First World Problems.

As I was going through my daily session of reading news and watching TV it hit me that while a whole range of people from our own military and the paramilitary forces are struggling to rescue, from what the news papers say, about 60,000 stranded in the North India floods, I am sitting in my cozy Lazyboy and complaining about my non-existent problems. 

While people are rendered homeless and desperately searching for their family—-

I am complaining about my favorite beauty parlor being renovated.

I get upset because someone is not responding to my WhatApp messages on time.

I am getting mad at the flip-kart delivery boy for delivering my parcel 90 minutes late. 

Have I really become that person? The person who is so far removed from reality that she is now wallowing in self pity about problems that don’t exist?  

Have I become that person with First World Problems in a Third World Nation? 

Is this the time to wake up and smell the coffee? Coz if I can do that then I will consider myself lucky. As most people out there doesn’t even have the luxury to smell coffee.  

My best friend says that I or even to a certain extent we, have this habit of complicating our otherwise simple life. That I love to think that I am victimized. Or better still, just coz I have such a swinging life I tend to wake up one morning and say…”Hmmm I have been happy too long. I think today I will spend feeling low.” 

I obviously don’t agree with what she says. But well to be honest, I do believe that what for me is a bad day is actually someone’s dream come true.  I was reconfirmed when I sat down to make my 40 before 40 list. 

It was just too difficult to do that. When I was consulting some lists that people had put up on their blogs I realized that I had about 1/3 of all those lists covered. 

No wonder I am still stuck with 37 items on my list…

I spent a better part of last hour going through the slideshow “Things To Do Before You Die”. Sure enough a number of them I have already accomplished. Reconfirmation of the fact that my life is not as mundane as I tend to feel. 

You Complete Me...

Its been 15 years and 6 months since I met you for the first time... when you came running some 6 kms. I thought you were mad! Never once did I think then that 5 years from that day you and I will be hosting our housewarming party in Gorakhpur. 

Its been exactly 15 years since you made me write my phone number on a piece of a substandard paper napkin and hand it over to you.

Its been 14 years and 6 months since you taught me to "change gears" literally and figuratively. I cherish every moment of those days. 

There's something really nice about marrying your friend. Something surreal. Something really sweet. 

Your biggest complain these days are that I don't find you funny anymore and don't laugh at your jokes.

But trust me, you still can make me laugh the same way. I just don't, cause at times I forget that you and I are not mere husband and wife. We can never be that. You have been and will always remain my best friend. My strongest critic and my biggest fan. 

I am lucky to have someone like you to share my life with. A bigger truth has never been spoken when I say, "You complete me." 

You are the reason I am, what I am today. You have always given me the strength to follow my dreams. If my girlfriends are my launchpad, harness and landing bag, you are the air in my wings. 

You have always had complete faith in my abilities, when I didn't trust myself enough to be able to do something. You have stood there like a bullet proof glass in-front of me shielding me from all things harmful, all the time pushing me towards my dreams. 

I am lucky to have you in my life. I am not saying I won't fight with you. I will. I am not saying I won't be sarcastic with you when you've asked for it. I will be. I am not saying I won't threaten to walk out on you, or throw things at you...or scream my lungs out. I will do all that. 

However, I also promise that I will love you until my memory fails me. I promise, to be that friend that you can bounce off ideas with until your ideas die. I promise to partake in all the crazy things that you do, just as you partake in my craziness. I along with you promise to be that set of parents for Hrusha, that she will be embarrassed and proud at the same time.

I am happy that we found each other. Everytime I read the following verse, I realize how lucky I am to be able to identify with it.  

"Let there be spaces in your togetherness, 
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. 
Love one another but make not a bond of love: 
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. 
Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup. 
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. 
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, 

Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music." -- Khalil Gibran, The Prophet.

The Gypsy Soul...

