Mind Speaks
Mind Speaks – Yes. WE CAN
Mind Speaks – Yes. WE CAN
Dear Friends,
Welcome to read the 9th issue of No News. An interesting photo and interesting title. Yes. WE CAN. We heard this quite a lot these days due to the recently concluded US Presidential election. Barack Obama has become the president elect now. That was on the other side of the globe, and it was an event where our global godfather’s destiny is involved. While we wait and watch what happens next, an interesting development happened on this side of the sub-continent. India beat Australia 2-0 in test cricket. What more you need when two stalwarts are departing from the game?
Have a great week ahead,
Ramesh Menon
12112008
Visit: http://www.talentshare.blogspot.com
Mind Speaks – The Art of Reading – BOOKing them young
Mind Speaks – The Art of Reading – BOOKing them young
Dear Friends,
No News issue of this week covers the special topic – The Art of Reading – Booking them Young. The importance of educating children to develop a reading habit at a young age is very important. Especially these days, when everything comes in the form of CDs and DVDs and books are becoming an Old Story. The real joy of reading through a good book is unbelievable. It has to be developed to experience it. For this, we need to spend a few minutes every day with them, in order to make them realise the importance of this life long journey. A good reading habit is as good as a great friend, especially when you are in dire straits or needs. The seeds you saw now to create this habit in your child, will be harvested by them in the years to come. They will say thanks to you from their heart at that time.
Have a great week ahead,
Ramesh Menon
02112008
The Art of Reading – BOOKing them young
Our Knowledge and experience are the only things that, if passed on will remain with the generations. All the other thing, money, property, etc, will all have a natural, timely or untimely death. Knowledge passed on, by any means, will become immortal. It will be all the more, if it is through a creative medium. I myself, was surprised very recently to learn this when I happened to notice a painting which I had created in 1999 and posted in a webpage created that time, now being used in a German site, where they explain in detail the thoughts and principles underlying that drawing. I was amazed and swept off. I am writing this to all those who hold their reservations, either due to shortage of time or other reasons for not utilising a wonderful opportunity thrown in front. This is not the old age situation that happened to Ekalavya, who learned the secrets of Archery techniques from the legendary guru Dronacharya, by hiding behind the bushes. When came to know that Ekalavya had learned more than what he had taught to his favourite student Arjuna, Dronacharya, asked for his Thumb finger as the Guru Dakshina (fees) from Ekalavya. Don’t worry, our science and technology is far and well advanced now. Give your thumb finger out to your Gurus or mentors if they are asking for it, and share your knowledge, as we have many a new technology already ready to replace it better than the original one. Have No Fear, and Have No Holds.
This is also a tribute to all those who work hard and do continuous educations through various Distant Learning Programmes like the ones from IGNOU, BITS, SYMBIOSIS etc. You all deserve a special applause, for your hard work and dedication you put in to continue your quest for gaining knowledge, without forgetting your commitments towards profession and family. Thanks to all those Professors and support staff who work hard to present and create a classroom atmosphere and provide quality materials at par with other universities worldwide for these knowledge seekers, who in normal case could not have done it without your efforts.
TV. If kids are entertained by two letters, imagine the fun they’ll have with twenty-six. Open your child’s imagination. Open a book. ~Author Unknown
Many times it happens that we attend birthday parties, and other functions associated with children – small, young and teens. More than 90% of the time, we end up buying expensive gifts for them, either a Playstation game, or an expensive watch, or a Camera or electronic toys. Although, children who get these gift items become very happy, on majority of the occasions most of these expensive items stops functioning or their interest in them diminishes and fade away as days passes. At times a child may even get the same gift in two or more numbers.
How many of us, in turn, ever thought of buying them a story book or a quiz book, or an encyclopedia, or offer a subscription to a kids journal?
May be, about 5%!. And the beauty is that those books given by this minority group remain with those children much longer time than the other gifts. The dominance of electronic media over the print is so much that these days children very rarely turn towards reading during their away study time.
“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” – Ray Douglas Bradbury.
