Who Am I?

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These days I have a lot of time for myself. This gives me a lot of time to think about things which I never really focus or give much importance. So all of a sudden, I was thinking about, People.

People, all around us, are all different. Everyone is as unique as everyone else. This is perhaps an advantage as well as a disadvantage. Advantage because, everyone is unique and you don’t find too many people who are similar. You have the opportunity to come across different kinds of people. Who wants to turn around and look at people who behave in a similar way? And, disadvantage too because you never know how to deal with all of them. I mean, it is not something you can generalize. There are no set rules you can follow because every person you come across is an exception, in a very different way.

Sunset!

What was initially a boring day, turned out to be interesting when I decided to get some fresh air and walked up to the terrace. And this is what  I got to see.

55 Fiction Challenge - A Dream Come True?

(Thank you Twitter, for helping me express myself in just a few words )

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I was given a standing ovation,

Just as the Award was being presented.

 My dream had come true. 

My parents stood there, beaming .

I was finally recognized and appreciated for my work. 

They asked me to speak. 

Just as I started speaking, My Mom said,

 “Ash, Stop talking and Sleep”. 

Just a dream?

 "No way!"

Of Abstract Thoughts And Concrete Words

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After frantically searching for my phone for almost five minutes,

“Ma, where is my phone”

“I don’t know. Where did you keep it?”

“ I was talking with Swathi and I was sitting in the Verandah on the swing...”

“Check  if you’ve left it there”

 After 30 seconds

"Yes. It’s there. Thank you Ma  :-)“

I have this habit (my sister says it’s an annoying habit) of walking to my sister, asking her a question(a doubt) and even before she could open her mouth to respond, I myself would have answered the question and I would tell her thanks and walk away. Something similar to this.

“Akka, I have a doubt”

She clears her desk and makes some space for my book .

“Tell me.”

“In this comprehension,  the central idea according to me is option A, but the answer is given as option C”

“What is it about?”

“Well, I feel it is A because of ....(I justify why I chose Option A)

If it has to be Option C may be its because.....(And I proceed to think from the Author’s point of view)

Which is why, Now I feel Option C has to be right. Thank you Akka :-) “

“Get Out”

At The Crossroads of Life!

(P.S. When my Mom read this post, She felt really bad that I was in such a confused state. That is when I clarified that, I was in a similar situation, Though not to the extent portrayed here. This was just to show how one would feel, standing at the crossroads of life, And I've written this in the first person, to give it a more personal feel. And for all those wonderful people who assured me that the best would happen, Thank you so much , It means a lot! )

( For the past few days I'd been thinking of what I would be doing in the future. That is when I came across this wonderful quote. "When you need to make a decision, toss a coin. That way, you would know what your heart hopes for, when the coin is in the air". Wish our decisions were as simple as that! )

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My mind keeps wandering.

I’m not sure which direction to take.

Should I just go with the flow?

Or set a path for myself?

Should I take the Road Less Travelled,

Or look for something secure?

Should I let things happens the way they would,

Or define the way things should happen?

'Sorry' and 'Thank You'

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A friend of mine never forgets to boast of his extensive vocabulary.  He used to say, if words were money, He would be a millionaire. But I would call him poor, since, despite having a good vocabulary, he would never use the words ‘Sorry’ and ‘Thank you’.

Friendship and the definitions of friendship have evolved with time. .

Some of my friends remark that I sometimes behave very formal when I’m with them. And they come to that conclusion because I keep saying ‘Sorry’ and ‘Thank You’. I tell them that I value my friendship and I take care to see to it that I don’t take anything for granted at any point and I’m just making it known to them as well. I take extra care even in small things because I want to make sure I’m not hurting anyone inadvertently. Since its always small things done in haste that makes a lot of difference and leads to a lot of misunderstandings. I’d rather be cautious than to be at loggerheads for some trivial, insignificant stuff. That extra bit of caution they say is formal, I’m Sorry. I can’t help it.

When Our Passion Needs A Break!

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It’s been more than a week since I updated my blog.10 days in fact. Somehow I couldn’t think of anything to write for the first few days. Even after I made a note of a few ideas I somehow couldn’t get myself to sit and write it down in detail. I realized it would be wise to abandon the attempt, rather than force myself to write something just for the sake of it.

Just when I was thinking of this, a thought struck me. I write because I like to. That is why I started a blog and I continue to write about things which catch my attention and which make me think. My blog is a collection of my thoughts and not just a place where I vent out my thoughts against the society. All said and done, I chose to write and I can write whenever, wherever and whatever I want to. It’s entirely my call. There is no compulsion. So when I don’t feel like writing I have all the liberty to just stay away from it.

Longing For Company!

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Man is a social animal. Yes. And that is perhaps one reason God gave us more than one effective way to communicate and stay in touch with those whom we want to.(Oh come on, there is no point in staying in close contact with those whom we are not bothered about, except perhaps to keep a tab on them, just to eliminate the element of surprise). Right from our childhood days, we are taught the importance of socializing and the impact of the bonds of friendship and affection in our life. We may like a few people because we have so much in common. We may like a few others because they’re completely different from the way we are. There is no specific reason regarding why we should or shouldn’t like someone.

Celebrations!

It’s time for my share of Sugarcane, Melagu vada , Paniyaaram and Chakra Pongal. These days whenever I think of festivals, the first thing that pops in my mind is the sweets and savories that are made for the special day. Mom doesn’t make the same sweet for all festivals. If it’s Pongal, you have the Paniyaaram and Melgau vada. If its Diwali you have Ladoo, Gulab Jamoon, Coconut Burfi. For New Year she makes this special kind of Halwa, which just melts in the mouth. Yummy!

More than the spirit of celebrating the festival, what makes me feel excited is, celebrating the spirit of being together, having fun and spending time with our dear ones. It gives us a break from our monotonous routine and gives us the gift of time, to sit and relax and have a casual chat with our family.I remember what my Grandpa used to say about his childhood memories of these festivals. I used to listen to his stories on how he used to celebrate it with his siblings and cousins and how being in a joint family, they were able to mingle well with all their cousins, aunts and uncles and it was obvious that their bonding was really close. The games that were played, the movies that were watched, The huge terrace and the compound wall where they all played, were all close to their heart, for everything second was a moment to treasure.

How Not To Lose Your Temper!

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My sister and I were very mischievous when we were kids. Being the younger of the two, people would take it for granted that I was the more notorious one ( which Swathi would repeatedly insist), without giving me a chance to explain. So I accepted things the way they were and just lived up to the expectations of others(being the notorious one, that is ).

My sister and I did the weirdest of things and however smart we were in pretending, Mom would invariably find out what we were up to in her absence and she would scold us. 90% of the times I never used to listen to her gyan. It so happened that, once when mom was in the middle of scolding us, I caught my sister's eye and we both started laughing like idiots. Mom was in a fit of rage,but the next minute, to our surprise, she joined us in laughing. Funny how one second can completely change the way you feel.