'How did a flying boy first meet a certain one-handed pirate?'
- Back cover, Peter and the Starcatchers, by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson
Everything about the outside of this book is exciting. The obvious Peter Pan reference, the front cover which calls it a 'rip-roaring pirate-filled adventure', its fantastical yet piratey cover image, a suitably fat paperback that promised to be a thrilling read. Yet this book has been sitting on my shelf for years, and I have yet to read it. There is nothing about it which is stopping me. It somehow just never gets read. I wonder how many more such books are there in my bookshelves. Actually, I don't have to wonder. Straight of the bat, I remember those Indiana Jones books on the top shelf. Again, something I've been meaning to read for ages, but they are just gathering dust.
Why is it that there are some books that you really want to read, buy and display in prominent places, and then just never manage to pick up. Even when I get the time and don't have a book in mind, my hand never goes towards these books. I'll either re-read some oldies, or do something else. And I never really forget these books. I know they are waiting for me. But somehow, I don't actually want to read them.
Peter and the Starcatchers. The first thing I loved was the name. Its just the kind of name to want to pick up and read about. Then I loved its image, its nice blue-white twilightish colors. Even the back story was compelling. Sometimes, you can get everything right, and still lose.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Jan 30 - Line for the day
'The great doors are invested with the same power ...'
- Pg 312, Phantom, by Terry Goodkind
Whenever I think of great doors, I think of the pearly gates. Its a amazingly clear visual of fluffy white clouds, big shiny white and gold gates, standing open, with lots of light behind it. A visual made possible by so many movies and other entertainment media. Irrespective of religion, the pearly gates visual stands strong.
The imagery immediately makes me wonder about this innate belief I have that open doors lead to good things, while closed doors are forbidding places. There are, after all, both the unknown. It seems its not so much the fear of the unknown as it is the fear of the dark. Or maybe they just feed off each other. All I know is that in today's world of mistrust, those may be the only doors that we are likely to find open at all!
- Pg 312, Phantom, by Terry Goodkind
Whenever I think of great doors, I think of the pearly gates. Its a amazingly clear visual of fluffy white clouds, big shiny white and gold gates, standing open, with lots of light behind it. A visual made possible by so many movies and other entertainment media. Irrespective of religion, the pearly gates visual stands strong.
The imagery immediately makes me wonder about this innate belief I have that open doors lead to good things, while closed doors are forbidding places. There are, after all, both the unknown. It seems its not so much the fear of the unknown as it is the fear of the dark. Or maybe they just feed off each other. All I know is that in today's world of mistrust, those may be the only doors that we are likely to find open at all!
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Jan 29 - Line for the day
"Well, it's a start," Jobs said, "but basically, it stinks."
- Pg 132, Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson
Why is it that every great idea essentially starts as a stinky one. You think of an out of the box solution or something radically new, and basically everyone will tell you it stinks. And it usually does. But those who stay with the idea, keep at it, work with the stink ... those are the people who go on to change the world.
Sticking with a stinky idea, however, is easier said than done. Once you've come up with what you think is something utterly awesome... only to find out everyone else thinks its duller than mud...that disappointment is a hard one to get over. And no matter how many times you tell yourself that this is the initial phase, if I can just stick with it...it will be glorious. It. just. doesn't. stick. Instead, it just stinks.
So I have great respect for the world changers. And am slowly learning the value of failure. When you are growing up, you are taught to excel. You are not taught that you can excel right off the bat only in known things, where there is a benchmark, prior knowledge, and hard work/intelligence will pay off. You are not taught that you cannot excel right off the bat in the unknown. That you will fail again and again. You are not taught to use failure.
And this is my grouse with today's education system. We are so focused on succeeding in a limited set of things, we go through our entire life blinkered to a lane. We are lauded when we do well. We are given extra classes when we do badly. We are never encouraged to try something different. We are never encouraged to use failure. We are only encouraged to avoid the stink.
- Pg 132, Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson
Why is it that every great idea essentially starts as a stinky one. You think of an out of the box solution or something radically new, and basically everyone will tell you it stinks. And it usually does. But those who stay with the idea, keep at it, work with the stink ... those are the people who go on to change the world.
Sticking with a stinky idea, however, is easier said than done. Once you've come up with what you think is something utterly awesome... only to find out everyone else thinks its duller than mud...that disappointment is a hard one to get over. And no matter how many times you tell yourself that this is the initial phase, if I can just stick with it...it will be glorious. It. just. doesn't. stick. Instead, it just stinks.
So I have great respect for the world changers. And am slowly learning the value of failure. When you are growing up, you are taught to excel. You are not taught that you can excel right off the bat only in known things, where there is a benchmark, prior knowledge, and hard work/intelligence will pay off. You are not taught that you cannot excel right off the bat in the unknown. That you will fail again and again. You are not taught to use failure.
And this is my grouse with today's education system. We are so focused on succeeding in a limited set of things, we go through our entire life blinkered to a lane. We are lauded when we do well. We are given extra classes when we do badly. We are never encouraged to try something different. We are never encouraged to use failure. We are only encouraged to avoid the stink.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Jan 28 - Line for the day
'And when one hundred and eighty pounds of excited dog is on a mission, very little is going to stand in his way.'
