High on life #2

These days fb often asks me what makes me happy :P 
Here's an answer - a list compiled quite sometime back with a few new additions :)

Sometimes life gives you a high
And you can't figure out the reason why!
You jump, you float;
You cry, you gloat;
And you can't help but say I'm high;
High on Life!

Sometimes life gives you a high
And you can't figure out a reason why!
May be a friend got the surprise gift parcel you sent off
Or you suddenly remembered a long forgotten phone number you tried to recall;
Could've been you sighted the moon from your bedside window just as you doze off 
- and appreciated how its position changes with the changing spring and fall
Or you found the perfect butterfly wall decal!
And you can't help but say I'm high;
High on Life!

Sometimes life gives you a high
And you can't figure out a reason why!
May be you catch a scent of someone wearing your fav perfume
Or you found a jeans that fits just perfect;
Could've been the golden light pouring from the street lamps in your room 
- and realized you could sit for ages admiring this wonderful effect
Or you painted a little Warli artefact 
And you can't help but say I'm high;
High on Life!

May be you resolved a tricky bug

Or was it that your best friend gave you a hug;
Could've been the ginger tea your Mom brews...
Or the sky decked in sunset hues.
And you can't help but say I'm high;
High on Life!

Sometimes life gives you a high
And you can't figure out a reason why!
May be you got to work with a father figure you admire
Or you just saw stacks of fresh flowers piled higher and higher;
Could've been the effect of your recent haircut...
Or the race to book a tatkal ticket.
And you can't help but say I'm high;
High on Life!

Sometimes life gives you a high
And you can't figure out a reason why!
May be you found an antique earthen lamp decor
Or the seed you planted just sprouted a pretty blue flower;
Could've been the project deadline you successfully met...
Or the Chips and Orange Minutemaid you always get.
And you can't help but say I'm high;
High on Life!

Sometimes life gives you a high
And you can't figure out a reason why!
May be you just finalized a trip with friends
Or finished a Poirot novel with awesome twists and turns;
Could've been the pasta you cooked...
Or the Marathi play ticket your Mom booked.
And you can't help but say I'm high;
High on Life!

Sometimes life gives you a high
And you can't figure out a reason why!
May be you suddenly saw lots of fireworks in the night sky
Or just laughed over a PJ till you felt you'll cry;
Could've been that the late night radio played all your fav songs in a loop...
Or someone made you hot Manchow Soup.
And you can't help but say I'm high;
High on Life!

And you realize these are just ordinary little moments
No rocket science or phenomena strange
Even small reasons suffice;
Trivial things bring happiness...
'Coz you're high on Life!

~Written sometime in 2014, updated on 19th Oct 2016 #Original

The Banyan and the Shoot

Once upon a time, there grew a Shoot, under a Banyan tree
It sprouted - and 'coz it was loved, protected and nurtured for -
The Shoot grew tall and carefree...

Growing up, in the Banyan's company -
the Shoot learnt happiness - to smile, laugh and be merry
To face the storms, the fires; and even when its leaves got plucked without a reason;
It learnt there's magic in all of life's seasons...

Then there came a time, there grew another Plant, under the Banyan tree
It was also loved, protected and nurtured for
And started growing tall and carefree...

The Shoot resented, grew agitated and threw tantrums,
For it had to share - the love, the protection and the care -
Of the Banyan it so adored, admired and considered its very own claim
The Shoot grew angry with jealousy, feared it would be ignored and may have to lie bare...

The Banyan said nothing, stood tall - peaceful, calm and serene
It continued to spread its branches far and wide - making a green canopy...
The Shoot looked around and about - across the green terrain
It saw a multitude of Shoots, Plants, Blades and Flowers -
Resting, growing, caring - all nurtured by the Banyan's hospitality...

Eventually there came a time, when the shoot said to itself -
The Banyan is not mine to lay sole claim to
It has had and will always have, a life - beyond me too...
I guess I should be grateful and happy -
someone I love is capable of being a canopy
A Banyan - everyone looks up to...

~Written on 22nd September 2016 #Original

आजोबा...

आजोबा - आमचे नाना आजोबा
उंच, ताठ, सदपातळ बांधा,
पांढरे शुभ्र केस - अन् पांढरे शुभ्र च धोतर.
Extremely disciplined.
आई म्हणते - "भाजी कितीही आवडती असो -
रोजची त्यांची ठरलेली - अर्धीच खायचे भाकर..."
काका म्हणतो - "आमच्या लहानपणी खूप होते ते रागीट...
पत्त्यांचा डाव दिसतच - टाकून द्यायचे बम्बा च्या आगीत!"
मला मात्र आठवत नाहीत कधीच ते चिडलेले...
मला आठवतात - शांत आबा - मला फिरायला घेऊन जाणारे...
शाळेतला result घ्यायला जाता जाता - हात मी पटकन दिला सोडून...
अन् येणार्‍या बाइक सोबत accident बसला होऊन...
तेव्हा सुद्धा आठवते - केला नाही त्यांनी त्रागा -
शांतपणे जवळ घेऊन म्हणाले, " खूप लागले आहे का बाळा? "

माझे आजोबा - आमचे आण्णा
त्यांच्या साठी अन् त्यांच्या बद्द्ल लिहावे तितके थोडेच...
मला ते फारसे आठवत नाहीत - पण त्यांच्या गोष्टी ऐकून वाटते -
खरच असणारच ते इथे - आमच्या सगळ्यांसोबत!
प्रत्येक decision - as if - guide करत...
आणि ते असतील बघत - म्हणूनच जाणवते एक अनामिक बळ...
एक अनामिक ओढ - दिलखुलास जगायची - खूप खूप शिकायची!

