As Much As Possible

My mind was crammed with umpteen thoughts as I stepped into the nearest branch of our bank, for some regular work. By ‘our’ I mean the bank that had been my father’s employer all his working life and for which same reason, had been the place where I first opened a savings account and learnt all the things a bank customer should know. Yet, I was hardly keen to go to the bank, for it was not the friendly place a bank used to be decades ago where customers were made to feel welcome. With the number of employees having reduced thanks to VRS and other schemes launched to downsize employee strength, those available grudgingly juggled jobs amongst themselves and it showed in their service to those who dared to approach them.

Thanks to automation, I managed most of the chores online, but my father who belonged to the old school of thought still banked on (no pun intended) a bank statement to show the various transactions. So in I went and approached the counter which showed off a computer and was manned by a middle-aged man, hoping to get the statement. For a change, the man seemed helpful and after a few queries, filled in the necessary details into his computer and procured a printout of my statement. To our disappointment, the statement looked distorted and the contents unreadable to either of us. The man patiently fired another printout and the same thing happened. He sought to share his ignorance of the job with me, even as he clicked on the keys hoping for some miracle.

Having worked on worksheets day in and day out in office, I had taken printouts several times, so I offered to help, and very soon, I adjusted the settings in the banker’s file and fired a printout which this time came out just the way we wanted. The banker was thrilled and handed over the printout to me simultaneously thanking me profusely. All of a sudden, the otherwise insensitive banker became friends with me.

All around us, the focus is on speed; our mails and spoken instructions end with ASAP (As soon as possible) – write ASAP, respond ASAP, send ASAP and so on – quite conveniently leaving out other aspects (human especially) like feelings and experiences, because of which our life has become so mechanical.

My experience in the bank keeps reminding me that I need to put the thrust on AMAP (As Much As Possible) rather than expect everything ASAP. We hardly remember that the teller, the maid, our neighbour or even a family member is a human being first and a role later. I believe more often than not, people do AMAP however challenging a situation may be, as we are basically good in nature.

An incident this morning drove this point home much more vividly. A small pup insisted on following a cart vendor on his morning rounds even as he was about to cross the busy national highway beside which I too was walking to office. The vendor, in a bid to avoid the pup getting into an accident, thrust it near a roadside tree and crossed the highway, but unknown to him the little one followed him. At the divider the vendor lifted his cart and stood alongwith it on the divider, waiting for the right time to cross to the other side. Looking behind he saw the pup holding onto the top of the divider unable to climb it as it was almost a foot high.

What happened next touched my heart. The vendor stooped down, picked up the pup and put him on the cart, to cross to the other side altogether – himself, pup, cart and all !!!

To me, that was a beautiful sight, for, the vendor didn’t seek to find the best solution to the pup’s plight, atleast not instantly. He just did whatever he could to help the pup – As Much As Possible.

Is that not what we can do in every situation? As Much as Possible is going to be my motto from now on. Life is bound to become better then, I am sure.

- Published in LinkedIn on 8th September 2015

Different Phases of Life

I was once a child, only all of me

Although in a big family

Everything seemed nice, all so good

Peace was a given, with no time to brood

My life was so very carefree

I was as happiest then as I could be

Then as life unfolded, time passed by

And I began to ponder why

I was tested time and again

Faith in God was challenged by pain

Friends came and easily went

I realised life is both straight and bent

Still very far from mid-life

I tasted the bitterness of strife

Ambition, greed, and yes ire

At times set lives on fire

Life now seemed far from easy

Relationships could be very queasy

Nearly five decades on this earth

I am still not sure of my worth

Am I only my body or also a good soul?

What else adds to make me whole?

Is happiness something I get to choose

Even if someone lets all hell loose?

I believe life is an unending quest

For answers of all sorts, till I finally rest

Each one has his own cards to play

That we do our best, we can only pray

It seems there is no right or wrong

Those who wish to sing make life a song

Those who wish to sing make life a song

- 7th August 2015

A miracle happened this morning

A miracle happened this morning. I somehow didn't wake up at 5.30 a.m. when my alarm went off - probably too tired and sleepy. Suddenly woke up at 5.50 a.m. – a whole 20 minutes later - and rushed through all my work, including making chapathis for breakfast, watering my plants and of course, breaking the bun into pieces for my senior 4-legged friend.

On my walk to the nearest bus stop (nearly 30 mins. from home), I kept praying and said “Jesus, I count on you and I depend on you only, today also as always. I slept beyond time I know, but did all the work as per my duty, now I don't want to get late. Only you can help me.”

 After some time, Srinivas (not his real name), a guy from my apartments stopped by me, and asked me, “Do you want me to drop you somewhere madam?” I said “Yes, yes, I am late” and got onto his bike. He had dropped me quite a distance on the first day we shifted to my new workplace, but after that I had not met him at all. Probably he started late from home, while I would have already reached the road and got into my bus.

I was really touched the way God helped me so instantly, as though He was right next to me and heard me say my prayer to Him.

I shared my thoughts with Srinivas and said thanks for helping me when I was so desperately in need. I told him I believed in praying and he really helped today.

He immediately responded saying that it was not he who helped me, but my prayers that helped me.

Couldn’t help being impressed by his humility.

May his tribe keep increasing. Let’s pray without ceasing.

Life is full of miracles :)

- 27th March 2015

It's Women's Day - Every Day !!!

