A Natural Healer

That was a breezy evening, which gave me an insight about life. I was at lone, walking along the shores of a not so crowded beach. It was a day of misfortune and a period of hardships. I was fretting and fuming to let out my discontent to a close heart, but was left alone. Though almost all beaches of Chennai have been polluted, this one was pretty tolerable. I was not in a smiley mode to play with the sand and waves; I sat over a sand dune staring at the waves. It was like a new friend of mine trying to bring back my happiness.

It was a splendid dusk, covering the environment with a sheet of ripe orange. The scorching sun has now become soothing, and the coastline was ready to lend its shoulders for me. I saw the sun bidding goodbye for the day after its tiring long hours of work, kids playing around with their friends after their school, a few with their parents, a few couples enjoying each others company on the chilled coastline.

As any other loner, I started to stare at the mighty waves. It was building up at the mid of the sea, gaining momentum as a rolling stone to hit the shore. Even rolling stones would increase its volume, these waves dissolved at half their way. We look at the waves; think (scientifically) they are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon. But these creations of God, will teach us many more than our visible teachers, they act as an ideal instance to motivate us. They don’t stop as they are not able to reach the shore with a few attempts. They get back, imbibe the strength and nutrition from its parent, the sea and get back with a fighting spirit to reach its target. Similarly, as it darkens, this soothing angel will appear to be a monster, getting away from the visibility, merging with the darkness around, flashing as white foam when she hits against the shore.

I saw a crab along the waves being brought to the shore, who knows where it dwells, being dislocated by an external force. It walks fast against the waves and buries itself into the sand to escape the next wave. It moves along the waves to and fro yet does not give up on its work. Similarly, we will never know where the crab will dig out and clutch our finger. These are only a few visible lessons available for us to recharge ourselves keeping the mundane worries at bay. In the beginning I was not ready to trust this violent angel as my friend, but she got in touch with me within a short while and she gave me a cheerful company to get over my gloom. Wanna enjoy these beautiful moments?!, step on to her, when you fell left out, depressed or confused. She is sure to heal your wound and return the merriment to face life with a new zing.

                                             

Do we have that 6th sense?

An imaginary plot of conversation between a tree and dog.

It was a sunny afternoon and a dog was resting under a shady tree. The dog was about to enter a sound sleep, then fallen a twig from the tree. This woke up the dog, and it barked twice at the tree, and then came back to rest again. The tree started questioning and dog gave its answers….. And here it goes…..

Tree: Hey dog, how are you?

Dog: Am good. Came here to rest under your shade but you have woken me up.

Tree: Hey have you hurt one of your legs?

Dog: Ya lost when a man ran over with his vehicle.

Tree: These human are really hardhearted, they are so selfish.

Dog: God has given them the so called sixth sense, but according to me, they don behave as if they have the extra sense.

Tree: How do you say that?

Dog: I can give you many instances. Let us see about your relationship with them. You give them shade, food, medicines, bring rain, but they in spite of knowing all the advantages of your being, they destroy forests, cultivable land, take all the fruits from you and destroy you. They are suffering for all their actions now.

Tree: What you are saying is right... Any other examples?

Dog: People consider themselves as brainy as they have discovered many advanced equipments for living, but they don’t how to how to be harmless towards others. They have hurt my leg not even knowing what is on their way. They fight among themselves calling it as competition that turns as vengeance.

Tree: You are very much in your way even though you have lost one of your legs.

Dog: This is the advantage god has gifted us, with just 5 senses.

Tree: How is it an advantage?

Dog: We being with just 5 senses don’t know to cry over the lost leg, though it may be due to pain. We don’t feel low on ourselves and get dejected. But if a human loses his leg, they repent a lot over it than to think what can be done with the other leg. I don’t use any stick to help me walk. But they use and they themselves show they are crippled. Even you, you don’t cry if one of your branches is cut. Though you may cry it might not be visible. At the same time, you don’t take revenge by folding your branches and refuse to give shade to those men.

Tree: Absolutely… now am proud of myself for benefiting my environment. You don’t take revenge on me for dropping my twig on you. You don’t hurt me in any way. We live for our own, without affecting each other’s lives. Hey… wait…!! #@ how are we able to think this way?? Have we gained our sixth sense too??

Dog: Hey buddy... don worry, the writer makes us speak for a change.

