What is the most important thing to carry with you all the time?
It took sometime for me to write on this prompt. At first I thought of the following which I always carry with me :
1. Wisdom
2. Conscience
3. Emotions
4. Soul
But these are intangible. They are important but subjective. I may be carrying them within me but I use them situationally. If I am using my wisdom I set my emotions aside. If I am driven by my emotions I may not be dealing wisely.
Conscience, I guess, activates and combines both wisdom and emotions. It is always there. I need not carry it in my tote bag.
In our religion, the ultimate truth is realized through a process of negation. We are not the body…not the mind…not the breath alone. Breath links the mind and body to the soul and soul to the Supreme Consciousness. So, spiritually speaking, it is this Supreme Consciousness that is within all of us. But we are all like the mirror which has a layer of dust spread on it. We have to wipe the dust off to see our image reflected in the mirror. So do we have to meditate deeper and deeper and internalize our unwavering focus to experience our true self – the Brahman or the Supreme Consciousness.
Thus we don’t carry the Brahman but require to be always aware of it. Awareness and carrying are not the same. Thus, in the process of elimination, existence of my core is not negated but it is not to be ported either.
Therefore, I look outward. What is it that is the most important thing for me which I cannot do without? It’s pertinent to mention here that I carry the world in my shoulder bag. But one thing that is extremely precious to me is my handkerchief. I go berserk if I lose or misplace it. Mind you, it is not the dainty kerchief the Victorian ladies waved fashionably and which came handy when the delicate beauties swooned over trivialities. It is a medium sized hand towel, a little shabby, being washed clean several times and used till it shreds off to pieces. Yes, I am that possessive about my hanky. Older it is I am more comfortable with it.
But why? Because I sweat profusely. Also I am allergic to many smells and eatables which can subject me anytime to bouts of sneezing and coughing. I have a habit of wiping my face quite often. But more than anything else a hanky is something to hold on to, cling to, clutch on to – a kind of anchor …an indispensable support…a balancing stick. Strange… isn’t it?
Does it mean I am the nervous kind? No…I am the anxious type who carries within herself a load of insecurities. Are these insecurities important to me? Perhaps, yes. Perhaps, I am driven by them. Perhaps, I identify myself with them. I am proactive, preemptive and over cautious in work as well as domestic fronts because I am always trying to ward off calamitous conditions.
Laughable or laudable, but I believe, efficiency and sincerity are not virtues by dint of their intrinsic worth and presence. They are bi-products of imagined or experienced implications and a habitual tendency to circumvent the need to make amends before catastrophe arises.
The hanky aka hand towel is just symbolic of that constant inner urge to maintain equilibrium, to prevent anything going amiss, to cross the bridge before it comes.
It’s important to me because I am built that way – all the time tirelessly indulging in boundary management. If I am restrained from doing so I feel ill at ease, disorderly, unorganised – as though I have not discharged my duties properly, concluded a job flawlessly or given shape to something misshapen.
Funny ?
Frivolous?
Imputing meaning and significance to something inconsequential ?
Judging myself unnecessarily?
Whatever you may infer, the fact is this is inexcusably and unalterably me.
What change, big or small, would you like your blog to make in the world?
Blogging is a versatile activity in the sense that it does not restrict to any particular format or subject. There are poetry blogs, short story blogs, social and political commentary blogs, daily activity blog, photography blog, food blog, travel blog, health blog, fashion blog, review blog. You name it you get it.
Blog helps in networking with and building a community of like minded people. In that sense, bloggers are influencers in their own rights. At times of need you get good advices from your virtual friends, appreciations for your writings, good will and camaraderie and knowledge of mutual interests. It’s a world of its own. That is why it is known as blogsphere.
So far as I am concerned, my blog does not subscribe to a particular genre. I review books and films, serials and web series, I write on prompts, I experiment with food, I talk about myself and my experiences, I commentate on issues which bother me, I show off my limited knowledge of music – in short I post on anything and everything under the sun.
Needless to say blogging satisfies the writing spree of an obscure, self opinionated busybody like me. At the same time it’s fun interacting with people. It also let’s me talk about issues I feel wondrous about, disturbed about and vocal about. Be it review, short story, commentaries, experiences, I want to share which, in short, niggles or bothers me.