आजोबा - उगार चे आजोबा
हसत खेळत - जोक्स सांगत - chess च्या moves शिकवणारे...
दर सुट्टीत - ह्या वेळी हरवणार का मला - असा challenge देणारे!
रोज लाइब्ररीत जाऊन पुत्सक बदलून आणणारे -
अन् मला - कोणते नवीन पुस्तक वाचलेस - सांग बघू -
अस excitedly विचारणारे!

आजोबा - अनू चे आजोबा.
बॅडमिंटन चा आमचा डाव चालू असताना -
असायचे ते बाजूला फेर्‍या मारीत - अंगाणातल्या बेंच वर पेपर वाचत...
संध्याकाळ होताच - "लवकर आत या पोरांनो, नाहीतर डास येतील..." अशी हळूच हाक मारत.
पण आम्ही काही जायचो नाही लवकर - तेथेच असायचो खेळत दारात ...
मग काय - डास यायचेच invariably त्यांचा घरात...
आजोबांना asthma, आजी स्वयंपाक घरात -
मग आलेल्या डसांशी आम्ही करायचो दोन हात - त्यांच्या वर मारायचो आम्ही 'Flit' मन मुराद!
खुर्चीवर, कॉट वर, पन्ख्या च्या पात्या वर - दारात अन् खिडकीत -
"We made sure every mosquito was hit!"

आजोबा - अदिती चे आजोबा
बुधवार दुपार चे आजी चे दासबोध मंडळ
सगळ्या आज्यांचे चाले मनोभावे भजन - वाचन...
आम्ही मुले मात्र करत असू अजोबान्शी संभाषण...
आजोबांचे श्रवण यंत्र कसे चालते याचे वाटे - त्या वेळी भलतेच attraction!
खूप खूप गप्पा, खूप खूप गोष्टी - यात मस्त पैकी रमायचो -
आणि पुढया वेळी पुन्हा येऊ म्हणत - दर बुधवारी घरी परत निघायचो...

आजोबा - लट्टू आजोबा.
सुरांची अजिबतच ओळख नसलेल्या मला - पेटी वाजवायला शिकवणारे...
S/W Engg शिकते म्हणल्यावर - त्यांच्या संस्थेचे 'project' करून बघा सुचवणारे...
Second year च्या आम्हा मुलांवर केवढा तो विश्वास दाखवणारे!
"भातुकलीच्या खेळा मधले" गाणे शिकवणारे - आज सुद्धा भेटले की -
Conveyance Deed & Society bylaws हे माहिती हवेच असा आग्रह धरणारे...
दर वेळी भेटले की नवीन काही positive शिकवणारे!

ह्या सगळ्यांचीच आज कुणास ठाऊक का -
खूप खूप आठवण आली ...
आणि आजोबांची काठी घेऊन - हळूच एक चक्कर मारली -
आठवणींच्या गावी...

~Written on 17th April 2016 #Original

Of Dreams, Wishes and Curses

Yesterday one of my favourite people told me, "Be careful what you wish for - it might just come true...it is a Chinese curse."
That conversation started me off to write this post...

Well, my birthday (a milestone one this year) is still quite far away (and thank Goodness for that! :P ). But often, when people wish me a happy birthday, they also add a wish that "May all your dreams come true..."
A pretty harmless thing for someone to say, but, it really really gets me thinking when someone wishes me that.

How awful it would be if all my dreams came true!
Well, not necessarily because I would not have any "ambition" left in life (actually, that too, but I would have no complaints with a zero ambition, lazy life I believe ;) )
But it scares me because it means I would have to dream "carefully".
I can't give a free reign to my mind, I can't let it wander into uncharted territories, I will have to think twice before letting it off to unknown places, for fear that it may take me somewhere unwanted - and since the dream will be coming true - I would land myself in some place I never wanted to be in.
I will lose the freedom of dreaming!
Also, most people forget that dreams often involve nightmares. And if some one (or even myself) wants "all my dreams to come true", I should run away as fast as and as far away as I can! Scary, scary, scary like hell!

Which is why I am careful not to wish people "May all your dreams come true", or even "May you get all that you desire". And I never even pray that for myself...

These are scary wishes to make (for others as well as for ourselves!). Wish people (and yourself!) happiness, wish them success, wish them peace, wish them joy, wish them sincerely and wish them well - but for heaven's sake, please don't wish for their dreams to come true...

Which gets me to the something my mentor mentioned yesterday and got me googling for "Chinese Curses"
Turns out that there are three Chinese curses (Click for the  source  )
1. May you live in interesting times.

2. May you be recognized by people in high places.

3. May you get what you wish for.

And like the author in the link rightly mentions, a fourth one - "May all your dreams come true..."

Don't worry, dear friend,  I will never wish that for you.
I will send good old simple, heartfelt good wishes your way for the new year!
Happy 2016! :)