The selfless nature

Nature is the mother of all, a creation of the almighty or a pseudo form of the one above all. This universe is believed to be so many billion years old. Since its birth it has been designed to befit and benefit the creatures around it. The continents were one a solid mass of land and the tectonic movements have delivered it a unique shape for each one. It was not wild on the creator for bringing up these catastrophes, nor grateful for making her much beautiful. It has been giving light, rain, shade, food, shelter since the immemorial.

In the mid of March, as u walk along any shady pedestrian, you will be able to breathe the onset of spring with the streets blanketed with the red and yellow flowers of gulmohar, trumpet, jasmine. Tress blushing with their tender and fresh green leaves to welcome and inject the happiness into your thoughts. The nature blesses each of us with these showers which will bring a thoughtful smile at the edge of our lips, with a feeling of WOW!! in us. We have been gifted with such an everlasting gift to enjoy. Are we contented with it?

No… we relish it, keep digging all its worth, take undue advantage of its generosity and render nothing in return. We are being ungrateful to our mother. Everything has a limit, similarly her patience too. He has started demanding her returns in the name of lives. We have heard of many land slides, volcanic eruption from a dead one, undue weather changes. You might question, how can a mother become so cruel to her children? It is not the loss of her patience; it is the loss of her resistance towards the hazardous effects we have made by our living. She was protecting this earth with her cozy blanket all these years to protect us from harmful rays, but if that has been holed by us, how can she protect us? Is this the way to repay? She is not a nerd or a scientist to remake the blanket but she has been very much creative in making this beautiful paradise.  She does not expect us to be smart enough to repay her; she wants us to have the basic knowledge to save our souls. Though we are here being those brilliant scientists all we could do is to impair her.

Though the energy saving ideas, go green policies have not hit their hundred marks, it has received a huge response from the present generation and has proved to be an eye-opener for the next generation. Avoidance of plastic should be made a practice at schools. Children should be taught to live without plastics in the day-to-day life. That electronic appliance which won’t harm the ozone layer only has to manufactured and marketed. Government should fund for the industries to work without emitting CFC’s. This will be a good aid to support and promote ozone harmless industries. The next huge cry is being heard for the loss of conventional energy which also is a reason for harming ozone. Let us first take up the first step of saving energy in which ever form may be; not only today for the urge, but practice it everyday.

The abode of PATIENCE:

We have seen millions of people speaking about women empowerment. This is not one among them; it is the way how a woman handles people, emotions, complexity around her and balances life.

The conventional thought about Indian women is that they are downtrodden in comparison with the so called developed countries. But all the women have come across similar problems in life. They have also confronted innumerable suffering which can be quoted under male chauvinism. This orientation has overturned in many foreign countries, but has its malodorousness is still showing its impact on this society. Most of the customs followed these days mimic the ancient practices which do not apply to the current situation. Though male child is wanted by all, female is the one being most pampered and it is for the love and affection she spreads all around this world. God must have mused in depth before he created a woman.

In our country, the old customs and practices have been considered as the backbone of or culture, which is to be agreed entirely. But as the poet Mahakavi Bharathi sowed his rebellious thoughts into the women at that early stage, we have attained so much of freedom from tortures in the name of customs. As Shakespeare said, “All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players” I think women play different roles that poses various challenges through their life. Being a kid, matures as a teenager to face the world, marrying a stranger and building a good relation with him and his family, she must have screeched for an injection but she prepares herself to bear 56 dels of pain more than a normal man can bear to deliver a child. Getting her favorites by jus a wink to her dad, now becomes a Himalayan task. Hesitation to ask her better half, a trouble that her new relations should not misapprehend her words and actions. She must have enjoyed the luxury to that of a princess, the next stage of her life will expect her to be the real form of patience and fortitude. Should eat the left over without wasting them, take care of the house mates before taking care of herself, should eat only after serving food to everyone, should sacrifice her freedom individuality, her dreams for the sake of her family and her kids. Why do people expect all these from her? She is capable of balancing her dreams and goals on one hand with family on the other side. All that she needs is the love and affection from her family.

But though getting away from parents might bring pain for the time, it l help her to overcome a bigger separation at a later stage. Facing new challenges will absolutely make women the strongest, but first the setting out will be difficult. Every girl has to come across these stages to manage anything that disturbs her off springs. Anyways still there are many things that can be changed, mainly with the support of the generation to the upcoming next. Keep going women. You will make the world go around with your love and patience.

