Rotate the Picture or Stop Looking

Every day we search for answers to a wide range of questions. Some are trivial, such as the location of a pair of keys or glasses, or the solution to a puzzle in the newspaper. Others are harder to answer, for example, “Where is my life going?” and “Am I doing something worthwhile with my life? In my case, it is “What do I blog about?” We go through lot of trouble looking for these answers - we rummage through drawers and cupboards, chew our pencils while we think of solutions, and for the questions about life we seek spiritual guidance or talk to a friend or family member. We don’t cease seeking for the answer, which often works wonders. Even if we don’t find the answer, we might come closer to the answer.

What only a few people will tell you, is that sometimes the best way to get an answer is to stop looking for it. Have you ever turned your drawer upside down to find a bracelet, only to find it unexpectedly in your cupboard a few months later when you were looking for something else all together! Whenever I’m baffled by the complexity of a Sudoku, I’ve found that after taking a break I’ve managed to progress a good deal in the puzzle. The puzzle doesn’t change, the only difference lies in what my eyes and brain processed. The answers to some of the deep questions in life too are often simple. Say you are in a pessimistic mood and wondering if there is any real happiness in the world at all, all that you will see is sadness around you. However, when you are in a slightly better mood and sitting in a park, you will see that the children playing are happy and not afraid of expressing it. Maybe you weren’t consciously thinking about the question, but there is your answer! If only we had the luxury of not looking during exams or emergencies!

Another way of obtaining an answer is to rotate the picture, or think in a different direction. When you have misplaced a key, you look in the usual places more than once. You behave like Sherlock Holmes on a case and look in the usual places with a magnifying glass. The key is probably in the pocket of your jeans, which are hanging on a hook in the bathroom. You look everywhere but the bathroom, but the moment you think of your jeans you might remember that you kept it there when you were in a tearing hurry. I have never been a math wizard and am probably the last person to tell you how to solve math problems. But I have noticed that often the solutions to tricky problems are often simple; they only require you to think differently. Ever wondered why retail therapy doesn’t help you find true happiness? That is because you are looking in the wrong place! If you change your perception, you might find that true happiness and peace is found in simple things like listening to music, for instance.

While we may not always have the time to wait for the answer to pop in our head, we can learn to pause and take a deep breath whenever we can. The idea may be impractical, but it is is effective. The pressure of finding the answer can cloud our perception and the ability to think clearly, with results that can be disastrous. It is no surprise we often hear parents and friends advising us to write exams with a calm mind, without any anxiety. Next time you are tearing your hair over a math problem, close your book, shut your eyes and attempt it after a few minutes. Whether you stop looking or rotate the picture, the secret is to look at the question with a fresh pair of eyes.

And after three months of laziness, I did finally find my answer to the question “What do I blog about?” The result is in front of your eyes. Did I rotate the picture or stop looking?

Perhaps it was a little of both!

The Witch's Victory

Note: I wrote this for my english assignment. I combined the concepts of reverse fairytale and death. 

Once upon a time there was a kingdom called Life. It was a special place and no one ever exited the world. Seven generations of people coexisted in peace and harmony. The elderly did not face the usual ailments of old age, and sickness was unheard of. If someone was injured by accident, they would be nursed back to health.

This serenity lasted for a long time, until an immortal witch called Kera visited this tranquil kingdom. She was baffled by the fact that there was no violence. She was jealous, and this jealousy led her to curse Life. Soon, violence and conflicts became a part of people’s daily routine. More often than not, the violence was fatal. There was no punishment for the murderers. The only silver lining was the nursing provided to the aged and the sick. Kera smiled as she watched this. The smile lingered for years, until Death came along.

Death was a young boy who wanted murderers to have a taste of their own medicine. So, he killed every culprit he could lay his hands on. The violence in the kingdom did not disappear, but simmered. Kera was furious as Death had foiled her plans. She wanted revenge, so she decided to kill Death’s mother.

Death was angry and sad after his mother’s death. He was never the same person again. He became a demon, and decided to take away people’s loved ones from them. Even today, Death takes away several people from this world, innocent or guilty.

Kera smiled and laughed. After all, she was victorious. 

Valentine's Day: Is it truly special?

What is pink, sugar-coated and covered with icing? No, it is not a cupcake I am referring to. I'm referring to Valentine's Day. There is nothing wrong about celebrating love. In fact it is a good thing if couples make time for each other. Also, if a relationship has been through testing times, then a day like this can act as a healer.