If the trend among our children move towards watching unlimited TV, playing on computers and playstation or electronic game consoles, very soon we will be taking our culture away from them. It is a danger, and imminent danger looming in front of all of us. The Art of Reading, is precious. It should begin at an early stage and from home and that too from parents. But, how of many of us, have the time, to read even a newspaper these days. Then forget about passing on the reading habits to our children.
The progress and the fast paced requirements of our life have killed several of our old habits and replaced them with newer ones, which are fancy and short-natured. Think of the earlier days, when we were in school or college, when the newspaper boy drops the paper at home and we wait for it to read our favorite news anxiously, whether it be a local event or whether it be a sports event happened at the capital. Those days have gone. Now, instant coverage through Televesion and internet, reporting news through the print media to make them interesting have become a Herculean task for the editorial staff. Unless, it is something entirely innovative or attractive, people will not even turn the pages beyond the cover page. There is no time left with people to do that. Who wants to read a full paper, when you get short feeds by sms on your mobile phone or PDA? If this is the case, who wants to read a full book to enhance the knowledge? If this is the situation with us, where on earth we have the time to read a story for our children and create a reading habit in him or her?
“Tell me what you read and I’ll tell you who you are” is true enough, but I’d know you better if you told me what you reread. ~François Mauriac
Learning lessons from the above quote and from various others, Reading or Developing the Art of Reading from a very early age is a very important virtue to be planted amongst children of this generation in order to carry on our traditional values. Otherwise, very soon, our generation will forget about the ancient history, and life for them will revolve around with SMACK DOWN, or NEED FOR SPEED or SUPERMAN or DHOOM 1,2,3 etc……
“No, I’m not doing the homework; I’m blogging why I’m not….”
Here are some tips to promote The Art of Reading through our Team 1 columns.
Family & Adult Reading Tips
You are your child’s first teacher. The most important thing you can do to help your child succeed in school is to read aloud to him or her. Reading to your child makes him or her feel respected and part of your world. It builds self-esteem. Reading aloud to your child will help him or her to understand words, master language, and enable him or her to come to school feeling confident.
HOW CAN I HELP MY CHILD READ?
• Make reading time special. Turn off the TV. Read before bedtime.
• Have your child choose the book you will be reading together. Sit close together. Hold the book so your child can see it and turn the pages.
• Patience. Reading to children takes time. Often children will read favorite books over and over again. This builds confidence.
• Take time to look at the pictures and discuss the story. Discuss the characters and setting.
• Add expression to the text. Change your voice to become different characters.
• Have fun with books and language.
• Visit the library. Encourage your child to bring home their library books each week. Obtain a library card in your child’s name.
• Help your child with reading homework. Let them know that reading is the key to learning.
• Phonics vs. Sight Vocabulary-both are very important and successful. A combination of teaching both strategies will help your child.
• Ask your child’s teacher where to get reading materials or any questions to enhance your child’s reading.
Remember, When we read a story, we inhabit it. The covers of the book are like a roof and four walls. What is to happen next will take place within the four walls of the story. And this is possible because the story’s voice makes everything its own. – * John Berger.
Elephant Beauty & Elephant Walk Policy
Elephant Beauty & Elephant Walk Policy
Elephants – Temple elephants are an integral part in the life of Keralites. Especially, if you are from Trichur area. The attachment towards the animal and interaction are very emotional and sensitive that they even address them by names and from ancient times there are several stories propagating the love and affection between man and elephant.
An Elephant’s walk is a beauty to watch. However, imagine a situation if it get’s wild. You just have to do a small search on youtube, you will see several videos of attacks by wild and angry elephant’s killing it’s mahout or others who come across.
Out of love and passion for the animal, I too have developed a very important Management Principle based on Elephant, closely following it’s gentle and beautiful walking style which is a beauty to watch and it’s actions terrorising all when it is wild. I have termed it as ELEPHANT WALK POLICY. It is somewhat related to our Gandhian and Hitler’s philosphies and principles. Ist part of this principle follows Gandhi. Be mild – as mild as you can till you cannot tolerate any more when you may change over and follow Hitler and be wild and aggressive – as aggressive as you can. Create a wild impact and then let this impact force the results. It may be harmful, but till you shift the gear to Hitler, be a Gandhian.
