Painting-Poesy #4

When someone makes mistakes

And is apologetic and daily self flagellates,

Refusing to move on,

Pacifying, cajoling, remonstrating begins to weigh upon.

Walking away is an option

But then the someone will cling further to the notion

That a mistake made is still unforgiven

The payment for it will last across this generation! 

Guilt is a cover that can shroud

Not just the repentant but those around.

Not that one should not feel sorry

But one mistake cannot be one's only misery! 

As we grow we make many

We learn, we repent, we forgive, we forge towards glory,

But if we wallow, stay rooted in the past,

Those loved ones around may not last.

Children are whom I look to for life lessons

So many mistakes, some tears, some smiles and all is forgiven.

While mistakes are at times repeated, progress is constant,

Each milestone is greeted by children exultant.

Look forward, not back,

Stop apologising, give back,

Mistakes do not define one

Efforts to improve make life fun.

#Guilt #Counselling #LearningFromMistakes #Forgiveness #SelfLove #BeingHuman

- Written on 16 June 2019 and Created on 6 April 2019.

- Posted on Instagram and Facebook. 

- Self-explanatory.

Painting-Poesy #3

Today, a slightly emotionally tough day, 

The first choice was always the dark side of the palatte. 

The conscious effort to choose lighter shades

Does not mean that sorrow fades,

But the end result indicates

There is light that might yet hold sway. 

In the darkest hours, the silver lining

Is not the cloud's rim, but faith in our hearts shining.

May like free birds we all fly high,

May like nature's bounty we all give joy. 

After every summer there is rain

After every winter, spring's upon us again. 

No cycle has no downside, 

No sorrow has no upside.

A friend's post reminded me of Bel Kaufman, 

"Up the Down Staircase" peppered with many a gem.

Another had earlier sent me delightful Ted Chiang's Arrival,

A third had just called to talk things trivial,

Each a signpost reminding me

Life is not all gloom and misery.

Chin up, cheer is near,

Just welcome it when you its arrival hear. :)

#Painting #Writing #Catharsis

- Written and Created on 15 June 2019.

- Posted on Instagram and Facebook. 

- Self-explanatory. 

Painting-Poesy #2

When I know I should have been working

Instead was procrastinating,

Just one more stroke, one more colour,

Just let me get this idea down on paper,

My notebook is filled with many a (false) pearl

Oystered in procrastination's shell,

My cellphone is testament to checklists

Unmarked, undone with few clicks,

Yet I procrastinate, hoping in vain,

This next one will satisfy a (non) artist's pain,

And strangely, while no beauties emerge,

My soul is at peace, as work yet again I purge.

#Procrastination #AnyExcuseWillDo #Escape #Art #PretendArtist

- Written and Created on 11 June 2019.

- Posted on Instagram and Facebook. 

- Self-explanatory. 

Painting-Poesy #1

Experiments make us stretch, feel woke, 

Just the tiniest change in the brush stroke,

Just a change in the palatte colours,

Just the idea, the thought, uncovers

New vistas, entire universes, within ourselves,

Perhaps within us reside some mischievous, magical 

elves.

#Painting #DigitalArt #Experiments #Art

- Written and Created on 7 June 2019.

- Posted on Instagram and Facebook. 

- Self-explanatory. 

Conversations in a Cab Ride :)

अच्छे तो बहुत लोग लगते हैं, इसका यह मतलब थोड़ी निकला कि जाके सबसे शादी कर लो।

(One may like many people, but it does not mean one gets married to them all). 

On my way home, stuck in quite a bit of traffic, after a haranguing time in a mini accident (no fault of my Uber driver), I heard this piece of wisdom dropped in the midst of my Uber driver, Azad, recounting his life story including a marriage he was emotionally blackmailed into by his parents when he was just 17 and his wife 16. The fact that this 8th school drop out is proud of his brothers having been able to continue with their studies, one to become an ethical hacker with a Computer Applications degree and another a pharmacist, proud that his wife is 12th pass, and was able to articulate the need for improved Govt schools in his home town area and link the education to quality of life, to self respect, to self evolution and to the job market showed how much he valued education even as he saw no way to get back into the game in the near future. The fact that he could respect his wife and admit that he would not have been the person she had chosen were she to have her opinion asked just as he would not have chosen her though she is a very nice person touched me.

As I told him at the end of the ride, his story is not a happy ending story and he laughed and agreed that it also was not a sad ending story and stated perhaps it is the average middle of the road story, I thought to myself about the many ways we talk of education that do not really take into account these realities of life.

He spoke of reservation in India, of govt schooling systems, of how the fall of the Babri Masjid intimately affected his family and how they had to move away from his hometown to protect themselves with the anti-Muslim sentiment prevalent in their area then, of how health care is not as effective still and so on.

