A Letter Of Gratitude

Hello Everyone,

I know you're wondering why I blog at such weird intervals of time. Don't worry, I wasn't off taking another vacation. I just came to a conclusion that I want to blog only if I have a lesson of life to share. I'm not going to write only for the sake of writing or in order to keep my blog alive. It'll live as long as it has too.

I learnt a very important lesson of life last night. I learnt several to be honest. My college participated in the 'Youth Festival'. I don't know the reasons but we didn't win a lot this time. I'm sure it wasn't because of lack of effort or because we didn't perform well.
We were extremely disappointed.

I was extremely disappointed. I participated in an event, and everyone thought I had a fairly decent chance at winning. But I didn't.

At the valedictory, there were a lot of my fellow Xavierites who had participated and several who had come to support us. I was sitting on a chair surrounded by all of them because I was extremely anxious and didn't have the strength to stand. When the result of my event was being announced I had an anxiety attack. By the time the first two winners were announced, the anxiety began growing quicker than a cancerous cell and spread all over. There was just one name left to be announced. I went numb....... Turned out I didn't win after all. My knee stopped shaking as the realization sunk in. There was pin drop silence from my surroundings as all the Xavierites realized that their fellow Xavierite had lost.
The silence lasted all of five seconds. They burst into a loud cheer and started cheering for me. Even as I'm writing this I'm fighting back tears because I'm engulfed by an emotion I can't put into words.
They were cheering and congratulating me and telling me that in their eyes I was a true winner. I sat still for all of five minutes and let the feeling sink. I got up and found my best friend and hugged him tightly. We didn't say anything for we knew it wouldn't make a difference because he knew exactly how I was feeling and how vigorously my mind was churning pessimistic and melancholic thoughts.

Our college kept losing. Out of nineteen events that we participated in, we won only seven. It was a terrible night for us, for this had never happened in the history of Xaviers. But it didn't break our spirit. We kept cheering and celebrating despite the fact that we were feeling miserable on the inside. We had to be strong for everyone. There were several third and fifth year Xavierites who were miserable as it was their last 'Youth Fest'. Despite all of this,we followed a tradition and went back to college and celebrated with our Father Principal and other Fathers. It wasn't the usual spirit, but we tried to keep it as enthusiastic as we could. We went to Havmor for ice-cream following yet another Xavier's  tradition.

This was my first 'Youth Fest'. I don't really know my way around it yet or know it's value. But I realized that what Xavierites value more than winning is each other. Even in the face of defeat we kept our spirits up. I'm sure we were extremely upset with the unfairness of it all, but we took a much higher road. People who lose aren't treated the way I and every other participant representing our college was. They cheered us and congratulated us and made us feel valued. This feeling is hard to find. The feeling that you belong somewhere, acceptance, love and support. Sometimes it's hard finding it at home as well.

My respect and love for my college has climbed further than the stairway to heaven. I'm proud to be a part of this college and proud of my fellow Xavierites for being such beautiful human beings. It's hard to find a place where people can give so much of support and love irregardless of who you are and what you do.
Thank you all so much. For the first time I smiled at the face of defeat. I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't upset at first, but all of you made me feel something that I can't adequately express but I'm sure you understand what I'm trying to convey.

Yours truly,
A Xavierite till the end.

The Dead Blog's Resurrection

Hello everyone. I know it’s been several months since I last wrote and my IndiBlogger ranking has taken a plummet. I’m not surprised at the consequences of my disappearance as they are quite reasonable and expected.

I sincerely apologize for utter silence for such a prolonged period. I have been busy,tackling a few issues that required my immediate attention. And apart from being occupied, I’ve been catching up on some reading. Quite a lot, actually.

I’m sure you all are wondering what the fantastic lesson that I intend to impart in this "resurrectory" piece is.

The lesson is quite plain and simple, honestly. It’s something so commonly known but so seldom applied to one’s own experiences.

The lesson is called.......

(*DRUM ROLL*)

....

(*SUSPENSE MUSIC*)

A VACATION!

Honestly. How simple is it, but yet so difficult(Wow! Another one of my epic oxymorons!) I was so tired of my monotonous life and the fact that I’m a tiny bit of an introvert doesn’t really help make my life any less monotonous.

