I started this blog with the intention of being honest and fearless. Honest about my thoughts and perspectives, without fearing the need to accomodate anybody's sensitivities.
Anonymity, I figured, was key in being true to oneself. And so I became just another fly on the wall.
That has changed this past week.
Perhaps impulsively or perhaps knowingly I revealed myself to a friend. And here amidst the thoughts and perspectives, she found something that I had been hiding. My voice.
And so I learn to talk again. And I love it.
PS: Thank you. You know who you are.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Saturday, August 15, 2009
What matters most
The question of what matters most is a difficult one to answer. How does one choose between one's values, family and friends, not to mention the precious things gathered over a lifetime. Some things are more expensive than others. However, in some cases, even the easily available can be deemed precious due to memories associated with it.
But today's post is not about what matters most or rather should matter most. Far from it. I'm afraid I am still searching for an answer. My post, rant if you will, has just one objective: to reflect on what has actually mattered to us in the past - not as individuals, but as a group.
A question that I'm forced to reflect on after I received this text message from a friend:
Before you all jump to question the accuracy of the numbers, let me disown them here and now. I make no claim to the numerical / statistical accuracy of these. I'd rather just focus on these two contrasting images and try to reconcile them.
Or lets take another example: In cricket, the first testicular guard was reportedly used in 1871. The first helmet was used only in 1971, a full hundred years later.
Granted, my viewpoint may be labeled narrow and the number of examples given are far too few. but my submission is that these simply highlight the fact that we value passing on our genes to the next generation as more important than self preservation, even though our genes may be corrupted by viruses and the resulting progeny would be short lived . . .
20/8 EDIT:
. . . Or may be I am simply trying to look for a common thread where none exists.
But at some level, I believe that as a species, our evolutionary objective has always been survival. To survive (as a species) means to just do two things:
1 - eat
2 - mate
In the competitive environment that we live in, where not all of us have access to resources or mates, we are forced to adapt. We do what we can to attract more of both of these. Some work their butts off, others go to school, still others steal. And I blog.
Perhaps then, it is not the precious or priceless artifact, it is not the person and it most certainly is not the money which matters most. It would not even our values (a level above the tangible). The answer is perhaps more basic.
Interesting, no?
PS: I shall keep updating this post as I reflect more. Comments are welcome
But today's post is not about what matters most or rather should matter most. Far from it. I'm afraid I am still searching for an answer. My post, rant if you will, has just one objective: to reflect on what has actually mattered to us in the past - not as individuals, but as a group.
A question that I'm forced to reflect on after I received this text message from a friend:
90 people get swine flu and the whole world wants to wear surgical masks. 20 million people have AIDS and yet, no one is keen to wear a condom.
Before you all jump to question the accuracy of the numbers, let me disown them here and now. I make no claim to the numerical / statistical accuracy of these. I'd rather just focus on these two contrasting images and try to reconcile them.
Or lets take another example: In cricket, the first testicular guard was reportedly used in 1871. The first helmet was used only in 1971, a full hundred years later.
Granted, my viewpoint may be labeled narrow and the number of examples given are far too few. but my submission is that these simply highlight the fact that we value passing on our genes to the next generation as more important than self preservation, even though our genes may be corrupted by viruses and the resulting progeny would be short lived . . .
20/8 EDIT:
. . . Or may be I am simply trying to look for a common thread where none exists.
But at some level, I believe that as a species, our evolutionary objective has always been survival. To survive (as a species) means to just do two things:
1 - eat
2 - mate
In the competitive environment that we live in, where not all of us have access to resources or mates, we are forced to adapt. We do what we can to attract more of both of these. Some work their butts off, others go to school, still others steal. And I blog.
Perhaps then, it is not the precious or priceless artifact, it is not the person and it most certainly is not the money which matters most. It would not even our values (a level above the tangible). The answer is perhaps more basic.
Interesting, no?
PS: I shall keep updating this post as I reflect more. Comments are welcome
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The making of a mother
The mighty river flowed and surged,
Ignoring those staring from the edge,
Mere mortals that they were,
Pondering the perils of being bottom fetch’d.