சில நேரங்களில் சில மனிதர்கள்

This might ping you to be a title of a famous movie. Yup! Its true. A movie from a great cine sculpture K.Balachandar. I never used to like his movies as most of it would deal with controversial section of a man’s life. Though it might be controversial, that is the ultimate truth that has been a part of everyone’s life. Now am not going to deal with any kind of controversy but about people at different times. People have different shades and that’s why there are so many different people. But people don’t stay the same as they were. People find a set of actions to be comfortable, that becomes a part of them and is being called a mannerism. But the same changes if one comes across a different set of actions from their loved ones.

We are very much green during our school days, unaware of the real world, thinking that all are good. But once when we step out of school, we see many more people, many more new things that fascinates us to be so, to imitate them, etc. We spend most of our times with our friends, enjoy, freak out and have fun. But when a spark comes between two hearts, it must be carefully doused into water or else it would blow out as a huge fire and might burn the relationship. There is no relation without these sparks, as these teaches people how to handle it to mould the relationship. There would have been many instances when we would have carefully dealt with it escaping the hurt. We relish in the relation and there comes a point of time when we have to part with our own ways. We leave with a hand shake promising to sustain the relation with the same intensity all through. It might seem possible in the beginning but which is practically the mist difficult one.

Once we part we find a new way for us, new environment, and new set of people, new principles and ideologies gained from our surroundings. We find the change in our mentality, the way we see each and every creation and situation in this world. We are parted from our dear ones through distance and time lag. We lose in touch with our close friends, and can’t demand the same importance as before coz each of us have got our own set of new life, new priorities, new relations to maintain, new promises to keep up. It may seem to you that a blaming all for these changes. It is not possible, if I have to, whom should I blame? You? or Me? or this World? This is life…. We have seen the change within ourselves, have been molded by wounds given by time and medicated by time itself. We have to keep ourselves on the go, but never hesitate to look back and cherish the beautiful past which has helped you to be the one today.

The longest ECLIPSE of the century:

Occurrence: The eclipse has different perspective with respect to science and mythology. Eclipses are scientifically interesting because they allow a rare glimpse of the cooler corona, glowing gases near the sun’s surface and solar flares, which are normally not visible due to the brightness of the sun. To state it in simple way, the full moon gets between the earth and sun. If this is the sole reason, you might expect solar eclipse to happen once a month. But unfortunately it is not so as the moon’s orbit is tilted 5⁰ tilted to the earth’s orbit. So this geometry lines up twice a year to make the solar eclipse.

Dated June 22’09: This particular eclipse which occurred on 22^nd of June ‘09 is considered to be the longest one which lasted for 6 minutes and 39 seconds. India is one among the few places to witness the eclipse in totality. One of the best views of the complete eclipse appeared to be in the town of Varanasi, on the banks of Ganges River, sacred to devout Hindus. Thousands had been there to take the holy dip as ablution of their sins. Students, Scientists had gathered at Tregna, an Indian village as it was predicted to have the clearest view of eclipse. But the thick clouds and overnight rains ad played the spoilsport to breakdown the enthusiasts. Other places in India to witness the eclipse were Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. Chennai witnessed partial eclipse of 62%.

The longest stretch of eclipse was witnessed over the Pacific which lasted for 6 minutes and 39 seconds. This wont overreach till 2132 as this has been recorded as the longest one since 1991

This is the most beautiful part of an eclipse, the formation of a diamond ring. The second one is the total eclipse witnessed.

Eclipse the Myth:

1.Hindu Mythology: India subscribed to the idea that a monster ate the sun during an eclipse and the beast even had his own name and identity. The story of Rahu, who had a tail like a comet and a head like a dragon, appears in many of the ancient Hindu scriptures. Rahu became jealous when he discovered the gods drinking the nectar of eternal life. So he went about disguising himself and began to drink it as well.

But the sun and moon saw him and summoned the god Vishnu, who quickly cut off the creature's head. The body crashed to earth, creating mountains and islands, but Rahu's head survived and rose to the sky. In an eternal quest for revenge, he ate the sun and moon, causing an eclipse.

