, the way I fight, the way I love, in short I love everything about me- good and bad. So am I not justified in having a blog or rather anything in this world?

Of course in the eyes of the world I am no achiever. I am no Bill Gates or Shah Rukh Khan or APJ Abdul Kalam. So, where have I asked the world to write blogs or articles about me? Moreover with due respect to these gentlemen, the impact they have in my life is far too little than my own. This world exists for me because I exist. The moment I cease to exist how will it matter what happens to the world or what it thinks? I love myself for this very existence and not for what others thinks about me.

I have one life and that too almost half of it is over, so why shouldn't I do anything that makes me happy. In my view I am no lesser than anybody. Everybody in this world is as important as anybody else. Definition of success and achievement can't be narrowed down to the amount of money we have made or brands of dresses and shoes that we wear or how fair and beautiful we look. I celebrate my ordinariness.

So, shouldn't I record the life of such an important person? For whom? For myself. I feel I am growing with every passing year. After a few decades, I will read these blogs and rewind my life with faceful of smile and heartful of happiness.

I got my answer.

Can I write you a letter?

Today morning I had a dream. I was writing a letter to my cousin thanking him for his help. Well it surprised me, as it has been ages since I wrote a letter. Writing a letter meaning, using an inland or a postcard, using pen, posting it to their physical addresses and all that.

Letter writing used to be an elaborate job. I remember buying the inlands and postcards from the local post office. My father made me write letters- to our relatives asking them about their well being and on occasions like festivals, new year etc wishing them. I was told to write beautifully. A few of my relatives were very particular about this and many times replied that quality of my handwriting is dropping. Getting reply from the day we posted used to take at least 1 week. There is so much life in being slow. Even I used to get many letters which I collected. People treated each other as human beings then. They were concerned about each others well being. They shared their happiness and sorrows. Life was so humane then.

Today, people hardly have a clue of thier own wellbeing, how can they be expected to try to know someone else's. How many times have we called on or wrote a letter or even telephoned a friend or a relative just to know their well-being? I generally get the reply- A bit busy, can we speak later? or Can you be quick, got some work. That later never comes and that some work will never finish. Sometimes I wonder where are we going this hurriedly? Money? Happiness or Grave?

When I write an email to my cousin, he feels I am old fashioned. He reminds me that this is Facebook era. I don't think the happiness that is in letter writing exists in Facebook status or Twitter. And moreover they are ephemeral. Do you even remember Orkut? Even these will die a slow death. Its not just the happiness. But letter writing is personalized. Today even marriage invitations are sent as email attachments or Facebook updates. Now how personalized is that? Your name lost somewhere in 'To' or 'CC' or 'Bcc' list. Letter Writing gives the writer an opportunity to express his feelings in right words, think all over again and come up with better way of presentation. The reader feels so special for having received the letter (the fact that the writer actually bought a letter, wrote it and posted it) and understand the writer's ideas and feelings. How all this can happen with 'Hi... hw r u?' Today it has remained about sharing information. There is no life left in what we do anymore.

I decided to write a letter. You know what I don't know/remember any of friends' or relatives addresses. I have one question- Can I write you a letter? If yes, please share your physical address.

'Happy... what's the matter?'

Just yesterday I set the status in Facebook and Google as 'Very Happy', I had people (mostly those junk people, whom I call my friends) asking me why was I happy. That reminded me of the common question that people ask me- 'Looking happy... what's the matter?'. So strange.

Isn't it like asking Sachin Tendulkar why was he 'in form'. Being happy is like being 'in form'. That's our natural state. Instead whenever we look sad, we should be asked why we were sad and not the other way round.

But are they to be blamed? No. Thanks to our conditioning (by the society, which is hell bent on making all of us dumbos, and in most cases it is successful) and recent hectic schedules, tensions, anxities we indeed have made 'sadness' or atleast 'not happy' as our natural state. Don't we look for week-end get aways or week-end parties for having "good time" and being "happy"? So no wonder we confront people wanting to know the reason for our smiles.

I hardly find people of my ilk (Bangaloreans/working in corporates) with smiles or having that happy feeling. Guys, lets not forget that before being rich, before being software engineers, before being managers, before being Hindus, before being Muslims, before being anything else for that matter, we are humans. Let maintain our human nature. Let's all smile... let's all be happy... let's not ask this question, for the other guy is just being natural and we are not. I am smiling... and you?