If one thing that I want to achieve through blogging is to compel people to think and introspect on subjects which they may or may not be familiar with. Reading and thinking over what we read, firming up our minds and discussing about the same with others broaden our horizon.
For example, reading a book or watching a film or series is my personal hobby – an individual mode of self satisfaction, entertainment or growth. Unless and until I talk about what I gathered from that experience, it remains cocooned within me. Once I talk about it in my blog my thoughts are disseminated amongst many. It may be something about religious freedom, institution of marriage, personal liberty or plain murder mystery. But as we vociferate others come to know about it, it’s negatives and positives and a cloud of opinion is formed of thinking people. I believe this is the greatest advantage of blogging. We share and we gain out of that sharing, dissension included even welcome, which may generate an alternate perspective unknown to me till vocalized by a reader.
My co-blogger, Belladonna of Belladonna ‘s Flashlight fame, writes about positive energy and vibes. I love to read her blogs as it infuses me with positive thoughts and perspective. Content has to be meaningful and purposeful so that the readers are imbued with something fresh and genuine. Derrick Knight, another blogger of my liking, gives us a regular peek into his life and world which is so refreshing and relaxing. Rekha of Book Decoder Fame introduces us to upcoming, interesting murder mysteries and Aparna is as versatile a writer which bespeaks of her varied interest and passion for sharing knowledge. In their own rights, they are thought and knowledge influencers. I too wish to be like one of them whether I meet up to the expectation scale is another matter.
To summarise, the small changes that I wish to bring about through blogging are:
1. To build opinion about topics which may be alien to the domain of experiences of my readers.
2. To spread awareness about issues which may not be prevalent in their world of existence.
3. To encourage them to share their thoughts on such subjects as in above (1) & (2) which till now were outside their periphery.
4. To inculcate a genuine interest in readers to know about my world, my thought processes, what plagues me and what annoys me.
5. To build a community of active and progressive thinkers who can voice their opinions on such alien issues which may become initiators of change.
In short, my blog should be capable of being a change agent of society , a stimuli to positive and constructive reactions and an indicator of what imminent developments, amenities and facilities are required for a way forward.
Dream destination is a place which is desirable but inaccessible – where one wishes to go but cannot because of various constraints like expense, distance, motorability, health etc.
Nowadays people have destination marriages in exotic locales. Whenever we talk of dreams, we actually imagine something out of this world, larger than life and away from reality.
However, my dream destination is a bit off the route. I close my eyes and see a range of majestic blue mountains rolling into a velvety green meadow skirted by a gurgling stream of crystal clear waters. An azure sky washed with sunshine and pillows of clouds sailing by. In the corner of the meadow is a small, unassuming kutir or hermitage adjacent to a huge mossy boulder on which I find myself sitting – staring at the blueness of the mountains – ruminating !
There is an unbreakable serenity around. Peace…Peace…Peace everywhere! The music of silence pervades with the gurgle of flowing waters and melodious chirping of birds.
Lo! What I see myself attired in – a saffron robe!!! And who sits by my side? My loyal pet, quietly meditative. This is only a dream!! Or perhaps an alternate universe – a metaverse wherein my deep subconscious desires manifest in vibrant visuals.
I wish it were my present reality. A world within the chaotic world of noise and disruption. A globe where I am at peace with myself and my surrounds. Where I find beauty, melody and desirable company.
The cosmos is beyond our limited imagination. The ancient sages realized it’s enormity and the continuum of creation, decay, destruction. In our constrained visualization we can only image ourselves in an alternate sphere which we deep down wish for. And that is our alternate universe!
Dream destination is a place which is desirable but inaccessible – where one wishes to go but cannot because of various constraints like expense, distance, motorability, health etc.
Nowadays people have destination marriages in exotic locales. Whenever we talk of dreams, we actually imagine something out of this world, larger than life and away from reality.
However, my dream destination is a bit off the route. I close my eyes and see a range of majestic blue mountains rolling into a velvety green meadow skirted by a gurgling stream of crystal clear waters. An azure sky washed with sunshine and pillows of clouds sailing by. In the corner of the meadow is a small, unassuming kutir or hermitage adjacent to a huge mossy boulder on which I find myself sitting – staring at the blueness of the mountains – ruminating !
There is an unbreakable serenity around. Peace…Peace…Peace everywhere! The music of silence pervades with the gurgle of flowing waters and melodious chirping of birds.