2.American mythology: For native Americans was the theme of sibling rivalry. There was the turbulent relationship between the sun goddess, Malina, and her moon brother, Annigan. One night the two adolescents were romping around in the dark when he suddenly became sexually aroused and raped his sister. In her anger she fled to the sky where he lustfully chased after her. When he finally managed to catch up with her there was a dramatic eclipse.

These two mythologies are the contradictory ones, others like, Chinese and Babylonians has the same storyline of Indian mythology.

People follow their own ways to overcome the bad effects as they believe. In that way, In India people may immerse themselves in water up to their necks; believing this act of worship will help the Sun and Moon defend themselves against the dragon. In Japan, the custom is to cover wells during an eclipse to prevent poison from dropping into them from the darkened sky. And as recently as the last century, the Chinese Imperial Navy fired its ceremonial guns during an eclipse to scare off the invisible dragon.

Though it is commendable response from people to throw away the superstitions and witness the eclipse of the century, there are a few people who still go with those believes. A few are here:

1. Don’t drink water or consume food as it would impair the digestive system.

Science: There is no evidence to support this.

2. Pregnant women should not be exposed to the eclipse and should be confined in a dark room as the rays would create some birth marks and might cause some ill-effects on the baby.

Science: As per the study conducted no visible effects were recorded.

3. Everyone should have head bath to ward off evil spirits.

Science: It is only an article of faith and followed as a conduct of cleanliness.

4. Snakes and insects invade the house during the eclipse.

Science: Studies are still underway.

This being a reason for people to shun away from the sun, there are a few others who make it into their business. Jet line airways in India had arranged for a charter flight to witness the eclipse. Many people had geared up to watch it close by and felt a great sense of satisfaction of their life time.

TAKING ON DEATH:

You might wonder at this statement. This has become a part of everyday life. People have become gallant warriors who can’t be paralleled by any of the emperors of the past. Still perplexed???

It is about the reckless driving of almost every citizen here. I was on my way back home after a tiresome shopping at T Nagar. I was a passenger of a share-auto who was only money minded and a racer in fact.  People are preoccupied while driving, thinking about their targets to be achieved at workplace. They show their force, and speediness while driving. People always start at the neck of the moment, forgetting their head wear most of the times.

I think they must be a victim of selective memory loss. They must have learnt about the traffic rules and would have obeyed it to the fullest to acquire the license. But how come they ignore the red lights at the signal to speed away. I wonder what would be the need for such an urgency risking their lives and others at the road??  The most atrocious behavior was noticed by me during the travel. At the four way junction, the red light had just glowed leaving way for the others from the left to cross. A few vehicles passed the line even after the red’s glow. In order to stop them the police man interfered with a red light in his hand. Still only the right most vehicles stopped for the policeman’s order. My auto driver sped the previous vehicles by the left side. Two things are to be noted here: first is the disobedience of the police’s order and second: a vehicle is not allowed to overtake by left side. Overtaking from behind by right hand side is only allowed in our country as vehicles are right driven. The most pathetic situation was that of the officer’s. He was helpless as he was disobeyed and he would be the one responsible for any mishap at the specific junction. Why is this urge for a rash and foolhardy drive?

These racing drives are to be practiced on well laid and smooth maintained roads, to develop such capability and not in 40ft roads congested with parking and pedestrians walking on the roads due to the lack of a pedestal.  People are acting too smart to cross the divider by jumping across it, physically, with cycles and bikes, felling lazy to come around a certain distance.  The roads are being dug by various departments like EB, PWD, to carry on their work. They finish their work and wind up without correcting the pits made by them and just patching them with cheapest elements that dissolve with a very short rain.

As it is said usually, “the safety while travelling is not in our hands but also the by passers”. At this situation it won’t work out. People should be quick enough to overcome any harm that may occur at the time of travelling. As most of the pedestrians are not senior citizens, they can cope up with the promptness and alacrity to survive. But it is really miserable for the senior citizens who suffer because of these reckless drivers. People think it is thrill to break the rule. But not in this case. Even though the road is empty, people should obey the signals at the junction and fell proud about their act. The traffic in metropolitans is ever increasing due to the incoming population who come here for survival. Even though government lays as many fly over’s to control and regulate the traffic, mere self discipline of obeying the traffic rules alone can help out this situation. Please obey the traffic rules and advise your dear ones. Let us live this life to the fullest and need not fight against death just to travel from one place to another. “JAI HIND”.