The Days...

Yesterday after a dreary day at office I was relaxing on my chair stretching my legs and had tuned into a FM station which was playing beautiful songs from the 90s. That took me to a time long lost and forgotten.

The days where everything was so simple. 1 Re meant a lot of money- you could buy 2 chiglis and a bottle-top full of avlas. Carrying a 10 Re note meant luxury and spending it meant extravagance- only a couple of my classmates did that and were hated as brats. The days when a tap by your teacher or a few good words by her meant heaven and the days where riding a bicycle holding its 'horns' meant heroism. The days where you were your teacher's pet and went out of your way to buy her a gift for Teacher's Day. The days where Camel geometry boxes were only in our dreams and China pen was your dearest asset and filling ink in it was a celebration. The days where you desperately waited for Panchami and Ganesh festivals for sweets and having juice at Kaveri Cold Drinks or Uttappa at Ajanta felt kingly.

The days you wished power goes off while studying and gaze at the sky looking for nothing in particular. The days where Dharwad pedha was the greatest sweet ever made, the days where anything said against Tendlya infuriated us. The days you waited for next edition of Champak magazine, the days where you religiously collected pictures of WWF champions. The days where you gave two hoots for people's 'expert opinion' about you and where your socks had at least 6 holes and your shirts had ink stains and your knee always had wound. The days where you got belted by your dad for flunking a test and the days where your mom promised that I will do well next time. The days, when I was hated by the retired people of my colony. The days when my pockets were overturned, but still was the king of the world. The days...

Beautiful Life

I was a grumpy man until a few years ago. If I had studied harder I would have got a better seat in a better college, if I had worked a little harder I would have got Best Employee award, if I would have done well in Placement I would have landed a better job, if I would have... Basically I thought I would have been happy if I would have done x instead of y in the past.

Two points. One, how can I judge any of my past actions based on what I think is correct today. Two, I am a normal human being and it is perfectly alright to make mistakes.

Common people like me make optimal decisions. How can we judge any our decisions that we have made under different circumstances in the past, based on circumstances that exist today. It is a grave injustice that we are making to ourselves. So, whatever decisions that we made and are unchangeable today were all optimal decisions.

The biggest feature of freedom is freedom to make mistakes. We are not programmed devices to behave and act in a particular manner every single time. We have bad days, we have good days. Even in a single day our mood and feelings fluctuate. That's absolutely normal. Why should I consider myself a superman? Why should I succeed in everything I do? Why should bad and even nasty things not happen to me? If it can happen to people then it can happen to me too. That however doesn't mean I am not sincere. But there are many things that determine the outcome and not each one of them is in my control.

So, no regrets. That makes me so light. That brings such a beautiful smile on my face. That makes my life so enjoyable.

When we reach the dusk of our lives if we feel that it was an exciting and enjoyable journey and would not mind making this trip again, I think we have succeeded.

On Runners High

Firstly thank you Gururaj anna (my cousin) for reminding me of my blog. I had fogotten that I even had one. Just writing what's on top of my mind now.

I restarted jogging. It's been 2 weeks now. 5 kms without break 5 days a week on the beautiful 80 ft road of Koramangala. What's so beautiful about this pothole-filled road? You should be on Runners High to feel it...

All credits go to an ex-colleague of mine for forwarding me an article that said running is the best exercise. Good for your heart, helps reduce bad cholesterol, increases good cholesterol (I didn't know there was good cholesterol also) and adds life to your skin, it went on. Just like any ayurvedic medicine that promises to cure all your ailments- from acne to AIDS and cold to cancer, the forward pronounced running the ultimate solution for all our problems. Thanks to my best friend, Google, for shedding more light and there I was running... attracting all the galli-dogs.

Koramangala at 6:15 am is a different world. Serene, green and clean. I feel there are positives of running that too in outdoors. I am already feeling a few - my mood is up the whole day, I feel lively and love looking myself in the mirror. My best friend informed me that it was called 'Runner's High' and happens due to secretion of some juice by some gland.

But it is very nice and I really look forward for the clock to show 6:15 and with great enthu I embark on this blissful activity. I feel it's the best way to start the day. It is also cost effective- all you need is a pair of shoes. Go for it guys! Yanjaay!