Technology has aided our lives that now it cannot be lived without. Specifically the social networking sites have made the world smaller and people closer – this has become the definition of these sites. Now we can connect to any number of people sitting anywhere in the world. All this is quite true, but there is a huge drawback to this rosy scene.
It is the human touch the people have started living without, getting completely dependent on the technology. Some of the people have gotten so engrossed in the virtual world, they have forgotten how to communicate with real persons. These people literally live in the virtual world. They are utterly active on the social networking scenario, they provide updates of their every moment to their so called millions of friends over the internet, they talk, they smile, they even celebrate in that world. But when it comes to talking to the people who live with them, are part of their lives, they are reclusive. It needs efforts to pull them out and yet there is an itching they have to return to the virtual world.
In that alternative world, people portray themselves the way they wish to be, they try to show themselves as a happening and interesting person so that other people come to recognize them and acknowledge them. But the reality might be completely different. The problem for the normal people is to get attached to them and vice versa.
The virtual touch cannot replace the actual human connection of a relationship. Talking on the phone even is better than just commenting on each other’s status. The attachment and alliance of a relationship is with actual people and not their dummy virtual counterparts.
Monday, 6 September 2010
Thursday, 26 August 2010
A Walk in the Woods
A few days back, I dreamt a beautiful dream. There were a lot of reasons why it was beautiful. But the scenic exotic nature does not play a main part in that description, but the divine feeling it gave.
There was a narrow muddy path surrounded by the lush green trees. The woods were everywhere, till the eyes reached horizon. The path was winding downwards as if I stood on top of a hill. Somewhere, water was flowing and its sound made a backdrop for the complete silence in the woods. It must have rained recently, as there was moss everywhere. Slow wind was flowing rustling the trees silently. Feeling all this made me marvel at the nature.
But the moment my eyes turned from the scenery around, towards the people with me, I was amazed to see the lot. It completely switched my attention from the scenery. I saw the whole bunch of my friends. Some were school friends, some were college friends and the others were office friends. There were faces which I didn’t remember having seen since some years. Also present there, were some of my cousins with whom I had lost contact, the ones with whom in my childhood I had shared a great camaraderie.
As I walked through those glorious woods, chatting with all the people there, I felt contentment which I hadn’t felt since a long time. The talk I shared with everyone there, though bordering on trivial things, made me feel full of life. It felt as if I had been searching for this destination and now I had found it.
Remembering the dream in the morning brought a smile to my lips. I memorized the dream and the faces that I hadn’t remembered in my real life. I looked upon that dream as a treasure. When I unconsciously sought the ‘why’ behind the dream, I realized, may be somewhere deep inside, I wanted to be able to talk to everyone who, at some point in my life had been close to me.
There was a narrow muddy path surrounded by the lush green trees. The woods were everywhere, till the eyes reached horizon. The path was winding downwards as if I stood on top of a hill. Somewhere, water was flowing and its sound made a backdrop for the complete silence in the woods. It must have rained recently, as there was moss everywhere. Slow wind was flowing rustling the trees silently. Feeling all this made me marvel at the nature.
But the moment my eyes turned from the scenery around, towards the people with me, I was amazed to see the lot. It completely switched my attention from the scenery. I saw the whole bunch of my friends. Some were school friends, some were college friends and the others were office friends. There were faces which I didn’t remember having seen since some years. Also present there, were some of my cousins with whom I had lost contact, the ones with whom in my childhood I had shared a great camaraderie.
As I walked through those glorious woods, chatting with all the people there, I felt contentment which I hadn’t felt since a long time. The talk I shared with everyone there, though bordering on trivial things, made me feel full of life. It felt as if I had been searching for this destination and now I had found it.
Remembering the dream in the morning brought a smile to my lips. I memorized the dream and the faces that I hadn’t remembered in my real life. I looked upon that dream as a treasure. When I unconsciously sought the ‘why’ behind the dream, I realized, may be somewhere deep inside, I wanted to be able to talk to everyone who, at some point in my life had been close to me.
Straighten the Curls
I am a girl with dark black curly hair. In my childhood, these curls were more like short springs atop my head. Though they might have looked cute at that time, my parents faced great difficulty when it came to combing my hair. So for the very first time, they thought that may be, completely shaving my head, would help in the way that, the hair would regrow to be normal straight hair. But much to their dismay, when they came back, they were exactly like they were previously. And I am shocked today, to know, that this technique of straightening the curls was tried twice, before letting go.
The point of the matter is: the basic nature of a living being in 99% cases cannot be altered let alone completely turning it into something else. The way people are and the way they behave is something that is unique to that individual. In some cases it might change, but that needs immense will power of the person and willingness to do so. Short cut techniques hardly work.
Yes, there is always a question of why we need to change. But I think, someone who has seen life closely and observed its various aspects would come to know the need for changes in ourselves.
The point of the matter is: the basic nature of a living being in 99% cases cannot be altered let alone completely turning it into something else. The way people are and the way they behave is something that is unique to that individual. In some cases it might change, but that needs immense will power of the person and willingness to do so. Short cut techniques hardly work.