- Pg 76, Giant George: Life with the world's biggest dog, by Dave Nasser with Lynne Barrett-Lee
Ha ha ... how visual is that sentence! Especially if you are a large breed dog owner. Now I have no idea how much 180 pounds is, since I think in kilograms. But large dogs racing towards you and jumping on you...that I can completely identify with! As a pet mom to a lab-mix who tops me in height when he stands up, this dog's loving can get a bit hairy! The funny thing is when you see him everyday, you get used to his size. But then hey presto, we get visitors...and its like armageddon with ear-shattering sound effects. Every visitor must be inspected in the noisiest way possible, with lots of jumping and barking. Usually we have to spirit him away to another room (bribed with biscuits of course), just to let someone in the door! Once he knows someone has entered his domain, he will scratch the door down trying to get out. So we sheepishly will explain our dog to our guests, promise them no harm as long as they sit still as statue and let our dog sniff all over them. And of course Nero (our dog), being passive-aggressive, will shy and snarl at the slightest movement from the guests. The funny part is, that he actually loves to be around people. After the initial hullabaloo, he will settle in and get comfy right in the middle of everyone, and as long as no one rises and moves around, he will be as good as gold. But woe betide someone who might want to freshen up. The entire cycle will play itself out again!
The only way to break the cycle is to either have people stay over (where he will settle down after the first hour or so) or not have guests over at all! Because he may not be 180 pounds, but he isn't going to take intruders in his domain lying down..ever!
- Pg 76, Giant George: Life with the world's biggest dog, by Dave Nasser with Lynne Barrett-Lee
Ha ha ... how visual is that sentence! Especially if you are a large breed dog owner. Now I have no idea how much 180 pounds is, since I think in kilograms. But large dogs racing towards you and jumping on you...that I can completely identify with! As a pet mom to a lab-mix who tops me in height when he stands up, this dog's loving can get a bit hairy! The funny thing is when you see him everyday, you get used to his size. But then hey presto, we get visitors...and its like armageddon with ear-shattering sound effects. Every visitor must be inspected in the noisiest way possible, with lots of jumping and barking. Usually we have to spirit him away to another room (bribed with biscuits of course), just to let someone in the door! Once he knows someone has entered his domain, he will scratch the door down trying to get out. So we sheepishly will explain our dog to our guests, promise them no harm as long as they sit still as statue and let our dog sniff all over them. And of course Nero (our dog), being passive-aggressive, will shy and snarl at the slightest movement from the guests. The funny part is, that he actually loves to be around people. After the initial hullabaloo, he will settle in and get comfy right in the middle of everyone, and as long as no one rises and moves around, he will be as good as gold. But woe betide someone who might want to freshen up. The entire cycle will play itself out again!
The only way to break the cycle is to either have people stay over (where he will settle down after the first hour or so) or not have guests over at all! Because he may not be 180 pounds, but he isn't going to take intruders in his domain lying down..ever!
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Jan 27 - Line for the day
'A few years ago, before you were born, a society of humans, a secret organisation, was formed ...'
- Pg 134, Dark Magic, by Christine Feehan
Oooh...what an exciting line. Something about secret organisations always sound so mysterious and thrilling. Even if the society doesn't do anything much. But if its a secret society...it must be exciting work! Or so we like to believe.
There is nothing more exciting than curling up with a warm comforter and a thrilling book full of magic and mysteries. It is the stuff of fantasy, of legends, of myths...of mysterious mists and foreboding castles, sorcery and lightning as evil tries to take over the world and good gives it a good pounding...not before getting bruised and battered itself. High drama and eerieness that stops just short of outright horror (okay I'm not a horror and gore fan). And there must be some star crossed lovers; bold, growing into their power men and women and of course the bad bad villain who has had eons of dabbling in bad things and must be defeated at all costs. Well thats the traditional story anyway. Recently, I read the Game of Thrones series, and the lack of a clear villain, the shades of grey in every character was an interesting revelation. It seems that, for me, when it comes to magic and mystery, a good story can eclipse the sometimes nebulous line between good and bad...because clearly it is all relative. And a master story teller will keep me on the edge as I try and identify with the characters being drawn up. And find that they are oh so human (or elf or mage or shapeshifters or vampires) people, put in circumstances that make them rise beyond themselves and become the stuff of legends. Come to think of that...thats not so fantastical after all!
- Pg 134, Dark Magic, by Christine Feehan
Oooh...what an exciting line. Something about secret organisations always sound so mysterious and thrilling. Even if the society doesn't do anything much. But if its a secret society...it must be exciting work! Or so we like to believe.
