Parenting. The word says it all. Parenting is quite a tough task these days. The 'Little Masters' make the job of the grown-ups a balancing act. The kids are as whimsical as naughty and as energetic as mischievous. Their parents enjoy these naughty pranks as long as their mood is lighter. But the same pranks may irritate them, if they have lost their cool.Some parents force their kids to behave exactly the way they want. There is no compromise on it. This means T-H-I-S- is their attitude. They want their kids to be like horses proceeding forward as directed by the blinkers. They fail to understand that they are after all kids and have to be handled in their own way. These small kids don't have that much maturity as to understand the gravity of the situation. But the parents feel that, if the kids are given a specific treatment from their innocent age, then they won't behave out of the way. Such parents feel that kids are more obedient on the other side of the compound. These parents are more ambitious about their kids' future and are overtly aware of the cut-throat competition, mostly fearing and thinking on negative lines. Yes, such parents thinking is always on negative terms. But yes, its not a fool's paradise either, but, believe it or not, they do more harm than good to their little ones. And this is no swinging the lead.On the other hand, some parents allow their kids to be kids, they allow them to behave childishly. This way the kids are more relaxed, mentally. This mental relaxation helps them to concentrate, to grasp, to understand things better as mind can be focused on a particular thing, be it as easy as recognizing animals, colours or showing body parts. These parents don't complain that kids don't listen to them. Because they don't force kids into doing things of their choice or important. If any child is addicted to, suppose, video games, these parents, I have seen, don't bother to stop them from playing it. They feel 'how long will they keep playing?' At one point of time they will feel board and stop it on their own.These are two extreme examples of handling kids - one is restricting them, the other is sparing the rod. Some are extreme DOs the others severe DON'Ts. But whatever, there are not fixed guidelines that, certain things will work like jig-saws. Most of the disions have to be taken on the spur of the moment. Both the parents are right in their own ways. After all it's all out of love, ain't it?
Seguir leyendo...
India win first ODI against Sri Lanka
It's a great feeling to see your country a victorious one. Dhoni is the man of the moment. He is doing everything right. His times are such that he can do nothing wrong even if he does so with decision. Anyways, its a great great feeling. Taking a lead early in the series is always what any team is looking whether it is playing in home conditions or away. Gautam Gambhir once again played a crucial knock early in the Indian innings along with Suresh Raina. On one hand where Sri Lanka stiched together a 118 run 2nd wicket partnership, here was India who got 113 run-partnership. Dhoni let by example and played a captains knock. His 61 not out from only 65 balls was the third half-century of the Indian innings. Gambhir, Raina were the other two who not only played some breath taking shots but also took the initiative away from the Lankas after losing Tendulkar early for only 5. But that LBW decision looked rather doubtful; but that made no difference to the two left-handers.
Another thing. When all are talking about the Indian batting spare a thought for the bowlers too, who gave away only 5 extras as compared to 17 by the Lankans. As when we are talking about all this, Dhoni remains as the center of the foucs not only for his batting, but with the precision that he decided to use the batting site powerplay was taken at the most correct time. And he pair that time was Dhoni-Rohit Sharma. These two added around a run a ball. As compared to this the Lankas had not scored much but importantly lost the prize wicket of Jayasuriya.Anyways, congrats again to Team India, and we all look forward to yet another win on Saturday.
Seguir leyendo...A Foreigner & Me
“Welcome to India!” I accosted a fair skinned, elderly looking unknown person, who seemed to be a guest from the west. I spoke to him because I have an uncanny habit of speaking to unknown persons, especially foreigners. “Oh, thank you so much. How kind of you to speak to a stranger like me.” He responded quite warmly. “What brings you here?” “Well, I am not a first time visitor here. I have come to…” “…Meher Baba” I interrupted. “You are absolutely right. Your guess was splendid. How did you guess it?” His eyes lit up on my words, when I said Meher Baba. “I did know from…” “From what?” He was getting impatient. “Because you are not a first timer here.” “That makes no sense to me.” There was a big question mark on his face.
“See” I started explaining, “This is the city of Ahmednagar. It is famous historically because Nehru has written ‘The Discovery of India’ here. And other than this a couple of things here and there add to the historical importance of Ahmednagar. Apart from that Ahmednagar is quite a normal city. And in this normal city why would anyone come here twice from around half the world?” “So?” He still was not getting my point. “So, what other thing remains than seeking Baba’s blessings, peace of mind, a pollution free atmosphere. In pollution-free I mean…” “…Yes I know.” This time he interrupted me. “A mind free of pollution. A soul free of polluted thoughts.”