 So... I simply cut off. I didn’t do anything that didn’t interest me or simply I didn’t want to do. I read several books, watched a few good films( Fight Club- mind frickin blowing!, Taxi Driver,The Silence Of The Lambs- Anthony Hopkins, You senxy beast!, etc.), met a few friends( 5 to be exact). Yup. That’s all I did.

Sometimes, Life just gets on your nerves. I know I’ve personified Life, I know it’s not a real person or else by now several people would’ve beaten it up or it would’ve been sentenced to public execution by STONING!

When this happens, take a break. You. Need. To.Calm.Down. It’s like wen we fall. We don’t immediately get up. It takes a few seconds for your brain to register the fall and then the damage done before you can finally use the support of your hands to stand up. Same principle here.

Take a break if you’re feeling unhappy. Do things that you like. Eat food you enjoy. Meet those whose company you like. Stay away from that which makes you unhappy. Do this, and you’ll get back on your feet with a lot more balance than you had much before your fall.

Think about it. Act upon it.

There Are Several Who Hear... But How Many Listen?

We need people. Some of us may deny it, some of us may suppress the desire of wanting another human being who can care for us, who can love us.

People who truly care about us accept us the way we are even when we don't accept ourselves at times. They lend a hand to pull us out from under our beds when all we want to do is hide in the darkest corners we can find. They see the greater good in us which we refuse to acknowledge. They urge us to love ourselves and see ourselves with the loving eyes with which they see us.

And most importantly they aren't afraid of us. They don't want to change us. They refuse to leave us even when we try extremely hard to push them away.

They aren't ashamed of being associated with us, they parade our greatness and put it up for the entire world to see. They might be upset with us sometimes but that is simply because they are sick of seeing us constantly hurting ourselves. They do everything in their power to restore our happiness. They rush to support us through our toughest times.

They are the one's who listen to us. They are the one's who love us.

Look around you, you will find them and they'll find you. And when you do, I want you to think about something. You must've done something right or worthwhile to deserve such love. It's high time you love yourself a little then? :)

The Unhinged Widow

"Smoke!" "Smoke!"

Okay. I guess you're wondering what  the screaming is about. I'll get to it in just a minute.

"Richard! You burned my famous ginger ale, slow cooked, perfectly marinated for exactly forty four minutes, and as soft as cotton but not lumpy and an expected family recipe to carry on for generations CHICKEN!"

Emma is Richard's beloved wife. They have been married for exactly thirty three years, two months, eleven days, four hours, forty seven minutes in counting still going strong. About the exact count: well, they like keeping exact track of time. It's crazy I know, but they find it fascinating.

Emma was teaching Richard how to cook, She was a chef at 'The Ritz'. Actually, that's how and where she met Richard. She had served him the best ginger chicken she had ever made and he had ever tasted. It was love at first bite.

After their first date, they decided to get married, for they thought that they were soul mates and life is too short to experiment on delicate aspects like love.

"For God sakes Richard! Get the fire extinguisher! Don't just stand there! At this rate you could've gotten five oil paintings of yourself made!"

They didn't know each other very well, but they just had a strong intuition that they were meant to be ... in a looney bin somehow. So they decided to shift to 'Lady Grace's Mental Asylum' to contribute to society by cooking lunch. Of course, Emma did all the cooking and Richard took out the trash which consisted of his failed attempts at cooking the chicken.

"Oh my God! Someone get the extinguisher and call Dr. Stanton immediately! Emma! Step away from the fire!"

"Richard! Tell this woman to leave our room! It's very impolite of you,young lady, to barge into our room like that!"

"Emma! You need to calm down! Sit down on this chair will you? And drink this water. Here."

"It tastes funny".

"Well, its vitamin water. Oh thank God! Here you are! She is having one of her episodes today".

"Who are you, young man? And where is Richard? He was right here a minute ago! Look at the mess he has made! I refuse to clean it up! He'll have to do it himself!"

"Hello Emma! Richard has gone to get the cleaning cart. He'll be back in a few minutes. I'm sure you're exhausted by all this cooking. Why don't you take a nap?".

"I don't like this place anymore! I cook lunch for everyone everyday. And what do I get in return? People barging into my room and not caring for my privacy. I refuse to stay here any longer. I am leaving. Call Richard. Tell him I want to leave right now!"

"It's Sunday, isn't it? All cab drivers are on holiday. There won't be any transportation. How about you check out tomorrow morning? Sound fair to you?"

