First Times

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"When was the last time you did something for the first time?" This is one phrase my husband overuses. On our first date, our wedding day, upon writing the first love note, during our trips together, our cooking adventures, a game of scrabble or any random moment he surprises me with this question. I suggest you ask yourself this question and reflect for a moment.

Do you love trying out new things? Do you make an effort or do you succumb to the usual excuse about not having enough time? Are you stuck in a rut and wish for something "different" or "crazy" to happen? Of course most of us have hobbies to keep our creative sides active or go on holidays to unwind and relax but for many others these interests take a backseat due to various reasons.

I like trying out new things. I am totally in love with the idea of learning (one of the reasons why I enjoy teaching). I remember that even as a child, I was constantly on the lookout for new ideas, new games, new hobbies, new hideouts and "new" mischief! Trust me, doing something for the first time brings a feeling of freshness and joy of accomplishment no matter how silly a thing it seems. Who knows, you may discover something new about yourself - a talent an interest or even a quirk.

After the A to Z challenge, I desperately wanted to do something different. Unable to come up with anything interesting, I opened my cupboard and sifted through a cluttered pile of random things (stationery, greeting cards, dried flowers, paint and so on). When I chanced upon an abandoned drawing book, I almost shouted "Eureka!" 

What started off as a few overlapping free hand circles ended up like this:

And led to this:

I was hooked and so deeply lost in the drawing that my mom had to remind me of lunch time. It was a soothing experience that left me happy and proud. I definitely will do more of this when I get bored. But right now I'm on the lookout for new things to try :)

When was the last time you did something for the first time? Think of it and do leave a comment or even better, do something new today and then tell me!


Linking to
http://www.writetribe.com/write-tribe-pro-blogger-challenge/

Emoting A to Z

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“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart”
               - Hellen Keller

Emotions and feelings are better experienced than explained. I have always found it intriguing, the myriad of emotions we humans are capable of going through. They add a lot of colour and layers to an individual. Though most of us are capable of experiencing various emotions like happiness, love, sadness, anger fear and so on, the triggering factors, their depth, our understanding of them etc greatly vary. Their expression too differs from person to person.

I am an emotional person and I can almost feel myself plunging into them at all times. At the same time, I like to believe that I am very much in touch with my emotions or in other words I can name the feeling I'm going through at a particular instance most of the time (of course there are times when I have mixed feelings or unidentifiable feelings). I think that being true to one's emotions makes me authentic and real. It also helps me express them better.in a manner that benefits the situation.

What remains now is the Theme Reveal for the A to Z blogging Challenge in April. Let me put it simply, it is Emoting A to Z. Since I am a novice blogger and this is my first A to Z challenge, I wanted to select a genre of writing outside my comfort zone. I have penned a lot of poetry and reflections about social issues but have very few stories to my credit. I want to change that by the end of this challenge. In April, you will find short fiction (within 300 words) dealing with emotions, one for each letter of the English Alphabet.

I hope you join me in this emotional wagon from A to Z. You can be assured, these words are straight from my heart and head. I would love to pull in at your station. Do drop in your comments and links to your blogs. We are together in this!!

Linking to http://www.writetribe.com/write-tribe-pro-blogger-challenge/

Alone, not Lonely

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I have had many teachers in life who taught me valuable lessons – people, experiences, knowledge and so on. However I have a special teacher named solitude that helps me keep my balance in many tight rope acts. In today’s life that moves at an unprecedented maddening pace, there are times when we need to just sit back, be on our own and reflect up on our life and its course. Since our lives are overloaded with intellectual, social and emotional battles, it is imperative that we spend some time in solitude to get in touch with our inner selves.

The benefits of solitude are highly underrated because it is seen as an ally of the depressed and lonely if not the saints and hermits. Until a few years back I thought solitude and loneliness were synonymous. Prima facie they may seem to be the same as both involve being on one’s own. The similarity however, ends here. Loneliness is a forced negative feeling that can be experienced even if one is in a crowd. It implies the grief of isolation. But solitude is a choice made by the individual that involves being alone without feeling lonely. It is all about learning to enjoy one’s own company.