There is nothing more exciting than curling up with a warm comforter and a thrilling book full of magic and mysteries. It is the stuff of fantasy, of legends, of myths...of mysterious mists and foreboding castles, sorcery and lightning as evil tries to take over the world and good gives it a good pounding...not before getting bruised and battered itself. High drama and eerieness that stops just short of outright horror (okay I'm not a horror and gore fan). And there must be some star crossed lovers; bold, growing into their power men and women and of course the bad bad villain who has had eons of dabbling in bad things and must be defeated at all costs. Well thats the traditional story anyway. Recently, I read the Game of Thrones series, and the lack of a clear villain, the shades of grey in every character was an interesting revelation. It seems that, for me, when it comes to magic and mystery, a good story can eclipse the sometimes nebulous line between good and bad...because clearly it is all relative. And a master story teller will keep me on the edge as I try and identify with the characters being drawn up. And find that they are oh so human (or elf or mage or shapeshifters or vampires) people, put in circumstances that make them rise beyond themselves and become the stuff of legends. Come to think of that...thats not so fantastical after all!
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Jan 26 - Line for the day
'The duikers are a collection of antelopes found only in Africa.'
-Pg 89, The Overloaded Ark, by Gerald Durrell
No matter how many times I have read this book, I did not remember this animal. Gerald Durrell creates fabulous portraits of animals, places, people and cultures with his word. And they are all real. Not pieces of fiction. Real honest to God experiences. Makes me realize how inexperienced I really am...in life. They say travel broadens your mind. But today, when we travel, it is on set routes with set itineraries and with similar minded people. We sightsee from a checklist, and zoom about like clockwork toys, too busy to 'be there' and 'do that', than actually imbibe the atmosphere of a place. For all that imbibing, there is television and internet surfing. So we know about the cultures of a place from various sources, but when we are actually there, we are too busy 'seeing' the sights, to actually feel the place. How is this broadening my mind? Hell, people even want to eat the same foods! Now I'm not against having a set menu to keep the old digestion ticking during a vacation. But really, not even sampling the local cuisine? I remember a group trip to Italy where the group actually had to revolt right down to the last person for us to have one Italian lunch. Otherwise it was Indian food, morning, noon and night. And I don't blame them. I know many travellers who demand this of the tour organisers. But really, 10 days in Italy and not having pizza even once!!
And that is just gastronomy. In a recent trip to US (my first), we did the usual sights. But then on a road trip from DC to Canada, we detoured into random villages, ate at a diner, climbed the local observation tower, chased down covered bridges, and generally had the time of our lives. I'm not saying that I did not like seeing Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building or the other postcard places. But they didn't warm my heart as much as those detours did. They didn't broaden my mind...come on we've seen them in countless movies by now. But walking around in those anonymous parks and lost village roads ... ah ... thats where the charm was.
And this is where I envy Durrell. For he lived a life that held many many lifetimes of experiences. He found charm in the little unknown places. In anonymous people. In forgotten fellow living beings who inhabit this earth with us. Like the duikers.
-Pg 89, The Overloaded Ark, by Gerald Durrell
No matter how many times I have read this book, I did not remember this animal. Gerald Durrell creates fabulous portraits of animals, places, people and cultures with his word. And they are all real. Not pieces of fiction. Real honest to God experiences. Makes me realize how inexperienced I really am...in life. They say travel broadens your mind. But today, when we travel, it is on set routes with set itineraries and with similar minded people. We sightsee from a checklist, and zoom about like clockwork toys, too busy to 'be there' and 'do that', than actually imbibe the atmosphere of a place. For all that imbibing, there is television and internet surfing. So we know about the cultures of a place from various sources, but when we are actually there, we are too busy 'seeing' the sights, to actually feel the place. How is this broadening my mind? Hell, people even want to eat the same foods! Now I'm not against having a set menu to keep the old digestion ticking during a vacation. But really, not even sampling the local cuisine? I remember a group trip to Italy where the group actually had to revolt right down to the last person for us to have one Italian lunch. Otherwise it was Indian food, morning, noon and night. And I don't blame them. I know many travellers who demand this of the tour organisers. But really, 10 days in Italy and not having pizza even once!!
And that is just gastronomy. In a recent trip to US (my first), we did the usual sights. But then on a road trip from DC to Canada, we detoured into random villages, ate at a diner, climbed the local observation tower, chased down covered bridges, and generally had the time of our lives. I'm not saying that I did not like seeing Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building or the other postcard places. But they didn't warm my heart as much as those detours did. They didn't broaden my mind...come on we've seen them in countless movies by now. But walking around in those anonymous parks and lost village roads ... ah ... thats where the charm was.
And this is where I envy Durrell. For he lived a life that held many many lifetimes of experiences. He found charm in the little unknown places. In anonymous people. In forgotten fellow living beings who inhabit this earth with us. Like the duikers.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Jan 25 - Line for the day
'Shakti?' asked a surprised Brahaspati. 'Interesting ...'
- Pg 133, The Immortals of Meluha, by Amish Tripathi
How many 's's are there in that line. The first thing my eye noticed was the alliterative 's'es. They seems to jump out from that sentence in a sinuous dance. Essss....! Hissy like the very snake Shiva wears around himself. Of course the line is spoken by Brahaspati, he of lotus flowers and many heads. Oh wait, I'm confusing Brahaspati with Brahma...yeouch! Hubris alert! I am not at all a religious person, but I love mythology. Those are some of the greatest stories. So, yea...cringing on that misidentification there. But come on..they both start with 'Brah..' ... okay okay on thin ice here...best to accept the faux pas and move on!