He then started speaking out his mind to me. “In America we have got almost everything, a whole lot of money. Technologically, the US is so advanced. But human beings don’t share that spirit which I got to see here, in India the first time I came. And I just couldn’t resist the temptation of coming back here the second time. In fact, my mind was reluctant to go back and so was I. See, I am not accusing all the Americans. Some might have good bonding too. I will bet on Indian culture. It is the best in the world. The time span between a marriage and a divorce, if it were to happen, is quite great as compared to the US. Women always respect their husbands. A human, an Indian, really cares for another. See the example is right in front of me. You started speaking to me even though I was totally strange to you.” While speaking all his eyes looked tearsome. And soon tears stood in his eyes. Probably he might have spoken his heart out after a long time. Probably he might have felt at home. He was feeling light at heart and so was I because I made someone feel relaxed – mentally.
New Year Resolutions
Records, promises, hearts all are here to be breakon. And so are New Year Resolutions. Making a Resolution is becoming an annual practice the world over. Emotions are attached to it too. And resolutions are broken as quickly as they are made. Very few end up sticking to it. Seriously, its fun to make a resolution. And funnier still breaking it. Its like a mockery. Most end up with breaking it, in the first 8-10 days, others, after a month or so (when they have to fight old habits as well as the time), and others'' resolutions don''t even see the light of the day. Another reason for getting the resolution broken is emotions. One gets a lot emotional at midnight 31 rst December & resolves ''something''. Its, of course, over enthusiasm, over confidence and what not? The same amount of confidence and emotional level is difficult to maintain. Because, as long as we decide to do something thats new to us, or something different from our daily boaring routine till the 31rst, we do have the extra energy prompts us to determine something at that time. But when its a nine days wonder one gets board of doing the same ''silly'' things which were once quite important and at the top of our agenda once, comes crashing down. And no wonder its human.
So what are the common resolutions:-
1) Get the '' bad habit'' of drinking out of life ( Its ''bad'' is known only on 31rst! )
2) Quit Smoking ( You know smoking causes cancer! )
3) Lose Weight ( That might cause a heart attack! )
4) Go for morning walks (in the mornings only) ( That might make me lighter! )
5) Check Anger ( Check where to get angry? Or control it because anger burns our own blood! ) These positive things dawn to the resolution makers only around the year end.
But none/few seem to make resolutions like
1) Utilise our own time positively.
2) Do some constructive work for our own family, society and country.
3) Help the poor and the needy.
4) Do at least one such work daily due to which I will not feel embarassed in front of the God.
5) While going to bed, if I revise my day from dawn to dusk, I should be able to have a sound and stressless sleep.
Does God Exist!
A smart kid was once being interviewed by the principle of a school. When some questions were thrown at the kid, who answered all of them to the best of his ability, the principle suddenly asked, “Do you believe in God?” “Yes”, said the kid, “do you?” Negative was the principle’s reply. “I am a learned and sophisticated man of the 21rst century. I don’t believe in all such rubbish things. I have faith in only with what I see.” Suddenly the kid asked, “Have you seen your great grand-parents, Sir?” The principle remained spell bound upon hearing this, because he knew the intention of the kid’s question.
Many of us, humans, too behave like this principal, straightforwardly refusing His very own existence. He doesn’t deny ours but we do. A human eye can’t see scores of things in this world, in this universe. Does it then so mean, that they never exist? Let’s consider a very basic example of air. Let alone while awake, we breathe even in our sleep. Who keeps this function going for us? Its not only humans that breathe air. But there are all the species of various birds, animals, insects and even trees and all the innumerable other living beings that breathe air. None of us, however, have seen what air is like. But all have unanimously agreed to this one universal truth. Not only that, He has brought this lifesaving air right up to our nose. We don’t need to go and fetch it from anywhere else. How much more should He serve us? No scientist has still been able to pinpoint that yes, this is what a soul is; it looks like this etc. The Gita says soul is immortal. And we humans’ leap is only up to this mortal and materialistic world. We can only feel this mortal body, but not the immortal soul that resides in all of us. So does it mean that soul doesn’t exist at all? Like air and soul - electricity, fragrance can all be experienced, but not felt physically. Has anyone denied the fragrance in a sweet-looking rose? Where has it come from? Sweet and bitter tasting vegetables grow in the same earth. How come then one is sweet while the other is sour to taste? The stars, the planets, the asterim and all the other celestial beings in this universe are revolving in their orbits for lacs of years now. Who is controlling their pace? Who has held them up from falling down? The temperature of the Sun has not declined even an iota. The seasons have been doing their rounds untiringly. Who is responsible to keep things intact? No doubt, He must be the one who has created all this and under whose authority all remain. In this world other than humans, there are scores of other living beings and still different are the animals in those species. The flora in this universe is varied and no two species are the same in terms of looks or characteristics. In a certain earthquake hundreds of people get buried under the debris, but a small kid is saved miraculously. Each morning and every night, we get awake and go to bed at a certain time. Which power guides us to do this? Each year at a specific time birds migrate to specific locations. And at the end of the season they return without losing their way. How do they find their way back from thousands of kilometers? Who tells them it’s time to migrate? Who shows them the way? Who tells them where to stop? Who tells them to return? Scientists too are bamboozled by these activities. But they could still not come up with satisfactory answers. Are all these examples not enough to conclude that it’s He who exists?