Enjoy the photos of a beautiful temple elephant taking bath at the Shiva Temple Ernakulam before the festival.
Mind Speaks – ADORE yourself
Mind Speaks – ADORE yourself
Dear Friends,
Life within the 24 hours of each day is moving extremely fast. With the development works happening around and the increase in number of vehicles, it takes more time to move around. These are temporary obstacles and it will change for something new the next time we wake up. Happier as ever with each of the obstacles on my way as it evolve around surprisingly and as I convert them to a wonderful opportunity, I am taking you all today to a wonderful journey of thoughts named ADORE yourself.
What’s ADORE? It’s simple Addiction, Distraction, Opportunities, Routine and Energizing yourself.
Addiction: We are all prone to certain type of addictions, some of which are developed gradually. Smoking, drinking, are common and I am not touching them here as these are destructive addictions which one promotes knowing it’s dangers to our life. There are many other addictions or obsessions in our daily life. In my thesaurus of addictions there are many new additions recently – photography, pencil sketching, creative writing, and the list goes on.
There are many other addictions too, like calling friends and admirers daily or weekly. It may be a small thing when you look at it, but a casual call to regular contact to ask casually and check whether everything alright may help him to reach an entirely different world of comfort. It is an obsession which I am deliberately developing. May be some day, some where, I am able to help a friend when he is in need.
Another deliberate cultivation of addiction is developing my photographic skills. This obsession developed initially to promote positive thinking opportunities have now become a full time creative pursuit for me. To the extent, if I go without one of my camera, I feel like a solider without his gun. The transformation of moods to positive elements due to the utilisation of this creative activity is something which you have to try and experience.
Distractions: I think of my childhood days when I had to wait for a newsmagazine or an additional newspaper to read. Gone are those days. As THE NATIONAL newspaper here rightly advertise, some distractions are pleasant. For example, for a person like me who is always interested to read, there are many newspapers available. Starting with Gulf News, Khaleej Times, The National, Gulf Today, 7 Days, then the weekly news magazines from each one of them and then all the above and the regional news available online. All these caters to a variety of subjects and topics and it is just the question of a useful distraction which generates a healthy competition amongst the scribes directly to raise the level of contents and indirectly to the readers to improve their standards of reading and living.
Opportunities: I have been asked in the recent times by those who communicate with me about how do I find time for all these. It is very simple. Split all the activities into short and long term objectives. Utilise a small note and pen to list the things and thoughts you come across and have to do and then develop from there when you actually attempt your 5 or 10 minutes on any such task. You will find yourself with plenty of time to do several more things than you have been doing now.
Routine: Good upbringing is one value which I always promote amongst the future generation. Gone are the days when everyone has plenty of free time to work around his or her way out. It is therefore important for us to create an effective routine so that we tend to gain competency from each activity we attempt. It then becomes a stepping stone towards our progress. To all those who conveys the routine excuse of “No Time”, I have to say that you have plenty of time with you if you split your day into hours and minutes and tasks and attempt each one of them within a specified time frame. Use necessary common tools of reminder systems like paper and pencil and at every opportunity you improvise it with modern technology available and you will not be saddened by the result. Of course, it takes time to reach this stage. As you see yourself, all those achievers have done lot of efforts to enjoy their moment of glory. Examples are plenty. Amir Khan’s new look in Gajini movie, Madhavan Nair and his dedicated team members five years of hard work for the successful launch of Chandrayaan – 1 are some of them.
Energize yourself: Once a routine is set it is easier to energize yourself. Each day arrives with a new opportunity for us to live in this world. Why to waste this opportunity? Distracted you are in the morning with tie-knot not coming rightly, or with your son crying to pamper him or with your wife taking too much time with her make up? Divert your focus to a few minutes of different activity during this delay and refresh yourself and come back and see the result. A speed reading of the headlines or just setting up your table or even your suitcase or purse may help you to explore something new or a thing you may have forgotten to do. On the road, traffic is slow, someone is trying to push through, relax and listen to the radio and avoid getting in to confrontations. May be you can observe the world around – a new sign board or a new landmark coming up, the construction, the activities, the workers moods, there are so many to read through.