Yes, there is always a question of why we need to change. But I think, someone who has seen life closely and observed its various aspects would come to know the need for changes in ourselves.
Monday, 9 August 2010
Friendship day special
It’s been a while since I have sat at the writing table wondering what to write about. The foremost thing which pops to my mind is my much awaited, full of fun and gaiety and on the fringes of being adventurous, outing with friends, incidentally on the day when the association with friends is celebrated world-wide.
Having had a hectic last couple of months, I had not been able to spend quality or otherwise time with my any of my friends: college friends and even office friends whom I seem to see every day. Though the meet with college friends hasn’t taken place and has itself become much awaited, the one with office friends did take place and at what a grand level!
After many discussions, plans and subsequent cancellations,
the final plan:
Movie: All of us had heard a lot about the success of “Inception”, yet some of us were keen to watch the third in the series of Twilight saga. But the problems with the timing of the shows tilted the choice in the favour of Inception.
Venue: Big cinemas. Every one of us is so much into discussing and weighing of options, that most of our time is lost into that. Though, this is one of the fun parts we share. Meeting discreetly at lunch times, when the office is empty of its other peeping and overhearing inhabitants is altogether so much fun to do.
The Gang: There is a reason why ‘The Gang’ came later than ‘Movie’ and ‘Venue’. The shift of the choice of the movie changed the number of people. Me, Komal, Pooja, Prarthana and Krupali. Aloki was going to come if ‘Eclipse’ had been the movie, but alas, maybe it was not meant to be. And of course, there are always last minute cancellations. Krupali couldn’t make it till the final time. It too has a story behind it, as everything most of the time has. But I think it would be better if it were told by her. (Krupali: We will be expecting that story when you comment )
Later: Eat, talk, chatter to our heart’s content, make up for the time we hadn’t met, roam around, maybe shop and do anything we wanted to do.
The plan looked and felt good and I am immensely glad to say that it executed itself so well that the evening was loads more than I had expected. My expectations had been bound and it had limits, but the actual part left a beautiful feeling inside.
The movie was good, as its reviews said. Till the last moment of the movie, it had us on the edges of our seats. Grand performance by Leo and hats off the intricate story line. All we could think of was: how can a person have such a winding plot?
The most satisfying part was when we first sat in the chocolate room and then at McD’s and talked to our heart’s content. There were philosophical talks, our joint experiences, the changes that had happened to each individual since we had met and the coming life. We laughed at the tiniest of things. The setting and of course all of us were fantastic.
While we were having all the fun, rain poured and thundered. And finally it was time to leave for home. I didn’t want to leave. I was feeling like extending the time for just a few minutes. The condition being: those ‘just a few minutes’ shouldn’t end. I was feeling drunk on happiness and masti, feeling reckless and impulsive, feeling like doing something adventurous. One thought was watching two movies back to back, but it didn’t work out. And we were lucky it didn’t, otherwise we would have got stuck in the rain.
In the end, I did get my wish of a little adventure. We got stuck in the rain water. Took us 45 minutes to cross one particular road. And even that felt good. Of course, bless God for helping us get out of it without any difficulty. This particular episode made the evening even more memorable. Well, the tongue lashing Komal had on reaching her house was another matter altogether.
I wish I had at least one pic of us to revisit the evening by. We were so lost in ourselves, it clicked no one to click a picture. I am sure, the memories are permanently itched in our mind, they won’t wash away.
It was one of the best friendship days I ever had in my life. Cheers to my loving and caring friends!
Having had a hectic last couple of months, I had not been able to spend quality or otherwise time with my any of my friends: college friends and even office friends whom I seem to see every day. Though the meet with college friends hasn’t taken place and has itself become much awaited, the one with office friends did take place and at what a grand level!
After many discussions, plans and subsequent cancellations,
the final plan:
Movie: All of us had heard a lot about the success of “Inception”, yet some of us were keen to watch the third in the series of Twilight saga. But the problems with the timing of the shows tilted the choice in the favour of Inception.
Venue: Big cinemas. Every one of us is so much into discussing and weighing of options, that most of our time is lost into that. Though, this is one of the fun parts we share. Meeting discreetly at lunch times, when the office is empty of its other peeping and overhearing inhabitants is altogether so much fun to do.
The Gang: There is a reason why ‘The Gang’ came later than ‘Movie’ and ‘Venue’. The shift of the choice of the movie changed the number of people. Me, Komal, Pooja, Prarthana and Krupali. Aloki was going to come if ‘Eclipse’ had been the movie, but alas, maybe it was not meant to be. And of course, there are always last minute cancellations. Krupali couldn’t make it till the final time. It too has a story behind it, as everything most of the time has. But I think it would be better if it were told by her. (Krupali: We will be expecting that story when you comment )
Later: Eat, talk, chatter to our heart’s content, make up for the time we hadn’t met, roam around, maybe shop and do anything we wanted to do.
The plan looked and felt good and I am immensely glad to say that it executed itself so well that the evening was loads more than I had expected. My expectations had been bound and it had limits, but the actual part left a beautiful feeling inside.