But, does it imply that the celebration must be done only by gifting each other generic, fluffy greeting cards and gifts? If the day is meant to be special, then why not gift each other something personalized, which has significance to your relationship only. I'm sure simple greeting cards still do the trick. To me, the hype is unnecessary. Perhaps its because I have this aversion to looking at life through a glossy, rose coloured film that I am not a big fan of this day.

Another concept that puzzles me is celebrating your relationship on a day lakhs and crores of people are celebrating theirs' too. To me, the concept of "special day" is lost when the whole world  (literally) is rejoicing. Doesn't a day that has significance to the two people matter much more than a date which has significance to everyone?

Well, I think nothing stop the greeting card companies from working their magic every year. Particularly on the minds of teenagers.

To those who aren't celebrating this year, I don't think you are missing out on anything. To those who are, I hope you have a great time!

Silence the bird and wipe the wall?

Thanks to Mr.Kapil Sibal, India has recommenced talking about the freedom of speech again, this time with respect to social networking sites. Monitoring content on social networking sites is something that no one is going to be happy about. However, this affects only the netizens. Infact, in India if you have access to social networking sites, you should consider yourself lucky. One can say that we have 25 million Facebook users. But, our country is home to 1.2 billion people. In a country where illiteracy, corruption and domestic violence are rampant, I think we need to be realistic and prioritize our problems. I don't intend to support the government, but I think we need to calm down and weigh the pros and cons.

Facebook has a breed of people who love and take pride in airing their opinions on anything and everything. There are thousands who have the ability to give constructive criticism. But there is also a section who can do nothing but curse and sling mud. If controlling content will lead to removal of this pile of garbage, I for one will be glad. I am not exactly in favour of saying whatever you like just because its a social networking site. Misuse of the right of speech is dangerous. If you use this right to make derogatory statements, then it is abuse, and not use. Don't we hate it when politicians abuse their powers?

Now that we have looked at the positive, lets not ignore the negative. The Government has woken up to the fact that social media is a strong medium, and this a place which brings people together without barriers. It is a  brutal weapon they don't know how to shield themselves from. They are aware of the strength of social networking sites, and are frightened. Also, when you talk about filtering the content, what extent will the government go to? Tackling with this issue will be like walking on a minefield - you need to be extremely careful. The Government could also delete content where the author has disagreed with an issue without using derogatory or inflammatory statements. That would be unfair and regressive, as we all have the right to provide valid feedback and voice our opinions.

I'm neither in favour nor against this issue. However, I do think we need to breathe, think and be practical before protesting. Lets remove the blinkers and see the larger picture. It may be ugly, it may be pretty. But if you can see the entire picture and not just the splotchy parts, wouldn't that be fair and just?

Me and My Several Shades

The sky was dark purple and crystal clear. It was so clear, that I could pursue my favourite hobby of spotting constellations. Of course, I spotted Orion in a flash. The grass felt like velvet to my bare feet. A million fireflies flew around the enormous meadow. Wait, they were not fireflies! They were fairies the size of Thumbelina. A hundred of them carried a silver plate, which contained the largest chocolate cake I'd ever seen. But, before I could devour it, I read the blood red icing on it. It said: Devil's Food. Eat at your own risk.

Take one look at certain roads of Bangalore, and you''ll see that the the city has been hit by an infestation of litter-bugs! Commercial Street is one of the areas most affected by this infestation. Not only does it ruin the aesthetics and our health, but also adversely affects animals. It is heart breaking to see cows feed on the garbage left by ignorant citizens. Bangalore isn't called the Garden City for no reason. However, our carelessness is our own demon, and no one is going to help us apart from we ourselves. A plus point is that you don't have to be an environmentalist to stop littering(and stop others from doing so). Mother Nature will truly appreciate these little significant acts which show that we care for her.

With flour covered fingers I placed the tray of cookies in the oven. Next to me, he was chopping vegetables to make cutlets. We were cooking a special diner to celebrate five years of our blissful relationship. Yes, five years is a long time by today's standards and we baffle people. Some skeptics say that one day this will end. Well, what I can say is that our souls are too connected, and "The End" is not going to happen anytime soon. I think that we all share a soul connection with friends and lovers. It is these special people who always give you a shoulder to cry on, even when they themselves need one. I would probably lose my sanity without them.

My friend dragged me into a gift shop as she wanted to buy a gift for another friend. However, she took me into a shop where everything is sprayed with pink, red and white. Corny dialogues yell at you from almost every card. Where is the originality in anything? The most hideous designs are the ones with red roses against a black background. Gifts need to be personal, not cheesy. This shop is the last place I come to while shopping for a friend's birthday gift. And yes, I am fortunate to be single.