Or at work you have many distractions – a colleague or a manager’s bullying attitude, a non-paying customer or a difficult project to finalise. Work around it from a different angle and allow yourself of another distraction like a walk around to a different department or even to the walkway near your office. Play those unsolved puzzles in your mind and try reaching a solution. May be your ideas may take you through an easier route towards it.
Keep your short term and long term goals firm. Do not leave them but switch between them.
Refresh yourself by creative pursuits and revert back to your set goals and work on them.
ADORE yourself, and whatever you do. Once you start doing this you will realise how easy it is and how on earth you missed it all this time.
Happy Diwali and ADORE yourself and have a great week ahead.
Ramesh Menon
26102208
Significance of reading habit to promote learning of a language.
Significance of reading habit to promote learning of a language.
There is no easy way to learning and executing a language other than reading, Reading and READING. The more you read, the more you understand the nuances of presenting a language in paper and person. Self interest and efforts are two basic requirements to start this process. Then comes SUSTAINED INTEREST. Today, your interest may be to learn how to present what you studied. Tomorrow, it differs. This is quite natural. It is therefore very important to have a clear objective connected with sustained learning and then work on it every day a few minutes. The subject you plan to learn may be literary, scientific or artistic. 5 to 10 minutes of concentrated effort per day will be more than enough. You will realise it as your self learning exercise progress.
How to do this? It’s very easy. Get as many newspapers or magazines in English or any other language you want to master. Read them with interest. Keep a dictionary aside to clear your doubt. It is always good to keep a dictionary, however knowledgeable you are. Read through the main pages and come to the letters to the editors section. Never leave it. This is where you get to see different personalities, their way of presenting a problem, an applause, and most important of all how their mind analyse that particular idea and how they present it to public. One week into this exercise, you will realise, how your language skills are improving – to understand the thought process and to present it in a better way. You will also learn to identify the different presentation styles, punch and will be able to choose the one which you want to follow yourself.
In order to assist further in case if you are learning to improve your English language skills, I suggest you to follow regularly the following newspapers and their websites:
THE NATIONAL http://www.thenational.ae
GULF NEWS http://www.gulfnews.com
KHALEEJ TIMES http://www.khaleejtimes.com
THE HINDU http://www.hinduonnet.com/
TIMES OF INDIA http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
I suggest you also the following dictionary website for onsite assistance:
Another very important site which is extremely beneficial in leaning several useful languages as well as other topics is to visit http://www.about.com/ and select the topic of your choice.
Wish you all the very best in your self and sustained efforts to progress in life.
Ramesh Menon
19102008
Mind Speaks – Unsung heroes and untimely aggressions
Mind Speaks – Unsung heroes and untimely aggressions
A hectic week-end as usual and a festive Friday following it. Due to the holy month of Ramadan many malayalee associations in gulf region could not celebrate their Onam programmes and lunch normally held on the Friday nearer to the Onam day. In most places it was held during the last weekend. I was lucky to attend one such event very well organised by the Kerala Social Centre this afternoon. The planning, hard work and effort required to conduct such an event successfully is enormous and really appreciate the thankless job done by many of it’s office bearers and volunteers.
This brings to me the point of team work and efforts required for the success of such events. Many times we get to see programmes being held successfully. From the initial stage of planning to preparation and then the final run, many get involved in it and execute their role effectively and effortlessly for the final section where the actual event happens live. During such occasions, only those who present in the final section gets kudos and appreciation. Those who worked day and night tend to get forgotten. It may not be the case everywhere but certainly in some cases it is the case. So let me take this opportunity to congratulate and praise all those members, especially the ladies who came and cut the vegetables and all those members who stayed overnight and assisted in completing a sumptuous and delicious Onam lunch.