Lo! What I see myself attired in – a saffron robe!!! And who sits by my side? My loyal pet, quietly meditative. This is only a dream!! Or perhaps an alternate universe – a metaverse wherein my deep subconscious desires manifest in vibrant visuals.
I wish it were my present reality. A world within the chaotic world of noise and disruption. A globe where I am at peace with myself and my surrounds. Where I found beauty, melody and desirable company.
The cosmos is beyond our limited imagination. The ancient sages realized it’s enormity and the continuum of creation, decay, destruction. In our constrained visualization we can only image ourselves in an alternate sphere which we deep down wish for. And that is our alternate universe!
What’s the most money you’ve ever spent on a meal? Was it worth it?
I love to cook and eat. While my home food is simple and easy to make with lots of short cuts, the outcome somehow satiates my palate.
It goes without saying that I like to watch cookery shows on You Tube. Replicate them in my kitchen while adding some ingenuous means. However, post Corona I am heavily dependent on Zomato for outside home food.
To my unease, I find they have become costlier and quantity heavily compromised. I have, therefore, become very choosy while selecting outlets from where to order.
Shameless though it may sound, exotic meals have mostly been courtesy either my family or friends. However, there have been special occasions, when I too have gone extravagant dining or lunching out with family.
But one experience I still remember to be the best. Before embarking on that story let me tell you a little bit about my roots. I belong to the State of West Bengal. Bengalis are known to be foodies. Their salivation over non-vegetarian food is well known. Less is known about their vegetarian cuisine which is also very large and varied.
We are basically fish, egg, chicken and mutton lovers. Many do venture into pork, duck, crab, deer and beef but I am a conservative eater and have not tasted anything beyond the first four options. Lately, I have developed a preference for vegetarian diet but that’s later.
Amongst fish, the most tasty and expensive is Hilsa (Tenualosa Ilisha – ₹1400/- to ₹ 1500/- a kilo and on festive seasons the price can go up to even ₹ 2000/- and more). It’s found in seas as well as rivers. River fish is tastier and more in demand. It’s a soft, delicate fish with lots of oil. There are various ways of preparing it. Needless to say it’s a delicacy.
On the flipside, those who are not habituated to this fish may find it rather difficult to eat as it is full of very soft and small bones. The technique of mastering it is to first empty your plate of the gravy and then attack the fish. While doing so, it’s preferable to concentrate totally on eating by separating the bones one by one. It’s best not to get distracted while consuming , not even talk, as the bones have a tendency to get stuck in the most inaccessible parts of the mouth. Once my mother had to be hospitalized when a Hilsa bone got caught in her throat. Doctors were about to operate her but fortunately she could at last cough it out.
Not to scare but I am going into the details so that the readers can appreciate what I am going to tell now. As a birthday treat I had taken my family to Oh Calcutta which is a famous restaurant for its extensive Bengali cuisine. It’s also a fine example of Bengali entrepreneurship more so because as a race we are infamous for not possessing adequate business acumen.
The buffet of this restaurant is enormous in variety. You can also have e-la-carte. After having a taste of the buffet, the chef requested us to partake a special dish made for the day. Our jaws dropped when he told us what it was – Hilsa Boneless! We immediately ordered ignoring the astronomical price tag. It was kind of a lifetime experience to have Hilsa without bones. And oh! What a delight it was!!! So well cooked. We had thought perhaps the fish would be all mashed up to clean it off the bones. But no it was one huge piece floating in mustard gravy deliciously cooked. I asked the chef how he managed this magical feat but I was told that there were some secrets to be just enjoyed and not let out. So true!
Though, we had promised the chef that we will come again, however unfortunately, I have not got a second opportunity to do so. But some gorgeous day I shall freak out without worrying about my pocket.
By the end of this year I will be a free bird. Having said that I am also worried how I will get over my habit of almost four decades of nine to five routine. While I am looking forward to this drastic change in my life I also want the transition to be fruitful and worthwhile.
Close to superannuation, my prime focus has been on how to bat in the second innings. I enlisted a number of lucrative ventures at first. Realised they were too unrealistic and struck them off. Rethought on the issue and concluded thus :
I shall :
(i) Sleep well without having to worry to get up early the next day
(ii) Enjoy my breakfast which till now has been a hurried affair and at times skipped totally
(iii) Sit and stare outside at the greenery by the window (I have a large one)
(iii) Sky watch lying on a charpoy in the balcony especially in winter noons
(iv) Read my favourite authors. At the moment the books are packed and set aside.