Someone I know once called me a Gypsy. Not sure if he meant it as an insult. But I took it as the biggest compliment someone ever gave me. 
I am a gypsy soul. 
I change everyday. I evolve... I change my viewpoints. My likes. Even My dislikes. 
If you knew me 15 years back, then you know don't know me at all now. 
Don't ever form an opinion of me. Coz by the time you are done making it I would have changed a 100 times.
You will never know me. You can never know me. To do that you need to able to match me step for step. 
If you can't, get off my caravan... Else you may just get motion sickness. Then don't tell me I didn't warn you. 
I am a collection of all my experiences. Good. Bad. Even the ugly ones. They are all dear to me. I am still looking ahead, searching for that spot, where I can stop and camp out.
I don't know what I want. I don't know what I am seeking. I am just looking forward to the journey. The fresh air on my face. The smell of burnt rubber. 
Coz I am a gypsy soul. 
I will travel. If you want to stop, then get off the caravan. If you want to keep travelling. Hop on and be a part of my life and me. I am not meant to be tamed. I will not settle. 
Coz I am a gypsy soul. 

Conversations with my daughter

Me: Hrusha can you pls give me some time alone?

Hrusha: Why?

Me: Coz I need it. And If you give me this time I will be in a much better mood afterwards.

Hrusha: Oh! Like recharging a battery?

Me: :)

Thank God for daughters. Who always get you.

Let The Devil Loose!!

So far this blog has been all about looking inwards etc etc... But how can I look inwards without letting the devil in me out. The devil who only speaks Sarcasmese and speaks her mind? 

There are days when you just need the her to come out and speak her mind. Today has been one such day. When every-time  I opened my mouth I ended up saying something so utterly sarcastic that I surprised myself. 

But guess what, it feels so good. Too much of sweetness can also get extremely boring. I have been living life on my own extremely random theories that only I have a logic for. I know this logic may not be anywhere close to the truth. But what the heck... It makes me happy. And isn't that what life is all about? 

Assignment of the cause or your bad mood to something else that you have no control over? And while we do that make it sound like we are the best that anyone can ever get? 

While we do this we may end up being sarcastic or at times mean. But at times that's the only secret of staying unaffected by people who try and make our lives miserable. 

Try these techniques they really help. 

1. If a woman is mean -- its coz they are jealous.

2. If a woman is aloof -- its coz they are mapping us out, obviously coz we are too cool and intimidate them. 

3. If a man is mean -- Well its obviously coz he has a crush on us :P

4. If a man is ignoring us -- Well that's coz they are in awe of us. 

None of these may be true... They are,well, for all I know, most definitely not true. But try giving these reasons for their behavior and watch how it uplifts your mood instantly. 

My best friend used to wake up each morning and chant this -- "I am ok. I am fine. I am feeling better. Everybody loves me. Those who don't they just don't know any better" 

I call this the meditative reconfirmation of the fact that, you are the best and no one can or should make you feel otherwise. 

Indoctrinating a 9 year old

Tucking my 9 year old in the night is the time when she and I have the deepest heart to hearts. Today she came up to me saying that she is feeling really sad, and does not know the reason why. 

That sinking feeling in the heart. We have all been there. For no reason. But how do you address that with a 9 year old? She then confided in me that she had a fall out with her best friend. And hence the sadness. I decided to take this as an opportunity to indoctrinate her to the concept of mind and heart sync, and to follow her heart. 

"The brain tells us to do a lot of things, so does the heart. If we just listen to the brain coz that is where logic checks in, and ignore the heart, we may end up doing what is right, and walk away with a feeling of accomplishment. 

But happiness is always in what the heart feels. So always follow your heart. But in doing that don't ignore the long term repercussions that may eventually cause us getting hurt. 

It is therefore important for the heart and brain to have a sensible conversation with each other, and come to a consensus. However if that is not possible, then just listen to the heart. You will never regret that. You may be hurt, your brain may laugh all the way saying "I told you so." But trust me you will never regret. If you are hurt in the process it is akin to the scars a soldier gets during war and sports with pride."

Tonite's bed time conversation with my 9 year old, gave me a feeling of accomplishment. That life gives me enough opportunity to hand over my legacy to her. My philosophy of life. Right or wrong I don't know. But, I have lived it with a vigor and while I have fallen down many a time. But I have never regretted any of that. 

You, my daughter...I hope you too fall in life. Get your heart broken...But I also hope that you are strong enough to pick up those pieces and walk ahead with your head held high.