Cricket is one thing which is followed by many and I too watch the game, although not much, for the interest and opportunity it gives to learn and observe how these players tackle the problems on and off the field. The current test match is one which is not very significant due to the form of the players. The Australian touring side is not venomous as they are normally. However, they are still showing their superior player management capabilities. The first innings saw Australia taking advantage and the second innings is currently on and India struggling to raise to the victory target. What interested me was the way Harbhajan Singh batted. With the ball, he was not lucky and got only 1 wicket in the first innings. But, when it came to his batting, he did show lots of courage and determination and proved a point or two to many. It was obvious from his expressions of joy when he hit the bowler over the top for an excellent four and reached his fifty and raised his hands with punch. I am sure he had several messages conveyed in those expression especially a few to Sreesanth. Where is our hero now? I did manage to search the youtube, and he did not let me down there with a latest performance video of him for a party. Vow, a fast bowler who can dance well. Or it should have been the other way – a dancer who can bowl fast? If that was the case, the money that flowed after him would obviously not be there. Pocket full of cash and personal business opportunities, and an aggression or two without conviction and prudence has sidelined him from many of the matches that followed after the slap gate incident with Harbhajan. Justifications are that he is injured and cannot play, but these on and off appearances in the party circles and doing difficult steps conveys that there may be other reasons too. I was reading an article in which Mahindra Singh Dhoni was expressing his comments about his wish to have a good bowler who bowls according to the captains plans. Being an enthusiastic percussion instrument player, I was also thinking of a scenario where a percussion player goes overboard and overtakes a lead singer through his exuberance. Time is running out of him to gain back his fitness problems or whatever it is and restrict his tantrums on and off field to gain the national cap and I wish the aggressive attitude in him will power him to do so within the near future.
One other thing which is really worrying me is the driving attitude on the road. I am on a crusade to create an awareness to all around the dangers of fast driving. It is not that they do not know, but somehow a rush of blood is making some drivers crazy behind the steering. There is not much difference to what Sreesanth did and what these drivers are doing on the road – it’s only untimely expression of aggressions. The end-result is self destruction.
A small step each day towards this campaign is what I am doing right now. At least one life I can save, I am more than happy and contended.
Wishing you all an enjoyable working week.
Ramesh Menon
13102008
Mind Speaks – Keeping yourself busy
Into the final stages of the TALENT SHARE 2008 competition, I am thrilled to see the responses coming in from children all over. See and realise yourself, how their mind is travelling and bringing out images which we have long forgotten. What more we need. An opportunity for them to showcase their talents and an opportunity for us to revisit our childhood memories.
Yes, what a lovely feeling when we go back years behind. As for me, I still cherish those good old days, when after school, take my privilege to go to the ration shop with our maid servant. It was an opportunity to walk all the way to the most important place in our village in those days. It was also an opportunity to go and meet many people from the small village where I lived, listen to all the news discussed between them, while we were in the que. It was also an opportunity to read through the various newspapers stacked there near the big long balance to wrap various grocery items. Those were the days, when newspapers and news items were not so common for those interested to read. Other than the regional malayalam daily Mathrubhumi and the English daily The Hindu, there was nothing to read. As eager as ever to read all what comes in front, it was an opportunity to read thsoe bits of newspapers, which normally would have come from other places or from those who bring it to sell them for some grocery items. Many times it contained papers which were normally banned at our conservative home – papers like those which carried communists views etc. So, it gave a different angle to what I gathered normally from the views and eyes of the editorials of Mathrubhumi and The Hindu. Those were not the age of television and movies. Radio was the other medium which was available to pile upon knowledge. Incidentally, the village library which was in front of this ration shop played all the programmes available through the national radio channel Akashvaani and also some times, played BBC programmes and Srilanka radio according to the mood of librarian.
