thoughts

yesterday, n asked, "so, what have you been thinking about these days?". although i knew i had been immersed in thought lately, over various issues, i was embarrassed to not be equipped with an answer at hand. it is futile to think about issues, i realize, unless one also takes the time to think what one has been thinking about, and to articulate these thoughts. blogging is an excellent medium in that it helps one achieve articulation. this is my attempt, for what it's worth.

this indian summer has given me food for thought in plenty. i pondered over the psychology of those indian drivers who spend 90% of their driving time on the horn, and then of those who drive the bluelines in delhi, and ruthlessly kill. this then led to thoughts about the fleetingness and unpredictability of life. while life ends all over the globe, its value in india is admittedly diminishing. plain economics of supply and demand, perhaps.

i'm reading "the elephant paradigm" by gurcharan das. it isn't light reading, and stores a wealth of knowledge and information. i read a few pages and put it away, continuing days later. the author presents several indian stereotypes, puts forth his theories and critiques. while the criticism is all constructive, who's really listening? not the people who have the power to make a change.

on the personal front, my experience at karekura, i believe, was life-changing. spending (only) 8 days in mysore helped to make the before and after all the more stark. while the first day saw much inhibition and awkwardness - i did not know what to say, how to behave with these kids who so freely showered affection, on the last day i was heart-broken to leave. the kids had found a place in my heart, just as i (hope i) had found a place in theirs. inhibitions had been broken, and communication was free - unconstrained even by the inability to speak a common language. human beings are born with a fundamental inclination to love and to trust. as we age, we acquire inhibitions, become more cynical, more inward. it is then the children who teach us (i speak, at least, for myself) that life is happier when free, when filled with love.

in studied interactions with people here, i found - it is oh, so easy to criticize. no matter what the situation, however harmless, there is an inclination to put things down, to compare to 'better' things. i do not despise criticism. i do believe though, that it is best done constructively, with a view to improve. most comparisons appear to be between apples and oranges, and there is an over-inclination to exaggerate the negative. documenting instances here would be a waste of time, i am sure we encounter enough in our daily living. my point is this: it is advisable to take negative opinions/reviews with a grain of salt. a review is much influenced by the eyes of the reviewer, just as beauty is said to lie in the eye of the beholder. learning to make unbiased judgments is a skill, and an important one.

i'm tired now. long posts are not my thing, but for posterity's sake i make compromises. more in a later post. time to get the day started. it's past noon already.