Important topics all. A personalised yet nuanced understanding of the contexts he was speaking about, an ability to counter my arguments with his own examples without putting me down - all struck me, but the lines he said at the fag end of the ride somehow are the ones that resonated with me. Those and his intention to never force his little girl to ever go through a marriage that she had not wholeheartedly desired.

"सही marriage, madamji, वही होता है जहाँ आपस में समझ हो - husband अपनी Mrs ko समझे और wife अपने husband को। तभी सही बुरे वक्त में शादी टिकती है, वरना दो लोग जिंदगी में साथ चलते हैं, साथ रहते हैं पर वो शादी शादी नहीं होती"

(A true marriage is one in which there is mutual understanding - a husband understands his wife and she her husband. That is when the marriage stands the test of hard times, otherwise two people are just walking, living together, but it is not a marriage.) 

I really liked how he described schooling and what he thought of schools and language mediums and the reasons for poor literacy rate among Muslims in India. I did not agree with all his points, but that does not make his views invalid. Actually they become more interesting. Will need to research a bit more though on some of the points he raised. Maybe another post. 

 #cabrides #lifelessonsinconversations :)

- Written on 31 May 2019.

- Posted on  Facebook. 

- Self Explanatory. 

Election Results - 2019

D-Day looms and it feels my country

Is still itself sculpting

In the midst of identity politics, finding its own identity,

In the midst of chaos, developing, organising,

Somehow the flag flying proud and high in the university,

Made me realise anew my faith that no matter what, India will continue to be.

To be the hope for millions to rise to prosperity,

To be the beacon for millions to celebrate diversity,

To be the light for millions for peace and unity,

Even the fights are a celebration of variety.

Yes, I believe India will continue to be.

An idea, a faith, a dream, a reality.  

- Written on 22 May 2019. 

- Posted on Facebook. 

- Election results were to be announced 23 May 2019.

Happy Woman's Day - 2019

Women be strong,

Listen not to litanies wrong.

Obedience is not always a virtue

It is not selfishness to be to YOUR SELF true.

Walk towards what you want

And your talents do flaunt.

Fight for yourself not just others

Relax, kick back, why always be multitaskers? 

First give to yourself, believe you deserve,

The world needs YOU, not a martyr. 

You exist, you are precious. 

Celebrate not just today, but every moment, every year as felicitious. 

Happy Women's Day, today and every day. 

To everyone, because we need Gender Equality, not just a special day party :)

- Written on 8 March 2019.

- Posted first on Facebook. 

- Self-explanatory. 

That's so Foolish! - Out of the Mouth of Kids

That's so Foolish! - Out of the Mouth of Kids

Yesterday, as I was talking to my Uber driver finding his way to my location, I was also reading a poster, when I felt a tug on my dress. I looked down and this young kid (about 6 years of age) spoke to me:

Child: Are you calling them?

She was pointing to the poster and with no pause for breath, even as I began to shake my head and say no, continued.

Child: Because that is so foolish! They are just right inside. (Ponting to a building).

As she paused, looking at me with mild exasperation at my foolishness, I meekly submitted that I had been talking to my Uber driver.

She nodded her head wisely and proceeded to ask if I liked exercising (I had been looking at a Gym poster, outside a gymkhana at that, after all 😉). I shook my head and said I preferred sleeping and asked her what she liked to do.

We had a fascinating conversation jumping from topic to topic as she waited for her parents to pick her up and her friends had their own conversations around us with other parents milling about. As the 10 minutes passed in a jiffy, I also had a parallel track running in my head as the dusk light faded and the dim street lights slowly turned on.

Should I tell her to not talk to strangers so easily? Should I warn her to not separate so far from her friends? Should I question the other adults not seeming to notice that the little girl had wandered to me near enough to raise an alarm should it be needed, yet not really secure from nefarious intentions should I have them?

Yet was it fair to instill this fear in the child? I think she enjoyed our conversation as she questioned me on my likes and occupation and sermonised me about how I should deal with my students. I certainly did enjoy our conversation. Should I deprive myself and others like me the joys of having a child talk to them because the world can be a cruel place? Or should we as adults just be more vigilant and create more safe spaces? Even when it seems impossible to do so?

I have been pondering about this since then and I do not know the answer to this. Surely a child should feel safe to approach a stranger to share her delightful wisdom? But is it not better to be safe than sorry?

As my Uber driver and her parents arrived, I walked away exchanging pleasantries with the parents. I could hear them jokingly, lightly asking her why she was bent on walking away from friends and talking to a stranger and her vehemently defending her decision as a helpful one. She also argued that poor me had no one but a phone to talk to and I might have been foolishly talking into the phone to enquire about details than walk into the gymkhana. 😉

I am still thinking was I right to bite my tongue and not caution her? We often talk of children learning better through exploration, seeking information by themselves, helping others in an effort to understand the unknown. How then can we deny them spontaneous interactions with strangers that they architect themselves? And yet...

- Written on 9 Feb 2019.

- Posted on Facebook first. This is just for repository purposes :) 

- Self Explanatory.