Well lost track of the sentence in all that misadventure. Looked at it again...and there it is..again..all those 's's. Someone would think thats the most used letter in the language (which of course we all know is 'e' ... or I sincerely hope so...two dumb mistakes in one post would be utterly embarrassing!) This is one of those times I wish I hadn't put a condition on myself to write what comes first to mind. What I would give to do a quick google check! Maybe just a tiny search...
...
...
or not...sigh! Maybe I should just give up and wait for a new day. Shiva...the destroyer...today was not a day of creation. I hope Amish T. is having better luck with his final book of the trilogy!
- Pg 133, The Immortals of Meluha, by Amish Tripathi
How many 's's are there in that line. The first thing my eye noticed was the alliterative 's'es. They seems to jump out from that sentence in a sinuous dance. Essss....! Hissy like the very snake Shiva wears around himself. Of course the line is spoken by Brahaspati, he of lotus flowers and many heads. Oh wait, I'm confusing Brahaspati with Brahma...yeouch! Hubris alert! I am not at all a religious person, but I love mythology. Those are some of the greatest stories. So, yea...cringing on that misidentification there. But come on..they both start with 'Brah..' ... okay okay on thin ice here...best to accept the faux pas and move on!
Well lost track of the sentence in all that misadventure. Looked at it again...and there it is..again..all those 's's. Someone would think thats the most used letter in the language (which of course we all know is 'e' ... or I sincerely hope so...two dumb mistakes in one post would be utterly embarrassing!) This is one of those times I wish I hadn't put a condition on myself to write what comes first to mind. What I would give to do a quick google check! Maybe just a tiny search...
...
...
or not...sigh! Maybe I should just give up and wait for a new day. Shiva...the destroyer...today was not a day of creation. I hope Amish T. is having better luck with his final book of the trilogy!
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Jan 24 - Line for the day
'A significant fraction of thru-hikers reach Katahdin, then turn around and start back to Georgia.'
- Pg 153, A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson
I am a vicarious traveller. I'll go anywhere with you in my mind, as long as my body is warmly cocooned in the comfort of my home. And when I do travel, I like it pest-free, luxurious, minimum physical exertions and nice weather. Thats why I usually end up at the beach. So it boggles my mind, why anyone would want to hike miles through rough flora, pesky to deadly fauna, poor sanitation and uncomfortable beds. Even if the weather is nice.
Yea, I get the whole lets get back in touch with nature bit. But did we forget, nature is dangerous! Man has spent centuries creating security and comfort from the ravages of nature. So why in Gods name would I want to go back and experience a Neanderthal's daily struggle?
So whether its hiking or thru-hiking (whatever that means), I'll pass thank you. You can take the hike, while I sit and read about it from my beach lounger :)
- Pg 153, A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson
I am a vicarious traveller. I'll go anywhere with you in my mind, as long as my body is warmly cocooned in the comfort of my home. And when I do travel, I like it pest-free, luxurious, minimum physical exertions and nice weather. Thats why I usually end up at the beach. So it boggles my mind, why anyone would want to hike miles through rough flora, pesky to deadly fauna, poor sanitation and uncomfortable beds. Even if the weather is nice.
Yea, I get the whole lets get back in touch with nature bit. But did we forget, nature is dangerous! Man has spent centuries creating security and comfort from the ravages of nature. So why in Gods name would I want to go back and experience a Neanderthal's daily struggle?
So whether its hiking or thru-hiking (whatever that means), I'll pass thank you. You can take the hike, while I sit and read about it from my beach lounger :)
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Jan 23 - Line for the day
'"Come in!" said a quiet, low voice.'
- Pg 73, Come To The Circus, by Enid Blyton
The line, in a children's book, immediately created a sense of foreboding in me. It (the feeling) made no sense. This was an innocent children's book. Enid Blyton was the staple of my childhood vicarious adventures. I loved the naughty, intrepid, fun loving kids. But my first reaction was one of dread. Thats what this world has come to....lost innocence. As a mother of a young daughter, I am constantly worried that my child is going to grow up in a world that has no place for the innocents. Our children are barely innocent anymore. Every day in the media you hear about unspeakable acts on innocent children, while a strangled justice system runs circles around itself and the perpetrators run bold and free. From a young age, you are told to beware of strangers, strange things and strange places. And never ever to accept anything from anyone. Forget strangers, today most crimes are committed by known people. In this dreadful scenario, where is the space to let a child's natural curosity grow? A child's development is expansive...it needs space. But for security reasons, we are constantly shrinking this allowable space for them. And even then the worry doesn't go away. So much so that an innocent statement in a much-loved book starts to take on sinister tones. What world are we bringing our children into?
This may of course also be a parent's heightened need to keep their child secure. It reminds me of Marlin, the dad fish in the movie 'Finding Nemo'. There is a dialogue between him and Dory, his travel companion. Marlin promised his son that he would never let anything happen to him (Nemo). Dory says, thats a funny thing to promise...because then Nothing would ever happen to him! As a parent, this is the fine line to walk. A very very fine line.