Everyone got talking about it
Once into the third month of the year
Every ad said it is March Eight and
Women’s Day is here

I was forced to ponder -

What’s so special about the day?
Is something unique and if so what?
I am simply not clear, no way

If we wish to honour the woman

If her wonderful being celebrate
Why not do it always?
Why only on this date?

She cares for you as a sister

As a mother wipes away your tears
Alongside she walks with her partner
As she helps him brave all the fears

She never fails to touch our life

Only with her, life makes sense
Whether she is with us or around
Magical is her very presence

So let’s appreciate women heartily

More often, every now and then
For they are angels in disguise
Even as all call them WOMEN !!!

Here’s wishing all women

A Happy Women’s Day – Every Day !!!

(Published in Facebook in March 2014)

A New Dawn

I set about clearing my cupboard
To arrange things which matter to me
And do away with those
That do nothing but lie there simply


There were some parcels and packets
of seeds and dried flowers
I will start my dream garden some day
Oh, I do believe in nature’s healing powers


A handful of papers big and small
With numbers and facts scribbled in pen
Can’t figure out what they are now
Though they meant a lot then


I saw some interesting trinkets 
A color clip and a magic plastic spring
Oh, how would I throw any of them away?
Cannot forget the joys they bring


And then, I found her tucked inside
My cute childhood playmate
With chubby cheeks, little arms and stout legs
And her big black eyes looking at me straight
             
She took me to my childhood days
When life seemed liked a dance
Games, friends and laughter all the way
Remembered all, as I stood in a trance

As I kept ruing the time gone by

Suddenly her eyes had me glued
She seemed to say past is past
Live in the NOW and don’t you brood

Your earlier days were new then

They are mere memory now
Today will soon be gone too
Make this memorable, let me tell you how

Live with joy, feel calm and free

Be at peace, and of good cheer
Wherever you are, keep spreading
The message of love, loud and clear

That had me sitting down to think

Life is not in the bygone
Every day ends for sure some time
For every dusk there is a new dawn

Life is not in the bygone

For every  dusk there is a new dawn

- Published in Mangalorean in January 2014

Then and Now

I greeted my friends
Said ‘Hi, Good morning’ to two
One said GM, another Gd Mng
Good wishes in words very few

Less visits, almost no letters

We are in jet age, short of time
Now we say things in brief
Lengthy chats seem like crime

There were teachers then

Who guided as they taught
Parents were our Gods
We loved and adored them a lot

What’s age now? Who are elders?

They were just born much before
Why listen to them anyway?
Any advice from them is just another bore

Earlier they said toil hard

For that is the way to success
The more you strive, the better
And there is simply no excess

Now we can buy marks or a degree

Nothing of late seems bad
As long as I play with money
All around me are so glad

What’s with the haste, I wonder 

Let’s be calm and once look around
It is time to hold the reins
Let’s not be time-bound

The flower blooms, the butterfly grows

All things have their own pace
Life is beautiful when lived in peace
Let’s live really, not run a sad race.

(Published in Daijiworld online in Jan 2014)

It is Upto Us

A colleague of mine returned to work from an unduly long sick leave. She had been laid up for days together with severe backache and was still under treatment. Having known her as a workaholic, I advised her to take it easy atleast for sometime. Even as I was checking on the details of the treatment, I expected her to repeat her earlier plea to a few of us – Pray for me. What she said instead surprised me – “Please pray for my boss, for it is because of him that I have this backache.”

I had no words to say to her, for, it was clear that she had given over the responsibility of her well-being to her boss.

My favourite writer, the late Stephen Covey in his book ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’ said Responsibility can be split into Response-ability – the ability to choose our response, meaning a proactive person chooses not to be controlled by outside situations and other people; rather he takes charge of his response to outside stimulus

A famous saying endorses this – If it is to be, it is up to me. I simply love this statement for its profound message, for it gives me a feeling of being in control over any situation through my response, irrespective of who or what else is involved, as against one of being a victim of circumstances.

If only my colleague accepted the eccentric behaviour of her boss (instead of expecting him to change) and worked on herself, she would not be so stressed as to end up with the notorious backache. In short, she would definitely need God or prayers (read counseling or professional help) to strengthen her inside out to be able to cope with seemingly inhuman behaviour of anyone around her, for the backache was a manifestation of her unbridled stress. Yet, external help cannot help those who are not willing to change themselves but choose to wait for others or other things to change.

Lesson - A famous quote sums this up - Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps if you are not willing to MOVE your feet.

A frequently circulated story doing the rounds on emails is about a carrot, an egg and a coffee bean. When put in hot water, the carrot hard that it is, turns soft. Reminds me of people who are generally quite courageous but a single crisis crumbles them. The egg whose insides are soft ends up with a hard inside. Just like soft loving folks who turn bitter and resentful for life in response to an unexpected tragic event in their life. But the coffee bean goes into the hot water and gets transformed at the same time turning the very hot water into an aromatic coffee. Very few people lead a life both meaningful to themselves and fruitful to others, despite being in difficult circumstances and they do it because they choose to do so.

Lesson - Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it, a line by Dennis P. Kimbro, emphasizes it some more.

In the following photo that I clicked on one of my birdwatching treks, I was amazed at the resilience of this branch of a nearby banyan tree; it seemed determined to grow even if it meant making its way through the rock. Needless to say, I derive a lot of strength each time I see it, especially when I feel overwhelmed by challenges.

Lesson - The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

 

‘Bloom wherever you are planted’ is the key to true joy in life. We all can do it. If only we choose to.

(Published in Mangalorean in December 2012)