Gone are those days. Now, a normal child gets to read newspapers at home. Any paper you take out here carries at least 50 pages of materials to read. They are in plenty too. For instances in UAE, we have now, three or four mainstream newspapers. Starting with Gulf News, Khaleej Times, Gulf Today and the new entrant The National. Then there are tabloids and additional pull out for each one of them and their weekly magazines in addition. Add to them, the small time news prints like 7 Days news etc. Include several newspapers now coming here daily in the morning. In fact all Indian regional news are available here in the morning itself. A child or a family with little flare for reading has no dearth of substance available. In fact it has gone to a serious situation that if one has to read at least the main section of each of these newspapers, one has to take half a day leave from work. If he has to read complete all of them, like actor Mohanlal said in one movie, you have to get a good job to take leave (and read news in complete).
Opportunities available are plenty for those who look for it and accept it. Otherwise, you will never see it. It is how we look at things. Each moment is an opportunity in life. The other day I was mentioning about crazy driving on the road and life being generously given to other drivers by those who driver erratically without care for their life and fellow drivers. I wish if they had a visit to emergency ward of any of the major hospitals around. My thoughts are being de-railed by a near miss I had on the way, the other day, as early as 4:45 am on the highway. If someone is driving rashly at that time of the morning, I cannot imagine, when is safe to drive or which road.
Well, back to our topic, my experience so far with the TALENT SHARE 2008 programme is interesting and bringing out several new topics of knowledge to my life. As usual, any project is precious for me, and as one progresses, and as I enjoy it’s progress, knowingly or unknowingly, I would have already started working on the next project. It is one way of fine tuning the project’s finer aspects from closer and distant perspective. It is also another way of looking that project from a totally different angle. It is not easy, but is not difficult too. It is like the same way, a fast bowler or a spin bowler comes in and bowl 6 different bowl to an excellent batsman without giving him an opportunity to score. How many times he would have practised for that to happen in real time. The batsman would have had all the probabilities to hit those six balls for fours or sixers. But, it didn’t happen, or rather he didn’t allow it to happen. It is practise, Practise, PRACTISE. Nothing else. Practise in real, and practise in mind. This is my answer to all those who says that I am busy and I do not have time to do a thing. May be you were not courageous enough to say that you are not interested to do it and why to blame time. Time is precious and it will be found available only for those who value each second or millisecond in life. Keeping self busy is a good thing, but how you keep yourself busy is the most important thing.
Many of us have cameras, all different types of it. Have you ever tried shooting a bee or a butterfly using it. Then you will realise, how busy their life is and how difficult is to follow them. Then a little more into it, you will realise what is required for achieving success. Practise, followed by Patience. If you do, it victory will be yours. If not today, definitely tomorrow. What is the point of a golden sword if it’s edges are not sharp enough to cut the throat of an attacking enemy?
Wishing you all a slow and safe Eid Al Fitr holidays.
Ramesh Menon
28092008
Thoughts and Photos by Ramesh Menon
Mind Speaks – Do you love your life and of those around?
Mind Speaks – Do you love your life and of those around?
I haven’t come to the Mind Speaks section of my English blog for some time. It is not that my mind was not speaking or stopped speaking. It is due to the fact that it was speaking too much elsewhere that it didn’t get an opportunity to pass by this side. It was wearing a different language cap and expressing it thoughts and moods without any holds as it arrived.
Life has been never easy for me. 20 plus years in UAE and still wanting to explore and experience more of this beautiful country, culture and values. Each day brings out a joy of learning a thing new, irrespective of which side I get up, who double parks in front of my car, and who speeds and misses hitting my car while travelling between work and home. The country is growing in pace and volume and along with it the diverse culture and style. Even during the holy month of Ramadan, I witnessed women dressing scantly, people smoking discreetly, which a few years down the lane I could have never even imagined or seen. Several times I did ask myself, why public has a tendency to violate rules and values when they clearly know that these are not to be violated during this period to give respect to the religion and numerous people who follow it. May be I will be labelled crazy, if I discuss such things frequently. But, how can I resist expressing myself. No, never, I will never keep my thoughts within.
