Hopelessly Hopeful

It's weird isn't it or maybe logical.  We love our pet dogs knowing that they won't be with us for long. We want to squeeze in so much love, affection and compassion in the decade or so that they are with us. And they love us unconditionally, always being faithful and loyal.  Is that because as humans we are aware of how short this companionship will be? So, we try to make the most out of it. However, by that logic, the dog doesn't know how long he has, he just loves, not really caring about how long he will be alive. That leaves us with two questions. Will we humans love each other in the same way as we love our pets, without pretention, if we had a shorter life expectancy as well? Then again, any mortal life is unpredictable, it may shorten at any point. Knowing that, then why isn't it that we love unconditionally and live without a care each day? It is a twisted fate of irony that we are given enough life to think that we have enough time to do what we want to, b...

I have a list – the "don't care" list. Some people are not worth your time, not even for your hatred. I have a policy, if they breach certain criteria (set by using some stupid old-fashioned moral compass), I put them on this list wherein I don't care if they live or die. For me, they simply cease to exist in my life. As condescending as it may sound, it helps in gaining some peace in your life. People are generally tedious, and dealing with them on a day-to-day basis, putting on a mask, is exasperating. At times, I want to shut myself from this din of the world. Then again, you cannot survive alone. You need people, and no matter how tiresome they get, you still need to interact with them in a cordial manner. Guess that makes me a hypocrite too. My need for warmth and security makes me hide my vulnerable self. They tell me I cannot be a mess. I need to be strong, independent and follow the dictum of the society. Problem is, the real me never allows me to do that....

Do you feel happy at times for no apparent reason? It's weird, but true. Sometimes the eyes twinkle and the lips curve into a mischievous smile and you have no clue of the source. It could be a song in your playlist or the rain drizzling in your balcony or maybe your dog poking his nose on your hands to get a head scratch. Or maybe, you are just happy, just happy. So, let the music play, and be happy, always. 😊

Here's an idea I am throwing open to the universe. We have unique issues and challenges, often localised to a particular area. While government agencies or NGOs often try to resolve them as per their set solutions, what they miss out is the need to look at each issue as a unique challenge which needs equally unique solution. Also, consultation with the local populace who are facing the challenge is important. Maybe, they themselves have a solution to overcome the challenge but may not have the ways and means to implement it. If only someone listens to them, and arranges for experts / volunteers from that particular field to help resolve the issue in collaboration with the local community. Can we have an open platform that allows people / community representatives to list their local issues and challenges, with probable solutions? Thereafter, an AI analyses the issue, the probable solutions and searches for more solutions. These could also be solutions that have been successfully ...

There was a time when I searched for answers in various religious places and spiritual centers. I travelled all over the country to understand if I could gain some insights that could soothe my soul, make me calm and less disoriented. Whenever I visited any of these places, I felt peaceful, calm. I was grounded. There wasn’t any confusion, noise or anxiety. Each place had a different energy, and at each place I reacted in a different manner. I cried and shed some silent tears at Golden Temple . The energy was as cool as the sharovar (lake). I could not feel Krishna when I went to Badrinath Temple . Yet, I could sense his energy higher up in the Himalayas – someone else, who dabbles in energy, confirmed this. I knew I could wish for something at Manikaran Gurudwara , but didn’t feel like it. I felt overwhelming sadness as I listened to the live qawwalis at Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah . Then there was a time when I dabbled in Buddhism. Not that I could imbibe everything, there were...