Truth of Life

Life often doesn't give you too many choices and
when it does give you choices....it takes away the right to choose.

Oft heard

When you hear something over and over again, either you learn it without understanding it's meaning(Rote learning) or you simply ignore it (noise) however some statements that we hear often just put a smile on your face.......yes a smile that means something yet nothing. A smile that aknowledges a lie and reminds of your own true self. A smile that tells you how far can your patience let this last. So here are those few smile evoking responses...excuses/advices/ just lame ideas..............

• I am so sorry , I have been a bad friend. But I have just been so busy you know. Life is just crazy right now.
• So what is wrong with you?
• See it's the same with everyone. Nobody is happy. Everyone doesn't know what to do in their future.
• Oh did you need to shower early? I totally forgot............
• Oh were you sleeping? Did I wake you up with my noise ?
• So do you miss home?
• You have no clue how hard it is to live alone.
• So what's the big deal? It is just $ 40.00
• Don't think so much .You think too much.
• So when are you graduating? What are your plans after graduation? Are there any job prospects?
• You should get married ! You should find someone !
• Arre you are like my buddy...........
• What? you haven't done that X thing yet? When are you going to finish it? I don't think you are ever going to finish it.
• So you are studying Cognitive Psychology? I don't understand a thing about that! So do you deal with mental patients and stuff ? I mean what is that called Schizophrenics....
• It's so cold here...it's like close to 50 degrees (fahrenheit of course)...typically people from Texas / California / Florida
• What are you doing for dinner tonight? Are you cooking something? Cook something! You never cook these days!
• Oh we are just going to hang out today....Have some beers and chill........What movie / play and all........forget it re..you all just come by my apartment and all of us can just relax.......
• Indian systems are really a mess. But nobody can do anything about it. I mean it's just useless to even try with such a huge population and so much poverty.......
• Hinduism is the best religion.
• God knows what all you write in your blog/ why you wrote that particular post. Where do you think of all that stuff from? You think too much!

TNETNOCSID

Potential of a blank canvas is so hard to fathom
Painting a perfect picture there on requires immeasurable skill
And When the picture is finally done someone's remark "it couldn't have been better !"

ACHIEVEMENT !

But the heart yearns for more as always..........................

celebrations...........

AND finally the first birthday

hopefully many more to come.........To the readers of goblin times.....A big big thank you...it's been awesome to have completed one year in this blogger world.....

The heart hardly has words to express this joy ..........

Two to tango or two to Waltz?

Does it take two people to maintain a harmonious relationship?
Is it so hard to maintain a balance when one is putting in more effort than the other. Is it fair or not is a different question altogether but what pertains is ....Is this strained relationship actually a relationship or is it a forceful communion of two people who do not have the same goals anymore or perhaps developed differences that they had not envisaged ever before.

So like things fall into place when both take equal measures to maintain equilibrium, similarly both are equally responsible for whatever ruins the equilibrium.

If one has been aggressive then probably the other was so non responsive that they wouldn't go on with the same waltzing life that they initially were so comfortable with.

Whatever the reason may be if one withdraws then may be the other should wait and watch. May be the other should not step forward or backward. For if that one move is made then judgements will be made of whether the forward was pursuit or the backward was withdrawal !!!

Thus hang on....patience is a virtue and so hard to come by. May be the best way to go about things is to wait and watch. Time will tell everything.. .Yes it will ................hopefully !