Continuing, the moods and thoughts to travel freely, I would like to mention about the online competition for children TALENT SHARE 2008 which I am organising for children during this Ramadan. Thoughts, sparks, flash or whatever you call them, a piece of paper and a pen or pencil I carry around, leads to several things in my life. Luckily, I am constantly tuning my mind to the positive aspects of whatever I see and experience. All those sparks are leading to constructive and creative cause for betterment of the society around me. It may be participation in the Have Your Say programme of Dubai Municipality, Suggestion programmes of Dubai RTA, or Have Your Say programme of Department of Transportation Abu Dhabi, or assisting someone with guidance on education or job. Several of these small sparks are being diligently printed in paper and submitted across systematically. As the number increases, the probability of acceptance in terms of Quality and Value are also increasing and feel very contended at the end of each day – a day well utilised. A selfless thanks giving to this country and the world around.
During my journey so far with the progress of TALENT SHARE 2008, I have received support from several unknown sources. Faces whom I have never met, or even never personally communicated and have come forward and expressed their share of experience related with it. The idea behind this came to me also as a spark. It happened on one evening, when a small child of 7 years old was brought to my home for assistance to develop an attitude for mathematics. A casual talk with the child and his parent made me realize the brilliance of this little boy who is being really put into test by his parents. Children these days are being forced upon to learn several talents at a younger age whether or not they are interested or have an affinity for them. Because, parents, or a relative or a friends child, or someone else is learning them and doing well, it becomes a necessity for many children to follow suite. Talks with several parents on the way across this programme I realised that many are not aware of what their child has naturally in him. Where is the time? Or, I have not seen him doing this or that? These were the answers about children from some of the parents. However, this was not the case with everyone. There were some who did find time to makes sure to sit with them, observe them, identify their liking and nurture them accordingly. I am with this group.
The influx of financial gains for participation in several talent shows have made it almost statutory for parents to teach their children with dance, music, or cricket. It is now almost a reality that you do not get to see anyone saying that oh, my child is good at painting or good at writing stories. Everything is in short from the childhood days. At the very young age which the child starts going to his play school and the tuition classes following it, he is given a mobile and there starts his membership in SMS (Short Minded Society) life style. Everything he sees and express is short. If this is the state now, I really wonder what it will be in a short time, when we will cease to see any stories, novels or poems? The electronic gaming devices have totally ruled out children from sharing their thought process to be expressed through their coloring or sketching medium.
It was all these thoughts and fears and also the liking for non-performing arts that made me work on such an initiative to identify and nurture those little ones who has it in them to take us to an entirely different world. It doesn’t mean that I don’t like performing arts and games. These days, I am excited like an expectant parent with a big belly in the good old days. I do not know whether there will be one healthy child, or many from this. As the traditional doctor with his experience carefully examines and declares that the patient has been well taken care during the various stages and child inside is showing a healthy movement, and declares to the parent, be confident, it is going to be a safe and successful delivery. I am sure you all will be keen to see the result too.
Birth obviously brings me to the topic of death. Recent times, I have gone through emotional stress due to the loss of two close ones in my life. Both death due to cancer. Sometimes, we think, an accidental death is much easier than to have this dreaded disease and die a slow death. It is not the fear of dying, but the agony of seeing them suffering with pain and trauma. Aspects related to these deaths surfaced harsh realities in life. In both the cases, the people around them ignored them with timely assistance and support to their family. As the person on death bed was fighting with the pain, he was also suffering from added mental trauma of what will happen to his immediate family once the inevitable happens. No assistance from any side and the poor souls departed leaving several tasks incomplete. At this point arrives our social crusaders. Let me be positive here too. At least after the death, their eyes opened! May be they will see it from the heaven, if one such thing exists.
Heaven reminded me of speeding and hell. Due to several requirements, I have to travel between Abu Dhabi and Dubai several times during each week. Each drive through Abu Dhabi Dubai highway is becoming a come back to life and normalcy. Drivers are too erratic and every time, I miss an opportunity from being hit from the back or the side, I feel, these drivers do not love to live for self. I am extremely sure they do not love public to live safe too.
Wish you all a safe and happy Eid holidays,
Ramesh Menon
27092008
ClicksandWrites 
You must be logged in to post a comment.