The above paragraphs were a glimpse into the various shades of my nature. Like any other human being, my nature is not something you can describe in one word. I have different shades - red, blue, black, white, selfish, selfless, hardworking, lazy, neurotic, balanced...the list goes on (or maybe not?). Every one of us is a unique amalgamation of numerous hues and shades. And no, it is not because God does not repeat the same mistake twice.

The Hidden Beauty

As an adolescent teenager, I'm as concerned as the next girl about my physical appearance. I'm not anorexic, but rejoice when I'm able to fit into the clothes of my choice at a store. I appreciate it when someone notices my haircut. I like it when I look good in a photograph.Yes, I believe in being presentable. However, my self-esteem is not centered on my physical appearance.

I know that when someone calls you pretty it gives you a nice warm feeling inside. But, would I want to be a just a pretty face? Absolutely not. When I walk down a corridor, I'd rather people say "she's got talent" instead of "she's pretty". Its important that people look at the real you, who's beauty surpasses your exterior beauty. Give people a glimpse at the least, of your soul. External beauty, after all, is only temporary.

Treat others the same way too! Don't judge people by what they wear or their weight. Look past the eyeliner and kilos, and understand their soul. When you meet someone after a long time, say "I remember the last time we met" instead of "You've lost weight." Respect plain looking people with character and talent, and not pretty faces with shallow personalities.

Don't punish your body by starving yourself. Any book on nutrition will tell you that its important to have ALL three meals (breakfast being the most important). If someone thinks your not good enough just because you don't wear Gucci, they aren't worth pleasing anyway. Be true to yourself, because the person who makes you feel most miserable is you, and you only. True happiness is when you wear a pink t-shirt with fluorescent tights and feel good, because it represents you.

So, dig into that chocolate cake and ignore that pimple. Look into the mirror, and observe not the lip gloss but the person who lies behind those eyes. Take care of her and I can assure you, she'll make you ecstatic!

The Paintbrush

Twenty-two year old Gretel was enjoying a nice sunny morning at her art studio. The smell of paint, the easel, the canvas...everything gave her a sense of peace. She liked nothing better than to express herself on the canvas. Painting was her forte, and she had a variety of brushes. However, there was this one brush she never used. It looked like an ordinary brush, but had the words "Once in a lifetime" engraved on the red handle. Her mother had gifted it to her saying that it would be of use to her someday, but not to use it for her painting.

This morning, that particular brush was emitting a faint red light. it was vibrating, and Gretel was speechless. Magic exists only in books, she reminded herself. I must be hallucinating, she thought. But the brush had plans of it own. It rose a foot above the table, and flew with great speed to the large blank wall of the studio. Gretel was frightened, but being the curious cat she was, walked towards the brush. After two minutes, the brush painted a few words on the wall: You wont get to use me again. Just close your eyes and paint on the wall. Paint will not be required.

Gretel, who was intrigued, did as she was told. She painted over the wall, and realized that the place she pictured in her mind had been recreated on the wall! It was beautiful and reflected her happy and excited mood. She placed her hand on the wall and realized that her hand went through the wall. In a moment of bravery, she tried walking through the wall, and was successful. She entered a world she had created, and was in further control of.

She called the place "Canvas" and moulded it to her imagination. It was a simple small town with simple people. She could control the weather too, unconsciously and consciously. The weather represented her mood. When she was happy it was sunny, and when she was depressed it would be stormy. Her house was a quaint cottage, and she lived there with Bryan, a boy she had created and fell in love with.

5 years had passed in contentment when one day Canvas started crumbling. It resembled the effects of an earthquake, but there were no tremors. Gretel attempted rescuing the people but she couldn't. She has lived in this ideal world for too long, and watched it all disappear. She had no idea of the way back to the real world. Her legs, heart and mind had frozen. All she could do is cry and mourn...

Gretel's cellphone rang. She woke up, startled and spoke to her friend Alice. It was 10 in the morning, and she had fallen asleep on the couch at her studio. After she spoke to Alice she tried recalling the dream she just had. It was one of the best she'd had in a long time, and perhaps she would paint her faint memories of it. It had provided her a muse for the day. She told herself that magic exists only in books, and tried not getting carried away by the dream.

Gretel walked out her studio to go her house which was on the floor below. Just as she walked out, a paintbrush in her studio began glowing with a faint red light...