The King of hearts

Today as I did my usual routine in the cardio room at the University recreational center, the treadmill right next to me was getting squeakier by the minute and I was absolutely disgusted at the way the girl running on it wouldn't step down and run on another one.
Three minutes later a couple walked in. Well I am sure it was exactly three minutes since I was running and there when you are breathless, every minute is like eternity.
So the couple walked in side by side. Old , weary and tired. The man, an octogenerian; walked a couple of steps ahead. He was wearing a full sleeves shirt and his jacket drooped over his bent shoulders. Rugged shoes, laces barely tied and the woman probably in her late seventies or so. White well kept hair, Thick glasses, a flowery blue t-shirt and a beautiful smile on her face.
She was unsure where in the world they were or perhaps unwilling to come to this place.
Everyone in the room gave them a quick glance and stared back into void as if this much acknowledgement was fair enough.
The woman's smile had vanished and deliberation showed on her face. The man snorted, jittery joints yet calm as he was, he clasped the hand of the woman and squeezed it tightly. Eyes twinkled and they walked in further.The smile returned to her face.In just this small gesture he promised the world to be safe for his lady...........
Perhaps all this might not mean much to the world but when I observed the moment all I thought was kudos to this old man. Quite rightfully I can call him the King of hearts !!!!!
A priceless moment and a indefinable emotion.

Times of Sun en Shade

Time never seems to stand still and I wonder how it yet seems so constant.
Been a long time, precisely a year. Last year around this time something incredibly beautiful happened. I found an old friend of mine through www.orkut.com. Probably one of those social networks many people are addicted / aversive to but for me orkut was great. Got in touch with long lost friends.
It was purely coincidental that we happened to be in the same country and were able to talk.
Unexpected and absolutely different.
When you haven't met someone in a long long time it is sometimes just hard to converse. There are often more silences than words, but on the contrary with my friend it was so easy.It was like picking up the ropes from where we left off like about 9 years ago.......
We talked about anything and everything and yet nothing.
The picture I have up here is of a natural bridge. Time and erosion have caused the rock to wear away but at the same time the bond remains. The bridge is formed and it serves a purpose unknown.
Times of sadness and times of pure bliss,
Moments with humor and moods when one of us is pissed...
But nevertheless a wonderful friendship I think we will treasure...
So here's to your my dear friend........and here's to many more good times to come!


I know my friend doesn't read this blog but surely all you people out there ,who are indeed reading this post....... reach out to your old friends sometimes what seems to have been lost over time could be gained by just a moment or two.
Keep the faith!

A hand shake alright! A hug -- Taboo ??

Often times cultures clash and then you wonder why we behave the way we do. Some people stop and think if the practices they follow hold any rationale . Others do not.
According to me no practices ingrained in us (as children/ adults) by a culture are good or bad without a sound reasoning to them.

In the western world the personal space bubble is much smaller or rather narrower than in the eastern worlds.Yes population is one of the main reasons why in the eastern world people like to have more personal space. It other words they try to have more distance from others. Especially people of opposite sex. Sociological studies have indicated that in Japan and China people prefer to stop and talk based on a sound that they make when the pass by.

As a teenager I travelled to Europe and witnessed this much talked about public display of affection. Used to feel disgusted sometimes since I have been brought up in a very very traditional Indian cultural background. Girls are restricted with hundreds of dos and don'ts and guys have to stay within their limits (often the notions of limits is undefined). If you see a guy and a girl walking across the street hugging, walking hand in hand.....or anything more ....Be assured with in a week they would be getting engaged in the eyes of the public.

Who makes the society? Who creates norms ?.....We do.
So what stops us from reframing the norms or changing obselete ideals when they need to be changed?
Why do we measure love so much. We think, analyze and then act.
If we feel like hugging someone and if the person is of the opposite sex why is it such a big deal?
Why do tongues have to wag and thoughts have to race so much .That too of people unconcerned and unaffected ..................The gossipmongers

Yes and I do expect a lot of comments on this blog saying well it's not like that anymore in India most parts of the western world and so on, but believe me having travelled quite a bit and having lived in America for long enough I still sometimes get stuck in this rut of should I or should I not hug someone. And there are hundreds of people like me out there.

All I would say is follow your heart. You feel a friend needs a hug, go ahead . Give the friend a big big hug...........Nothing is more important than being honest to yourself and being true to your emotions. Least important are the chains of a society that burden you with unwanted rituals and traditions which more or less have become hurdles in human expression of emotions.

So go on .................... Live , Love , Follow your heart!