(v) Watch bingeworthy web series without getting them to be too heavy on the head
(vi) Write one post daily on anything relevant or irrelevant
(vi) Get a few of my writings published and devote time to hard sell them which is usually not in my nature
(vii) Wordle and Waffle daily to ward off dementia
(viii) Try out cooking some new dishes but cut down on dinner
(ix) Spend less on clothes
(x) Do some yoga (an afterthought)
(xi) Go for walks when weather and mood permit
(xii) Spend lots and lots of time with my pets
(xiii) Do some gardening
(xiv) In general have an unhurried, sedentary schedule which can accomodate all the above without becoming burdensome
One activity that really brings unadulterated joy and deepest of satisfaction is writing. When I started blogging around a decade and more back I was hesitant about sharing my feelings with people who were unknown to me. The prime fear was what will they think of me. But to my astonishment I found many enjoying, getting inspired by and encouraging my writings.
If I analyse why I love to write I guess it’s root will be my introvert self. I have a lot to say which in turn implies I have a thought process which combined with a fertile imagination facilitate ideation. It’s an ever churning machine. Rather over active. I have opinions about everything that I read or watch or experience. The pleasure of vocalising them is almost uplifting.
While into writing I also discovered my love for words. Having said so I also take the liberty of concluding that words have their own limitations. That is why to say the same thing in different ways is so challenging and adventurous.
With writing obviously is associated reading. It’s read, read and read and write, write and write. Both go hand in hand. When I used to learn classical music, my guruji always emphasized on listening to the great Maestros. It is important to develop an ear for music more than a voice to sing. Similarly, it’s important to read the books written by the great authors in order to understand and write well.
Reading and writing both open up new vistas. It’s a journey of self discovery and discipline. Both need constant honing for improving upon one’s skillset.
Question is who do you write for? Some say they write for their own selves. True. But it also is immensely gratifying when others like and comment on your writes. This bond between writer and reader is unique in its engagement offering so much more than one can ask for. It is invaluable and also mutually symbiotic. I take this opportunity to thank all my readers who take out time to read, like and comment on my blogs, articles, reviews.
That brings me to the techniques and types of writing. I started with poetry veered towards short stories. On the way came reviews – books, films. I did not at first know how to write one. Learnt the art from my co-reviewers. Moved on to blogging. Social commentary. Next? I don’t know what it will be. Every form has its typical technique. However, I have this habit of breaking the rules. I broke many. In short, I grew as I tried new modes of expressions. Innovated. Experimented. Evaluated myself. Never did I find any one mode exhilarating. They all were equally exuberant. And let me tell you there’s no stopping. Keep reading. Keep writing.
Last but not the least, the USP of every writer is curiosity. He/she has to be curious about everything under the sun. A writer should be eager to learn. He should be a seeker. Knowledge hunter. Keen observer. And should be amongst the many, i.e., he should mingle with people without being noticeable. The best example of this is when I used to travel by Metro. Most of my short stories germinated during my commute. Snatches of conversation, reading strangers’ body languages, their confrontations, discussions, debates, even mobile conversations gave me ideas which evolved into some humorous, macabre, sad and interesting accounts.
I do not believe one can write segregated from humanity, that is, if one is not writting about spiritual elevation. Writers are part of society. They speak of society. All timeless classics are narratives of people. Their struggle, their deprivation, their rebel, their history, their love, their envy, their wars and sadly their degenerations as well.
So without expanding any further, I invite all writers to evolve as persons in order to write with empathy about mankind because every human endeavour is ultimately a step towards bettering our own selves and overcoming our shortcomings.
Write about a random act of kindness you’ve done for someone.
Kindness cannot be random. Either you, as a person, is kind and moved by other’s sorry plight or you are simply indifferent. It’s actually how much you are aware of your surroundings, how much you are grateful for what you have got in life and how much you are ready to give to others who do not have what you have.
Kindness germinates from empathy and generosity. By doing an act of kindness one should be able to enjoy a deep soul satisfaction and joy. In short, genuine kindness cannot be a calculated move.
A long, long time back, when I had just started working I remember an incident which is etched in my mind and shall remain so throughout my life.
