Your garden has the exact mix of order and wilderness that appeals to you. You love it; it is beautiful. The best feature of your garden is a huge shady tree under which there is a garden bench. A rope swing hangs delicately from its sturdy branches. The tree is big and strong. It will […]
Pain
Life in 55 Words
ONE “Dad, let me take this summer job.” “What?! You’re just sixteen! People will think I can’t provide for my family.” “It’ll be good for my future, I’ll learn so much. Please?” “I’ll become the laughing stock of town. I’ve said no, discussion over.” The child fell silent, spirit crumpled under the weight of society’s […]
Soul Food
If you could get all the nutrition you needed in a day with a pill, no worrying about what to eat, no food preparation, would you do it? On some, rare day I might want to pop a pill. But on a permanent basis? No way! Food is not just nutrition for us, just as […]
Not Enough Time
The Pareto principle (also known as the 80–20 rule, the law of the vital few, and the principle of factor sparsity) states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, observed in 1906 that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% […]
Hot Chocolate
“My my! Someone’s looking like thunder today? What happened Amrita?” Runoo Mosi’s (Mosi: Mother’s sister, aunt. Forming bonds with people one is not related to is very common in India) voice was concerned, her brows puckered up. “Nothing Mosi”, said little Amrita looking utterly woebegone. Her eyes lowered, she took her place amidst the other […]
Against Hopelessness
A short while ago I was reading a fellow blogger’s reasons for why she has posted nothing for almost three weeks. Of the ten reasons she cited, one of them was the climate of hopelessness and dejection she imbibes from the world around her- news, social media, Facebook updates and posts from other bloggers. It […]
A Cheap Silver Ring
Somali was excited. Her mother’s birthday was barely three days away. Somali had decided that this birthday she would buy a gift for her mother. And it would be a surprise! Somali was going to be eleven a few days after her mom’s birthday. They shared a birthday month. The thought made Somali glow with […]
Hippocratic Oath
I read a post by a fellow blogger today. It reminded me of an incident which might have turned out as hers did. My son was two and a half at that time. He and I were both suffering from viral fever. We had both been running a temperature for two days and were both […]
Fragile
Raman’s heart sank as he feverishly searched his pockets. With rising trepidation, he turned his bag inside out- another blank. He ran his classroom and searched there. He even lay flat on the floor and peered under the ancient wooden cupboard. Almost hysterical now, he asked all his friends, begging them to end the cruel […]
Timeless Skills
In the past twenty years, the world has transformed. Communication has been the key to this transformation. It has shrunk the size of the world to amazing extent. Who could have thought that you could see people in real time from half way across the world? Who could have thought that complicated operations could be […]