"Very well. I'm feeling sleepy all of a sudden. Do you mind drawing the curtains? Tell Richard to..."

"I want to know how she got that fridge magnet and that lighter! I've changed her course for now. Her hallucinations are getting much worse. We need to start electroconvulsive therapy within the next four hours."

"And Dr. Stanton, who is Richard?"

"Her husband. He died in a gas explosion at their house during the initial stages of her disorder. It's his birthday today. Okay. Get two O.R nurses and anesthesiologists to set up for procedure in O.R 3 by 1 p.m. and contact her daughter Rosemary and tell her to get her as quickly as she can. "

                                                                      ............................


Haha! Spooky huh? Listen to this while reading it :P

It's Easy Being Mean...

Hello! For the first time, I'm blogging in a negative frame of mind. It's just that a few things, rather people have been bothering me off late. Mean people. Yes, mean people bother me, as they do to everyone. And I'm not writing this because I think I've been victimized but simply because I've also witnessed others being victims to mindless and insensitive ridicule.

I've seen a few kinds of mean and i'd like to enlist them.

1) THE DISGUISE: These kind of mean normally prey on the weak and insecure and on those who hold on to their guard. They broadcast these insecurities in forms of jokes or 'casual taunts'. Now, they want to portray themselves as being funny and casual but the victim and the perpetrator are the only two who know the intentions aren't casual but exactly the opposite.

2) THE STINGER: These kind of mean are usually people who are close to you. In fits of anger they blurt out things about you, that you once shared with them in confidence. That truly stings. Intentional or not, it's still a rather mean thing to do.

3) THE FOE: They are the enemy. But they pretend to be your friend because unfortunately for them you're the most liked person in the group. And since they are your 'pretend friend' they think they can get away with poking fun at you or hitting you which normally you would let go with a friend. So these means take advantage of the situation and do mean things. They abide by the quote "KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE BUT KEEP YOUR ENEMIES CLOSER" a little too seriously :P

4) THE BETRAYER: They were close to you once upon a time, but turned against you for some reason. They use your personal issues and secrets that you confided to them in confidence as a punch line to a very mean joke just to hit you where it hurts. Now, there's no need to do that, but that's how they think is the most successful method of bringing you down.

5) THE QUEEN MEAN: They are the worst kind of mean. They have no ulterior motive or advantage over you or their activities, but they're mean only because they like being mean. Causing discomfort or misery to another simply gives them some twisted form of evil satisfaction. They don't go out of their way to harm you. They simply do things which irritate you the most and upset you to a degree which claims their victory.

So. I've stated the kinds of mean that I've encountered.    My fellow victims, all I can tell you is don't stoop to their level and don't allow them the satisfaction of having affected you.

 It's so easy being mean. Have you  tried being nice? If  we have a certain problem with an individual we simply ignore their quirks or learn to accept them, if ignoring them is out of the question. Their is no need to be mingy or penny pinching.

We all come across people that we dislike but being mean to them has no justification whatsoever. If you ask me, being mean cannot be justified at all. So instead of being a birdbrain prigy snob, we can simply ignore the person. Saves a lot of mind juggling and plotting and unhappiness, don't you think?

All I can say is, it's easy being mean, but try once to be nice. You might actually like it.

Okay, I don't like leaving my readers in an uncomfortable state of mind. So after you're done reading this watch this. It'll help lighten you up. I watch it every time I feel low. Works better than magic at making me smile.

Reflections Of A Monomaniacal Student

Hello! I know it's been a while, but I honestly didn't want to write about something just for the sake of keeping my blog alive! Don't worry! My blog shall live as long as... I have easy access to internet! Of course! Why? What were you thinking?

Anyway, I've been busy( No, not really). Alright I've been pretending to be busy(no actually I was a little busy reading,watching television and films). Okay, I'm rambling!

I'm a bit nervous because my university exams are right around the corner and waiting to spring at me any second now and I'm terrified. I've put in a couple of hours of regular studies so that I wouldn't panic at the last minute but I did end up panicking AS ALWAYS. It dawned on me that these exams are very crucial to maintain a steady grade, which I intend to and to do so I must score well in each and every subject.

Yup, the chip on my shoulder weighs a 100 pounds and it's getting heavier and heavier. Exams have become such a HUGE deal nowadays and I think that's actually isn't  the purpose of answering them. The purpose is figuring out how much knowledge you've acquired at the end of the term and the manner in which you apply that knowledge is evaluated.