Back from office I had deboarded the bus at the terminal when a torrential downpour greeted me. Tropical rains are blinding and pour like sheets. You are unable to see anything across that curtain of thick stream of water. In no time I was drenched as though I have just gotten out of a pool. The saree clung to the body. It was just impossible to walk when six yard of textile wound round your limbs in a serpentine coil.
I had to take a cycle rickshaw, the only one available, at the bus stand. The driver agreed to take me home to my surprise. From the bus stop to the house was a seven minutes walk. Usually, I strolled back home. It saved a few paisa and I was young so didn’t mind a little bit of physical exercise.
It wasn’t easy for the rickshaw puller to drive as well. Soon his lungi stuck to his legs making it difficult for him to paddle. Again and again he wiped his face with his wet hands so that he could see ahead. Thankfully, the roads were empty. But a seven minutes walk transpired into a fifteen minutes drive. The sky tore down as though it were the last day on planet Earth.
Reaching home it was time to pay. Those time rickshaw drive was the cheapest. I don’t recall the exact fare I paid but I told him to keep the change since he had taken so much pain to drive me down. The poor man was so happy by that small gesture! His face shone. He grinned broadly making it obvious that a few paise meant a lot to him.
I was amazed by his reaction. How could anyone be so happy with a few change? His unalloyed happiness bespoke of his level of contentment. We who earn more want more. Those who earn less are happy with the few benefits that they get occassionally out of turn.
Throughout my life I have seen several examples of such contentedness mostly amongst the so called have nots. I have always suffered from financial insecurity worrying about the future all the time. Those who do not think of saving much even for a red letter day and subsist on daily wages have no worry because they have nothing to lose.
My act of kindness was a lesson for me to be happy with what little I get without asking for it. It’s bonus distributed by God. Surrender and leave the rest to Him.
These are the crucial questions every one of us seek reply to at least once in a lifetime. Biologically, we are human beings. Sociologically, we are social animals. Spiritually, advaitavad or the believers of non duality will say, we are the Supreme Consciousness – ekameva – the Brahman.
At times I am in a fix. If I am just a human being then what propels my body? It cannot just be the brain. If it is, then what motivates the brain to function ? The answer is the life force. But what is the genesis of this life force?
The spiritualist will say your life force is merely a part of the Supreme Consciousness. Realize it. How? Through deep meditation. This Consciousness is beyond your body and mind. It is experiential.
However, till such time we experience the greater consciousness, we can only limit ourselves to the body and adhere to the norms of the society wherein we live.
I have often tried to fathom this mystery when I was small. I would love to gaze at the star filled sky and try to visualize it’s vastness viz- a – viz my miniscule existence. As a child our imagination is not warped by reality. One can stretch our imageries to the wildest realm.
But as an adult our knowledge constricts our imagination. We are servile to our limitations. Our perception of self varies. We oscillate between good and bad. We reconcile with our conscience justifying our actions or inactions by varied logics, At one point I thought I was a product of uncontrollable circumstances. At another I was quite sure I could make my own destiny. With age, wisdom is gained by hindsight. As I look back the story of life appears to be written by invisible hands. Everything is preordained. Engineered by a power unknown.
I am just a product of my thoughts and experiences. There are times when I am not aware of my own capabilities. I am filled with doubt. And when I survive the test of time I am astonished at my own tenacity. How did I do this? How did I do that?
Human persona is a mystery. There are times when I feel within this structure of flesh and bones reside a number of identities. One who is the doer. The other is the thinker which makes the doer work. Simultaneously, there is the observer who spectates the thinker and the doer. Finally, there is the doubter who is unsure whether what is being done is correct or not. The doubter is the destroyer. The doer is the engineer. The thinker is the creator. A conglomerate of all these taskers is I the Ego which inflates, which deflates and which ultimately surrenders to become one with the whole of which it is a part.
I am a particle of that absolute. That absolute in its particulate form resides within me. Then can’t I with conviction proclaim I am the absolute yet modestly acknowledged I am nothing without the absolute? If my I is my identifier, I am. If I borrow my identity from a greater being I am nothing.
So let me introduce myself : I am what I perceive I am. The consciousness of my isness endows me substance. I am the manifestation of the enormity of existence. Within me is the world. Without me there is nothing. I am that piece without which the puzzle is incomplete. But being the part I am also the puzzle. Unravel me.