The movie was good, as its reviews said. Till the last moment of the movie, it had us on the edges of our seats. Grand performance by Leo and hats off the intricate story line. All we could think of was: how can a person have such a winding plot?
The most satisfying part was when we first sat in the chocolate room and then at McD’s and talked to our heart’s content. There were philosophical talks, our joint experiences, the changes that had happened to each individual since we had met and the coming life. We laughed at the tiniest of things. The setting and of course all of us were fantastic.
While we were having all the fun, rain poured and thundered. And finally it was time to leave for home. I didn’t want to leave. I was feeling like extending the time for just a few minutes. The condition being: those ‘just a few minutes’ shouldn’t end. I was feeling drunk on happiness and masti, feeling reckless and impulsive, feeling like doing something adventurous. One thought was watching two movies back to back, but it didn’t work out. And we were lucky it didn’t, otherwise we would have got stuck in the rain.
In the end, I did get my wish of a little adventure. We got stuck in the rain water. Took us 45 minutes to cross one particular road. And even that felt good. Of course, bless God for helping us get out of it without any difficulty. This particular episode made the evening even more memorable. Well, the tongue lashing Komal had on reaching her house was another matter altogether.
I wish I had at least one pic of us to revisit the evening by. We were so lost in ourselves, it clicked no one to click a picture. I am sure, the memories are permanently itched in our mind, they won’t wash away.
It was one of the best friendship days I ever had in my life. Cheers to my loving and caring friends!
Tuesday, 6 July 2010
The Eternal Bond Of Matrimony
Some say, marriages are made in heaven and lived on earth while others call it the ultimate form of commitment. The ideal definition of matrimony goes like this: A binding of two soul mates where they live, love, respect, share and cherish everything under the sun. It all sounds so sweet and perfect that it borders on unrealism and fantasy. The real deal is completely different. It’s not right or wrong but a different facet altogether. The most important component of it all is ‘Love’.
In the western countries, people marry more than once in their lifetimes. Every individual has a different reason for getting out of it. The fact of the matter is, no two marriages can be compared. As a result the divorce rates increase and may be sometimes eventually it becomes a habit.
As Helen Hunt quoted in the movie ‘The Good Woman’, (I may not get it word to word, the gist of what I remember):
"Marriage is like living in a room with a person you have fallen in love with. In some cases, as days and weeks pass, the room grows smaller and smaller. But at first, you don’t realize it. It happens in inches. And by the time you come to know of it, it’s too late to do anything. Then you feel stuffed and suffocated and there does not even exist a window and the doors are locked. So the only option that remains is unlock the door and get out."
The same scenario is quite different in the Indian Scenario. Here, love marriages are sparse but in the modern world, many people have accepted as the reigning one. So either the love happens first and marriage follows or marriage happens first and then love follows. In the latter case, it is said that love grows slowly and gradually and hence becomes everlasting. But what happens, when the love fails to grow? What happens to a loveless marriage?
We Indians are more governed and controlled by the society we live in rather than our emotions and decisions. Most of the times, the loveless marriages still carry on as being perfect for the benefit of the eyes of the society, but the moment the society is not watching, the scenario drastically changes. Though the divorce rates have increased considerably in Indian when compared to the earlier years, but still it is considered a taboo to get separated. I am in no way implying that we should follow the western culture and ruin the wonderful families we have. The reason behind being in a marriage should be the love people share and not the sense of duty towards the family, the relatives and the children. A delicacy loses its charm the moment the key ingredient goes missing.
The question is, in the world where everything changes right from people to places, is the bond of matrimony really eternal?
In the western countries, people marry more than once in their lifetimes. Every individual has a different reason for getting out of it. The fact of the matter is, no two marriages can be compared. As a result the divorce rates increase and may be sometimes eventually it becomes a habit.
As Helen Hunt quoted in the movie ‘The Good Woman’, (I may not get it word to word, the gist of what I remember):
"Marriage is like living in a room with a person you have fallen in love with. In some cases, as days and weeks pass, the room grows smaller and smaller. But at first, you don’t realize it. It happens in inches. And by the time you come to know of it, it’s too late to do anything. Then you feel stuffed and suffocated and there does not even exist a window and the doors are locked. So the only option that remains is unlock the door and get out."
The same scenario is quite different in the Indian Scenario. Here, love marriages are sparse but in the modern world, many people have accepted as the reigning one. So either the love happens first and marriage follows or marriage happens first and then love follows. In the latter case, it is said that love grows slowly and gradually and hence becomes everlasting. But what happens, when the love fails to grow? What happens to a loveless marriage?
We Indians are more governed and controlled by the society we live in rather than our emotions and decisions. Most of the times, the loveless marriages still carry on as being perfect for the benefit of the eyes of the society, but the moment the society is not watching, the scenario drastically changes. Though the divorce rates have increased considerably in Indian when compared to the earlier years, but still it is considered a taboo to get separated. I am in no way implying that we should follow the western culture and ruin the wonderful families we have. The reason behind being in a marriage should be the love people share and not the sense of duty towards the family, the relatives and the children. A delicacy loses its charm the moment the key ingredient goes missing.
The question is, in the world where everything changes right from people to places, is the bond of matrimony really eternal?
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