- Pg 73, Come To The Circus, by Enid Blyton
The line, in a children's book, immediately created a sense of foreboding in me. It (the feeling) made no sense. This was an innocent children's book. Enid Blyton was the staple of my childhood vicarious adventures. I loved the naughty, intrepid, fun loving kids. But my first reaction was one of dread. Thats what this world has come to....lost innocence. As a mother of a young daughter, I am constantly worried that my child is going to grow up in a world that has no place for the innocents. Our children are barely innocent anymore. Every day in the media you hear about unspeakable acts on innocent children, while a strangled justice system runs circles around itself and the perpetrators run bold and free. From a young age, you are told to beware of strangers, strange things and strange places. And never ever to accept anything from anyone. Forget strangers, today most crimes are committed by known people. In this dreadful scenario, where is the space to let a child's natural curosity grow? A child's development is expansive...it needs space. But for security reasons, we are constantly shrinking this allowable space for them. And even then the worry doesn't go away. So much so that an innocent statement in a much-loved book starts to take on sinister tones. What world are we bringing our children into?
This may of course also be a parent's heightened need to keep their child secure. It reminds me of Marlin, the dad fish in the movie 'Finding Nemo'. There is a dialogue between him and Dory, his travel companion. Marlin promised his son that he would never let anything happen to him (Nemo). Dory says, thats a funny thing to promise...because then Nothing would ever happen to him! As a parent, this is the fine line to walk. A very very fine line.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Jan 22 - Line for the day
'The room we have rented looks gorgeous, all red velvet drapes and deco accents, like something out of an Erte drawing.'
- Pg 102, Pick me Up, by Zoe Rice
So the last 'e' in 'Erte' has an accent on it. I'm not sure how to reproduce that here...or even if I want to take the time and effort to figure out. Something about the world of art always makes me feel that its so pretentious. Really, all those squiggly lines or dabs of color actually mean something? I mean I get nice photos of stuff, landscapes, babies, stuff in action. I don't get random swirls of colors...most of the times. I don't get why a painting should cost more than how much it would take to sustain a community of people. I don't get why knowing how different brush strokes, artist names, schools of work, time periods etc. should be quintessential to be considered a connoisseur. So some people call differentiate one stroke of brush from the other...good for them. What I don't understand is why if I can't differentiate it, I'm not worthy of art. If true art is something that makes people think, see things in a different way, open their eyes, appreciate something ... how does it matter if I can name fifteen gazillion masters of art or not. To someone red velvet is art...to another its garish. I've really lost track of my rant here! All I know is that the world of art is much larger than a few people who are pretentious about it. And I don't care if what I like is a masterpiece or worth less than the medium its made on. The fact is I like it. And red velvet ain't really my cup of tea. Having said that..I'm off to google Erte drawing and how to get an accent in blogger text!
- Pg 102, Pick me Up, by Zoe Rice
So the last 'e' in 'Erte' has an accent on it. I'm not sure how to reproduce that here...or even if I want to take the time and effort to figure out. Something about the world of art always makes me feel that its so pretentious. Really, all those squiggly lines or dabs of color actually mean something? I mean I get nice photos of stuff, landscapes, babies, stuff in action. I don't get random swirls of colors...most of the times. I don't get why a painting should cost more than how much it would take to sustain a community of people. I don't get why knowing how different brush strokes, artist names, schools of work, time periods etc. should be quintessential to be considered a connoisseur. So some people call differentiate one stroke of brush from the other...good for them. What I don't understand is why if I can't differentiate it, I'm not worthy of art. If true art is something that makes people think, see things in a different way, open their eyes, appreciate something ... how does it matter if I can name fifteen gazillion masters of art or not. To someone red velvet is art...to another its garish. I've really lost track of my rant here! All I know is that the world of art is much larger than a few people who are pretentious about it. And I don't care if what I like is a masterpiece or worth less than the medium its made on. The fact is I like it. And red velvet ain't really my cup of tea. Having said that..I'm off to google Erte drawing and how to get an accent in blogger text!
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Jan 20 - Line for the day
'Sure, the presents you've stacked up for baby are perfectly safe and appropriatefor his or her play, but there is a good chance that the gifts you are giving to other family members aren't.
- Pg 523, What to Expect the first year, by Heidi Murkoff with Sharon Mazel
Okay, once you have a baby in the house, no one is going to give you gifts. All gifting is baby gifting. And those friends who are not very versed with parenting...you will get chocolates/sweets, or flowers...or both. Basically, the center of the world will be the baby. And most of the time you will be perfectly happy with it. But there are teeny tiny times when you'd like a gift that has nothing to do with kids, family or motherhood. Even if you are no longer sure what you need it for. Something to remind you of yourself BC (before child). Because once you are in AD (after delivery)...you are in a totally different stage of life, where you always tend to put yourself second (or third or last). And thats fine too. The key (as always) is in balance. Which is a great thing to say... and an insanely difficult thing to do.