Trembling with fear, they boarded the raft,
So tiny was it, she almost laughed,
Oh! I could eat them whole, they’ll never know
Their virgin voyage, ended with a breath’s gasp.
Perhaps to humour herself, she let them row
Making small waves for them to conquer,
Having them yell, ‘Forward!’ and ‘Back!’
Readying to swallow at their first error.
And then she heard the joy in the lively laughter,
So refreshing an emotion it was to her,
In a journey begun as ice and ending as brine,
That she willed it to carry on further.
She bid the wind to sway and blow,
The clouds to make way and the sun to shine,
The Sun’s warmth made amends for her cold,
As she hummed her riversong to the paddle’s rhyme.
No longer did she care only for her path to the sea,
The next bend to turn or the next rock to wither,
And in allowing them to safely cross,
The Rampaging River became a Caring Mother.
Ignoring those staring from the edge,
Mere mortals that they were,
Pondering the perils of being bottom fetch’d.
Trembling with fear, they boarded the raft,
So tiny was it, she almost laughed,
Oh! I could eat them whole, they’ll never know
Their virgin voyage, ended with a breath’s gasp.
Perhaps to humour herself, she let them row
Making small waves for them to conquer,
Having them yell, ‘Forward!’ and ‘Back!’
Readying to swallow at their first error.
And then she heard the joy in the lively laughter,
So refreshing an emotion it was to her,
In a journey begun as ice and ending as brine,
That she willed it to carry on further.
She bid the wind to sway and blow,
The clouds to make way and the sun to shine,
The Sun’s warmth made amends for her cold,
As she hummed her riversong to the paddle’s rhyme.
No longer did she care only for her path to the sea,
The next bend to turn or the next rock to wither,
And in allowing them to safely cross,
The Rampaging River became a Caring Mother.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
And then there was . . .
. . .a blog.
Hello to all of you bloggers, readers and those just surfing.
To introduce myself, I was the silent fly on the wall. . .The one that was content to just observe. And then I discovered the internet. So now I must blog what I know.
Granted, I don't work for the CIA or FBI or CNN or any other intelligence gathering organization in the world. So I can't quite claim to produce any factual exclusives . . . but one thing that is exclusive is my perspective -case in point: see URL of this blog - blogger tells me that there is only one such url on the whole world wide web :)
So here is hoping that you enjoy reading this blog as much as I enjoy writing it.
For those of you who prefer hard details (a/s/l etc) to abstract summaries (fly on the wall), here they are:
Name: Fly on the Wall
Age: 28 (and growing older)
Sex: Male
Location: Mumbai, India (although I am going to claim that my perspectives are really geographically neutral - ha!)
Personality type: INTP (For those of you searching for yourselves, Myers Briggs personality type is an excellent starting place)
Occupation: professional consultant
Looking for: myself and then the significant other - so the answer is Yes, am still single, ladies ;)
Take care and keep reading
Hello to all of you bloggers, readers and those just surfing.
To introduce myself, I was the silent fly on the wall. . .The one that was content to just observe. And then I discovered the internet. So now I must blog what I know.
Granted, I don't work for the CIA or FBI or CNN or any other intelligence gathering organization in the world. So I can't quite claim to produce any factual exclusives . . . but one thing that is exclusive is my perspective -case in point: see URL of this blog - blogger tells me that there is only one such url on the whole world wide web :)
So here is hoping that you enjoy reading this blog as much as I enjoy writing it.
For those of you who prefer hard details (a/s/l etc) to abstract summaries (fly on the wall), here they are:
Name: Fly on the Wall
Age: 28 (and growing older)
Sex: Male
Location: Mumbai, India (although I am going to claim that my perspectives are really geographically neutral - ha!)
Personality type: INTP (For those of you searching for yourselves, Myers Briggs personality type is an excellent starting place)
Occupation: professional consultant
Looking for: myself and then the significant other - so the answer is Yes, am still single, ladies ;)
Take care and keep reading
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)