If cultivated as a habit, solitude is as refreshing as an oasis in the middle of a desert. It helps us to stay tuned with ourselves, our emotions and feelings. It keeps us balanced and helps us to maintain perspective apart from making us take charge of our own lives. Some of the benefits of solitude I continue to reap are:

1. Improved creativity: Being on my own in a silent place lets me delve deeper into my beliefs, thoughts and emotions and they find expression in the form of paintings, crafts, poems and articles.

2. Reflection upon actions: Solitude has a way of making me mull over my words and actions, analyse cause-effect relations there by giving me some kind of peace along with a sense of purpose.

3. Being touch with myself: My desires, fears, goals and so many other things about myself become clearer when the accompanying noises of day to day life become subdued. It helps me listen to my inner voice.

4.  I enjoy my own company: I have realized that I enjoy the company of myself as much as I enjoy being with friends and family. This, in a way has boosted my self-esteem.

5. Ideal foundation for new ideas: Solitude sparks new ideas and I find myself beginning a new hobby or doing things I previously never considered doing. It gives me that blank slate where I can paint a new picture.

6. More sensitivity: Being on my own with just my thoughts for company actually saves a lot of energy and heightens other senses. I often sit in the local park by myself where I enjoy the call of birds, the rustling of leaves and many other sights and sounds that I often overlook when in the company of people.

An hour or two of solitude a day for me is like an energy booster, almost as effective as meditation in calming down my nerves. It is my invisible refresh button, a chance to start afresh at any time during the day.



Written for the IndiSpire topic #Solitude

Linking to Ultimate Blog Challenge

and http://www.writetribe.com/write-tribe-pro-blogger-challenge/

The Words Within

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It’s a simple kind of pleasure

that brings joy beyond measure,

call it a hobby, a new interest

that effortlessly brings out my best.

No, it’s not work as some say

as it doesn't pay, to their dismay;

recognition and  promotions

alone mark the career of their notions

I churn out words from me

and words in turn set me free

they make me content everyday;

I’ll never stop come what may!

Participating in the Ultimate Blog Challenge.

Gratitude

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The air in my lungs and food on my plate

that have come with remarkable ease till date,

a roof over my head to shield me from harm,

a collection of clothes to keep me warm,

clean water, accessible, to quench my thirst,

sound sleep even on days that seem the worst;

for my barest of needs that have always been met,

to you I am grateful life; I’ll be forever in debt.

A healthy body and mind, a family of my own,

means to earn bread with skills I've always known,

for being part of society, for the things I've kept;

for this security I’m grateful and forever in debt.

The affection and care of family and friends,

an intimate relation and the warmth it sends,

people in my life who I can never forget;

for these loving ties I'll be forever in debt.

The faith in myself and a spirit resolute,

gestures that shower me with respect absolute,

accolades for achievements born from my sweat;

for this unique identity, I'll be forever in debt.

My needs for life are all being met,

inadequacies in them I haven't found yet;

among the lucky few to be fully equipped to grow,

my golden cup of gratitude will soon overflow.

P.S: This poem was inspired by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs that illustrates various levels of human needs. Self-actualisation or the need to realise one’s potential and become the most one can be, is right at the top, coming into the picture only if other basic needs are met. I realised that very few of us are actually at the top of the pyramid, in a position to explore our creativity and experience purpose and meaning in what we do. I am grateful for that. Being there, how many of us are actually exploring the hidden wealth within?

Read more about Maslow's hierarchy of needs here.

Participating in the Ultimate Blog Challenge.

Linking to : http://www.writetribe.com/write-tribe-pro-blogger-challenge/

Life Lesson

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The smiles I found

on faces around

That glint in the eye

like a star in the sky

The whys, the whens

The hows and the thens……

The voices crystal clear

Unspoilt by fear

The rise after a fall

like it was nothing at all

The dainty hand

dotted by sand……

Taught me how to live-

to love, laugh and forgive.

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P.S- Working as a teacher has been one of the most enriching experiences in my life. To all my children who have taught me a lesson or two.

I am participating in the Ultimate Blog Challenge

Red Apples

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"Apples are red" the teacher said.