- Pg 523, What to Expect the first year, by Heidi Murkoff with Sharon Mazel
Okay, once you have a baby in the house, no one is going to give you gifts. All gifting is baby gifting. And those friends who are not very versed with parenting...you will get chocolates/sweets, or flowers...or both. Basically, the center of the world will be the baby. And most of the time you will be perfectly happy with it. But there are teeny tiny times when you'd like a gift that has nothing to do with kids, family or motherhood. Even if you are no longer sure what you need it for. Something to remind you of yourself BC (before child). Because once you are in AD (after delivery)...you are in a totally different stage of life, where you always tend to put yourself second (or third or last). And thats fine too. The key (as always) is in balance. Which is a great thing to say... and an insanely difficult thing to do.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Jan 19 - Line for the day
"In the afternoon sun, the landscape seemed to need nothing more than a simple alchemy of light and air and water to burgeon green and ripe."
- Pg 57, Where On Earth Am I? Confusions of a Travelling Man, by Jug Suraiya
In truth this wasn't the first line I saw. It wasn't even the first book I picked. When random book openings (much like the book cricket we used to play at school) refused to yield a satisfactory line...I wrestled with my need to sticking to my own rule of randomness, and with the need to get a line that would get me writing. In frustration, I turned to my significant other to pick a book and then closed my eyes and opened a random page. Mission accomplished...with deviations!
But thats life. Someone who says I will be exactly this way for the rest of my life come what may...I wonder if is that really possible? In this world where we say the only thing constant is change...how can we map out our actions to the perfect T? But if we can't map out our actions..why plan at all? why save at all? why think about the future at all? Because if all we have is the present...why waste it on the future?
The line above...my eyes have skipped so many times over it without actually reading it...I've lost count. Every time I start to read it it goes...In the afternoon sun...landscape...alchemy of light...burgeon green and ripe. And then..Where on Earth am I? Confusions of a Travelling Man. And yes I do wonder..where on earth am I? forget earth...any metaphysical plane...where am I? where am I going? why am I here? Am I really here? Or is this a shadow of me from another plane? And how are my actions relevant in the larger scheme of things? What IS the larger scheme of things? What is 'things'?
???
???
???
- Pg 57, Where On Earth Am I? Confusions of a Travelling Man, by Jug Suraiya
In truth this wasn't the first line I saw. It wasn't even the first book I picked. When random book openings (much like the book cricket we used to play at school) refused to yield a satisfactory line...I wrestled with my need to sticking to my own rule of randomness, and with the need to get a line that would get me writing. In frustration, I turned to my significant other to pick a book and then closed my eyes and opened a random page. Mission accomplished...with deviations!
But thats life. Someone who says I will be exactly this way for the rest of my life come what may...I wonder if is that really possible? In this world where we say the only thing constant is change...how can we map out our actions to the perfect T? But if we can't map out our actions..why plan at all? why save at all? why think about the future at all? Because if all we have is the present...why waste it on the future?
The line above...my eyes have skipped so many times over it without actually reading it...I've lost count. Every time I start to read it it goes...In the afternoon sun...landscape...alchemy of light...burgeon green and ripe. And then..Where on Earth am I? Confusions of a Travelling Man. And yes I do wonder..where on earth am I? forget earth...any metaphysical plane...where am I? where am I going? why am I here? Am I really here? Or is this a shadow of me from another plane? And how are my actions relevant in the larger scheme of things? What IS the larger scheme of things? What is 'things'?
???
???
???
Friday, January 18, 2013
Jan 18 - Line for the day
'It's a thrill to fulfil your own childhood dreams, but as you get older, you may find that enabling the dreams of others is even more fun.'
- Pg 117, Chapter 'Training a Jedi', The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow
Wow...what a line. Something that completely resonates with where I am in life. This is where all my personal growth activities, my chosen career path, and my very being seems to be leading me. Interestingly, when I first read the line, I stopped at the first comma...and then after a slight pause of wondering whether to get on with the blog (its past midnight) or just read through, something made me read it to the end. And wow, it completely changed the way I read the line!
Story of my life I think. I reach a place where I hit a pause. In that pause, when I take the opportunity to refrain from immediate action and actually take a moment of nothingness, the ensuing future - usually never the way I envisaged it - turns out to be so much more richer and fulfilling that anything I could have dreamed up! I remember a point where I thought my life was so much in control, along the lines I had planned it..everything falling into place. And then everything fell out of place, and churned, and kept churning, and still keeps churning. And it continues to create dissonance in me, who likes everything planned and in its place. And yet, the experiences that I've had, have taught me so much more, about life and even more about myself.
I used to think two steps ahead of where I was. While writing, I would know how the sentence would end and the next one start. I still do that...hey its me :) But at the same time, I also recognise that sometimes I don't have the words. And its okay to not have words. Like when I started this One Line A Day exercise, I told myself no backspaces, no deletions...just type what comes to mind. And yet at the end of the last paragraph, I tried out at least 4 different sentences to follow that last sentence...before deleting all of them.