The entire system has been reconstructed into a meaningless competition only to establish the superiority of X's memory from Y's. Personally, I think it's silly and meaningless. Unfortunately my thinking so doesn't change the fact that I am also a part of this system and a monomaniacal competitor.

This affects me gravely. I feel nervous, I keep pondering about how much effort and how many hours my fellow competitors are putting in, I eat less,sleep is out of the question and I keep ringing up my friends and ramble constantly about how ill-prepared I am and how miserably I shall fare at least 15 times a day. Since most of my reserve energy is squandered, I spend the rest of the day lazing. Sounds pointless, doesn't it?

Why do we care so much? Why do we bother SO MUCH MORE THAN IS GOOD FOR US? Aiming high and achieving your goals and a little bit of friendly competition to make the predicament a tad bit fun is alright. But, turning it into some horrible catastrophe is pathetic.

So if you are a monomaniacal competitor like me( rather like what I was) here's what I want you to do:

1)EAT CHOCOLATE: Yes! I want you to buy yourself a lovely bar of chocolate, something a bit fancy maybe and eat away! If you're diabetic, buy yourself a low sugar one and eat away! With each bite I want you to think about nothing but that creamy chocolate melting in your mouth.

2)MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS: Why do you care how he/she studies? Do it your own way, you are you and learn to be happy with it.

3)CALL A STERN FRIEND WHO'LL TELL YOU THE SAME: It's tough. Not minding your own business I know! Been there,done that. So call a friend you know will tell you to mind your own business and won't allow you even a sniff.

4)SLEEP: You know you need it. and you know you want it!

5)DON'T FEEL INTIMIDATED: Okay, this is a big one. Your parents, family, society in general is going to intimidate you. Your parents will do it unknowingly but they will. And if you're smart, you'll figure out when you are amidst an on going session. I want you to leave,run, flee from the conversation without being even a tad bit rude. Don't go into a limbo or self-loathe mode( nice term, right?). You don't need to slog after such a conversation only because you feel obligated to please your parents and the society. There is only one person you need to please. The Dalai Lama's Cat. Yes, that's who you need to please, even though I mentioned person( I've never quite understood why they call him 'The' Dalai Lama. That's grammatically incorrect.)
Jokes apart. You need to please yourself. Feel satisfied with your own efforts and your own achievement. If you're happy you'll make everyone around you happy(conditions apply*)
 I'm a very philosophical person with very abysmal thoughts and ideas so I think I'm going to stick to the point and say, don't feel intimidated by what people say to you. They say all sorts of things for various reasons but there is no need to feel intimidated,that's all.

6)GIVE IT YOUR BEST SHOT: That's all that matters.


I sincerely hope this was helpful. Do well for your exams. Relax, it's a big deal but not as huge as your perception of it. Be happy :)

Here's a song to give you a boost :)

Dear Teacher...

Hello! I think you're all probably wondering what this ones' about. Well, here's a suggestion...why don't you just read it ;) Haha! This is probably the only funny thing you'll read in this one. Umm,okay, I admit it, it wasn't funny either.

I'm a student, and I've noticed the way most students talk to and about teachers. It is extremely shameful and rather upsetting. Hardly one out of ten students genuinely respect their teachers. I'm not referring to myself as a 'Miss Goodie Two Shoes' and claiming to be the most well-mannered person that ever walked the planet.

I've also had my share of making fun of teachers,imitating them and correcting them in case they made an error. But, I've never done so with the intention to hurt or to insult any of them. Neither have I needlessly corrected them nor have I ever made a very nasty remark simply for the sake of trying to establish myself as a little superior to them. I've witnessed all of this happening to teachers and I personally feel that it is very wrong.

So, this post it dedicated to all the teachers in the world and I'm writing this letter, expressing my gratitude to them.

Dear Teacher,
                       
I think you are amazing. You have taught me how to hold a pen and taught me how to use it wisely. You've taught me inside a classroom, how to succeed outside it. You've never wronged me,only showed me what was wrong and ensured I made it right. You've given me your best, and hoped for my best. You've shown anger, only to express your concern. You've taught me with love and treated me with care. And for all of this, I thank you. Thank you so much, FOR EVERYTHING.

Sincerely, 
A Student.