Tough times never last, but tough people do!

Image courtesy: Google images

For quite a while now, the quote above has been one of my favorites. I also believe no matter how much anyone motivates or inspires; a strong will power, within us, is all it takes to see through the tough times. We either emerge stronger through times or starve for positive vibes at the end of it.

This is all about how we perceive isolation during these challenging times. If we allow the situation, which is certainly not under our control, to mount pressure, it would definitely oblige. Being an Introvert might serve as an advantage to sustain these lonely times? I don’t have an answer to it, yet. I hope we all emerge tougher than the situation!

Alas, social media has been playing its character with sheer elegance. Good for the ones who aren’t its slaves and for those who lack maturity in apprehension, it comprehends to be the devil. And, as always, I am only wandering my thoughts here.

I have been thinking about how to stay positive all this while and thought of penning it down. At the halfway mark already of what seems to be a three-week lockdown, like many across the world, I also hope it doesn’t extend. Am I all prepared to face an extension? Are you? Here are some tips, let me call them cool tips, to keep at the back of your mind. If you may (smiling)

Maintain the Decorum: I would rather just call it status quo:

For all those hard workers, including me (chuckling), it would help a great deal to maintain a decorum of time. The fact that we don’t have to rush to office shouldn’t stop you from waking up at the same time, getting dressed, wear that favorite fragrance and wave a goodbye to your family or that tiny pet or the neatly carved door of your home and get into the corner of a room or dining table or press table, which is now infamously, termed as “office, desk or workplace”.

It also reminds us to wrap work on time and spend time with family (some of you who already had enough of family time, please continue swearing at me) or for yourself. As one of my friends said this is the right time to read history and learn basic economics. I would take his word, anytime soon. (I am too good at procrastinating)

No standing desk, no problem

Don’t be a Junkie:

The most difficult part, being a foodie, is to tell others not to eat junk food. I am constantly staring at the red & blue shiny pack of chips comfortably placed at the food corner across the living room. My eyes are zooming and panning, like the director of a movie got the best location for his shoot.  Eagerly waiting to gulp it all but restraining myself just to tell all of you ladies and gentlemen to avoid eating junk food while you are at work.

 Image summary: Avoid eating junk food while at work (laughs)

Stay healthy, think better:

The campus where is I work, err where I used to work before converting my home as office, would see massive movement of people three times a day and one of it was during lunch. One thing common between most of them is they believed in an old saying Walk a mile after lunch.

Now that we are deprived to live that saying, find a way to stay healthy and fit. Use terraces or balcony to stretch, smash a shuttle in the corridor, jump or jog in your room. Remember, where there is a will there’s a way. And yeah, that old saying is Rest a while after lunch, walk a mile after supper. Please don’t indulge yourself. (laughing)

Now that I have your attention, let me introduce my blog to first-timers here. Thank you! I would really appreciate it if you could look at some of my other blog posts as well. I would really want to get back to writing. My sincere apologies to my ardent readers. Welcome back! I hope not to disappoint you, this time. Wait, I am not done writing this post.

Also, it is very important to keep the cycle of society alive. Provided an opportunity, please check upon your service providers like barbers, laundry guys, the guy from whom you regularly bought re-fresheners (air contaminators), people who helped you look the best, the beauticians – they are all running out of business, temporarily. Let us all pledge to be kind and generous to them.

Every night before I sleep, I just hope to wake up reading a piece of news that all this was a scary prank pulled by lawmakers to prevent the abuse of Earth. I imagine to be angry but eventually forgive them that it is over. I hope some of you agree.

Come April 15^th or the date lawmakers decide it is safe to get back to normal, let us be prepared to be gentle with nature. Haven’t we abused it beyond the capacity, already? As one of my friends’ P’s Insta story says as we hurry to get back to normal life, take this time to consider which normalcy is worth hurrying back to?

Image courtesy: Google images

Let us all be those tough people who last through these tough times! Thanks for reading! Stay safe, everyone.

Magic Mirror, on the wall

Googled picture

As J walked in to the fitness center, stood in-front of the life size mirror, started grooming his hair and said ‘machi*, I will join you from Monday. My tummy seems to be growing evidently’. I must tell you, J is one of the physically fit and sportive guys around. *Tamil word meaning brother in law. Slang for friend, colleague, etc.

I am sure you would agree when I say all human beings love themselves more than anyone or anything else. I wouldn’t deny or get into an argument, rather agree that there are countless selfless people around.

However, most of us wouldn’t resist or miss any chance of peeping into the mirror and feel happy about how we look. Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard rightly quoted Don’t forget to love yourself.

A few people spend long hours grooming. And few, only a glimpse. Let me not bring up the topic of beautiful ladies’ penchant towards the mirror.

Photo credit: Sushanth Kondi

Be it a mirror hung on the wall or a glass pane on a building or a shiny reflective surface or a steel plate while waiting for food or a tinted window of a car, everything turns out to be our mirror for a glance.

Many Indian Bollywood/ Tollywood/ Sandalwood etc. movies have a scene where the protagonist will try to groom his hair looking at the tinted window pane of a car while the leading lady or a villain brings it down.

Waiting for the 48 second signal to turn green, I noticed a jovial couple on a motorcycle ahead. Fresh in their looks, talking casually, the boy turned towards his right and started to check out himself at the car standing next to them. The girl seated behind, teasingly said, oye hero, mast lag rahe ho (you are looking good). She then held his chin and turned his face forward.

I really appreciated the gentleness of the person in the car. Noticing the happy couple, slightly moved his car behind a couple of feet to align the mirror, I mean the window, in line with the hero (bike rider). Noticing this gentle gesture, he returned the favor with a smile. Gentle!

This is a series of gentle gestures I observe. Read my earlier posts in this series here: Part one, Part two, Part three, Part four. It would be a pleasure if you could read all my posts. Thank you!

Hey, Baby!

It's been quite a long time since I wrote my last post and on a comeback note, I wouldn't want to write a movie review, if you were assuming this to be one after reading the title.  

You could blame it to the rusty feel to my writing skills due to prolonged absence from the blogging world or the subject I am about to write here for the lame title. 

Happiness had no bounds for us, the happily married couple, and the families on both sides. With abundant hopes and excited feelings, we were expecting our first child into this world. It was only a few weeks ago that we both saw the wonderful images of the baby in the fetal monitor. Doctor was so happy in showing us the face, the limbs and other parts of the baby and explaining how healthy it was.

Photo credit: Google images

And last week, it was one of those regular visits to the doctor, this time on the beginning of her third and final trimester of her pregnancy. My wife was with the doctor and as usual, I was waiting in the dorm. A chill went down my spine as I was beckoned inside the scanning room, very unusual from the regular visits. I sensed something wrong. 

Much to my distress, the shocked doctor pointed out my attention towards the fetal monitor and went on to explicate the fetal demise of our baby in the womb. My wife grasped my hand tight, tears rolled out. The silence was so deafening at that very moment. It appeared like the world had come to an end, rudely.

I wouldn’t want to elaborate this post further and I think I can’t, even if I wished to. On this Mother’s day, I dedicate this post to my dear wife who has been through the toughest of the times and enduring the hardest of the pains.

Happy mother’s day to all the mothers in the world!

13th May 2015: Update: removed one image on a dear friend's request.