Maybe thats the grace. The grace you give yourself not to be perfect, but to be in the moment. And when I am out of the trap of being perfect, I can be with myself, or be with the person in front of me... completely and wholly. Not as a solution provider, but as a listener. Not to fix things, but to support, to listen, to give them space to let it all out. Because most of the time, we are not looking for solutions. We are just looking for someone who cares.
- Pg 117, Chapter 'Training a Jedi', The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow
Wow...what a line. Something that completely resonates with where I am in life. This is where all my personal growth activities, my chosen career path, and my very being seems to be leading me. Interestingly, when I first read the line, I stopped at the first comma...and then after a slight pause of wondering whether to get on with the blog (its past midnight) or just read through, something made me read it to the end. And wow, it completely changed the way I read the line!
Story of my life I think. I reach a place where I hit a pause. In that pause, when I take the opportunity to refrain from immediate action and actually take a moment of nothingness, the ensuing future - usually never the way I envisaged it - turns out to be so much more richer and fulfilling that anything I could have dreamed up! I remember a point where I thought my life was so much in control, along the lines I had planned it..everything falling into place. And then everything fell out of place, and churned, and kept churning, and still keeps churning. And it continues to create dissonance in me, who likes everything planned and in its place. And yet, the experiences that I've had, have taught me so much more, about life and even more about myself.
I used to think two steps ahead of where I was. While writing, I would know how the sentence would end and the next one start. I still do that...hey its me :) But at the same time, I also recognise that sometimes I don't have the words. And its okay to not have words. Like when I started this One Line A Day exercise, I told myself no backspaces, no deletions...just type what comes to mind. And yet at the end of the last paragraph, I tried out at least 4 different sentences to follow that last sentence...before deleting all of them.
Maybe thats the grace. The grace you give yourself not to be perfect, but to be in the moment. And when I am out of the trap of being perfect, I can be with myself, or be with the person in front of me... completely and wholly. Not as a solution provider, but as a listener. Not to fix things, but to support, to listen, to give them space to let it all out. Because most of the time, we are not looking for solutions. We are just looking for someone who cares.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Jan 17 - Line for the day
'He's going to die right here in the street ...'
- Page 171, The City of Joy, Dominique Lapierre
Wow..what a depressing line to pick up. Dying on the street sounds like such a lonely way to go. Public, but lonely. Or maybe thats just my fear of dying alone. Death comes to all...but to die alone freezes me up inside. Its probably selfish of me. Undoubtedly, death is probably harder on the living...or so I believe. And yet, dying alone must surely be the most tragic way to go.
...
...
...
Nothing else comes to mind. Just silence.
- Page 171, The City of Joy, Dominique Lapierre
Wow..what a depressing line to pick up. Dying on the street sounds like such a lonely way to go. Public, but lonely. Or maybe thats just my fear of dying alone. Death comes to all...but to die alone freezes me up inside. Its probably selfish of me. Undoubtedly, death is probably harder on the living...or so I believe. And yet, dying alone must surely be the most tragic way to go.
...
...
...
Nothing else comes to mind. Just silence.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Jan 16 - Line for the day
Today's line:
'He moved on to the sports pages, to find a photograph of an elegantly dressed Fred Perry ...'
- Pg 231, Only Time Will Tell, by Jeffrey Archer
The actual sentence is longer, but this part is what my eyes fell on. I wonder who Fred Perry is (no I haven't read this book yet.) Is it a character or an actual sportsperson? And why is he elegantly dressed in the sports pages? Sartorialism isn't what one expects from sports pages. You expect to see sweaty, dirty people in various poses of action, triumph or defeat. But hey, that prejudice isn't it. Undoubtedly, sports people have (or are supposed to have) physiques that should show the drape of the cloth beautifully. But is it just me who expects sports on the sports page, not fashion. Or is this just another instance of pigeon holing people based on perception.
For me, it is quite an eye opener. I consider myself fairly open minded. And yet, I'm pigeon holing people without even being aware of it, and then reacting from that position. And it probably is also my attitude about fashion. I don't understand it, I don't care about it. The only fashion I like watching are probably red carpet gowns. But the rest of fashion, bah...look at the models..none of that is ever going to fit me...so why bother. As for sports, well truth be told, I hardly read those newpaper pages anyway. Maybe today, I'll just pick up one for a change!
'He moved on to the sports pages, to find a photograph of an elegantly dressed Fred Perry ...'
- Pg 231, Only Time Will Tell, by Jeffrey Archer
The actual sentence is longer, but this part is what my eyes fell on. I wonder who Fred Perry is (no I haven't read this book yet.) Is it a character or an actual sportsperson? And why is he elegantly dressed in the sports pages? Sartorialism isn't what one expects from sports pages. You expect to see sweaty, dirty people in various poses of action, triumph or defeat. But hey, that prejudice isn't it. Undoubtedly, sports people have (or are supposed to have) physiques that should show the drape of the cloth beautifully. But is it just me who expects sports on the sports page, not fashion. Or is this just another instance of pigeon holing people based on perception.