Green, yellow too said my head.

"Green apples, tangy and sweet,

bright red ones just like meat,

white inside that time turned brown."

I was wrong said the teacher's frown.

Then she drew an apple with a leaf

And I painted it red with some grief.

"Very good, so bright and neat"

she smiled as she came near my seat.

My friends too did the same

to escape her frown and blame.

Soon I was lost in the red tide around

with just dreams of a place where colours abound.

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Bored? That’s great!

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I often come across people who seem to be eternally stuck to the assorted gadgets in their prized possession. It really amuses me, how they apportion their time between laptops, tablets, smart phones and so many other gizmos. I fear that a lame joke that someone cracked may actually be true- that we live in an age where phones are getting smarter and people, idiotic.

Why is it that a few seconds of doing nothing makes us feel work-less, worthless and less important than people with ears plugged and fingers in perpetual swiping motion? Even a few minutes of boredom has become so intolerable in this age of the fast and furious where even food has to be “fast”. Next time you are in a public space, just look around you and you will find people torturing themselves by over-stimulating their senses. It’s true. They just don’t realize it. If a shopping mall has free Wi-Fi, even lovers would prefer texting each other while holding hands! That’s the rule. Free Wi-Fi HAS to be used.

Children seem to be as busy as professionals. Wake up, go for sports practice, go to school, come back, quickly snack, go for tuitions, come back and do homework, play, study, watch T.V/browse the internet/play video games, have dinner, sleep. On weekends, add a music/dance/swimming/karate class to the above list. I dread that day when parents may have to take an appointment with their child (after rescheduling theirs) to just hold hands and take a stroll in the park together.

I can’t help thinking about my childhood days when there was so much time at hand that boredom was something that I encountered every day. Being the only child of my parents didn't make matters very easy. I was always faced with the challenge of entertaining myself and coming up with new things to do. Since I was spared of the idiot box (Doordarshan was more depressing than boredom) and the smartest of gadgets, I found myself painting, writing, making my own songs(parodies), making use of waste materials in the house to create new things, cooking up new games and stories and finding my own methods of engaging myself in a productive activity. Things that I made and did, though far from perfect, were at least original and left me satisfied and proud.

 I can’t suppress my laughter when I think of the seriousness with which I hosted imaginary cookery shows, conducted parent teacher meetings, taught maths and English to teddy bears, dolls and sometimes even my mother. My cousins and I even scripted and enacted plays on our cot that served as our stage shrouded by my mother’s sari. I kept a secret diary, had imaginary friends, made my own code language, conducted tuition classes (yes, I earned my pocket money) for kids younger than me and did so many other interesting things on my own. I even made my own brick house (without cement) with a thatched roof in our terrace. You can imagine how bored I would have been to carry nearly hundred bricks up the stairs and make a house!

There have been other times when I just gazed out of the window, looking at the sunset or people on the road, trying to guess their stories or reflect on mine. Even as an adult, I enjoy the bout of creativity that is born after a period of boredom. Though my husband has to bear the brunt of my frustration while I am bored, the outcome is quite rewarding, really. A painting, a handmade card, a new dish, a heartfelt handwritten letter, a new hobby- the outcomes are sometimes unpredictable. Even this blog wouldn't have materialised had I succumbed to the charms of my phone and laptop that promise to entertain me faithfully 24×7.

Of course, I have nothing against technology. I too depend on it every day. I hold no grudge against children who learn different things either. The point is to stop ourselves from being enslaved by them to such an extent that without them we feel empty. Boredom is not such a bad thing. Once while I was taking class about the human digestive system, the students and I got so bored of the lesson (yes teachers get bored too!) that we decided to have some fun. I asked the students to imagine themselves as a piece of bread or dosa or whatever and write about their experience. The answers were so enthusiastically written with a good dose of humour that left us in peals of laughter. A Biology lesson was effectively turned into a creative writing session thanks to boredom.

Empty spaces can be filled with something new, but not a space that is already crammed.  Once in a while let’s take our eyes and hands away from our gadgets find some time and clear the canvas of our minds and fill it with new colours and patterns. The result will surely amaze you. So, cheers to boredom!!