For me, it is quite an eye opener. I consider myself fairly open minded. And yet, I'm pigeon holing people without even being aware of it, and then reacting from that position. And it probably is also my attitude about fashion. I don't understand it, I don't care about it. The only fashion I like watching are probably red carpet gowns. But the rest of fashion, bah...look at the models..none of that is ever going to fit me...so why bother. As for sports, well truth be told, I hardly read those newpaper pages anyway. Maybe today, I'll just pick up one for a change!
A line a day
Another new year, another resolution...though not new! Yet again, a resolution to write more...any kind of writing! So to start off, I plan to pick a random line out of a random book and write about it.
Today's line:
"Well, first of all its job is to persuade people to buy what you have to sell, and do it by being as glossy and seductive as possible and only telling people what you want them to know."
- Pg 93, The Salmon of Doubt, by Douglas Adams
The line is referring to a brochure. I had to read the line before it to understand what it was all about. Even then, I feel a bit stranded and at sea on the context. First thoughts, gosh I really need to read this book again. I remember reading it, and liking it...and usually I remember the general gist of the books I read (and like.) But this one ... nothing. Not even after reading the back cover synopsis (of course I would read that first!) All I got was a feeling of 'yep of course I've read it, but can't remember what was in it!'
A parallel thought was marketing?? My first line ends up a marketing line? How weird. Why exactly its weird I don't know. But the feeling is one of 'whoa...was not expecting that!'
The second thought doesn't lead me anywhere...but as I write this, I'm thinking I'm just sitting with the thought...is that my state of 'being'...am I finally getting the feel of that elusive state of 'just being'? Of course thinking about it destroys the state...much like Schrodinger's cat ... once you gain knowledge, you lose that suspended moment of 'being'.
As I digressed on being...and the thought of being, one part of my brain is jumping up and down saying, your first thought also led to more thoughts. Thoughts that were in my mind and ready to be typed even as I was typing the earlier paragraph. They were so clear then, but now seem nebulous bits of fluff. Here...I took a pause and leant my head on my arm to look at the laptop to actually sit and think about the thoughts that I sidelined. I'm sure they are rattling around in there somewhere. But I'm not sure why I need to stop and think about them, when I'm already in the flow and writing. Because in the end, writing is the goal isn't it. Not incoherent thoughts. Or misaligned paras. Or even lack of a central plot.
And all I feel now is wow...way to ramble! The line was on persuasion, glossiness and seduction, telling people what you want them to know. And maybe thats what we all are on the outside. The way people see us, the way we want them to see us and the way we see ourselves. But underneath that brochure, there is a morass of incoherent ramblings, random connections and just being. Our inner chaos. Always there, always suppressed by the need for rationale, purpose and result. As nonsense sounding as the Salmon of Doubt (really? what kind of name is that!), but then, every profound thought that deals with the randomness of existence, probably sounds like nonsense to a neat t's-crossed, i's-dotted brochure.
Today's line:
"Well, first of all its job is to persuade people to buy what you have to sell, and do it by being as glossy and seductive as possible and only telling people what you want them to know."
- Pg 93, The Salmon of Doubt, by Douglas Adams
The line is referring to a brochure. I had to read the line before it to understand what it was all about. Even then, I feel a bit stranded and at sea on the context. First thoughts, gosh I really need to read this book again. I remember reading it, and liking it...and usually I remember the general gist of the books I read (and like.) But this one ... nothing. Not even after reading the back cover synopsis (of course I would read that first!) All I got was a feeling of 'yep of course I've read it, but can't remember what was in it!'
A parallel thought was marketing?? My first line ends up a marketing line? How weird. Why exactly its weird I don't know. But the feeling is one of 'whoa...was not expecting that!'
The second thought doesn't lead me anywhere...but as I write this, I'm thinking I'm just sitting with the thought...is that my state of 'being'...am I finally getting the feel of that elusive state of 'just being'? Of course thinking about it destroys the state...much like Schrodinger's cat ... once you gain knowledge, you lose that suspended moment of 'being'.
As I digressed on being...and the thought of being, one part of my brain is jumping up and down saying, your first thought also led to more thoughts. Thoughts that were in my mind and ready to be typed even as I was typing the earlier paragraph. They were so clear then, but now seem nebulous bits of fluff. Here...I took a pause and leant my head on my arm to look at the laptop to actually sit and think about the thoughts that I sidelined. I'm sure they are rattling around in there somewhere. But I'm not sure why I need to stop and think about them, when I'm already in the flow and writing. Because in the end, writing is the goal isn't it. Not incoherent thoughts. Or misaligned paras. Or even lack of a central plot.
And all I feel now is wow...way to ramble! The line was on persuasion, glossiness and seduction, telling people what you want them to know. And maybe thats what we all are on the outside. The way people see us, the way we want them to see us and the way we see ourselves. But underneath that brochure, there is a morass of incoherent ramblings, random connections and just being. Our inner chaos. Always there, always suppressed by the need for rationale, purpose and result. As nonsense sounding as the Salmon of Doubt (really? what kind of name is that!), but then, every profound thought that deals with the randomness of existence, probably sounds like nonsense to a neat t's-crossed, i's-dotted brochure.
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