Life is a Joke! Enjoy It!

What is missing in most of us is the trait ‘courage’. We most often think that it is impolite to say no to a thing about which we have a reservation. This is a contrived way of thinking, while it is no harm in adjusting with others and their view points, it should not be by compromising on our strong beliefs. Though there is a possibility of being adjudged adamant by many, the courage of conviction would not only set us apart, slowly others may understand and realize our point of view and start respecting and following us. Otherwise we would remain as cowards.

Every Year we shop gifts for all family members on New Year Eve. I told my husband to return from office as early as possible so that we can go for shopping . Later in the evening my husband had called me and said that he cannot make it for shopping and asked me to buy gifts for kids only as the budget is tight. But to my shock I have found my husband along with his colleague in a jewelry showroom in the same mall that I visited. I was very angry with my husband till 12 in the night and dint speak to him until I found a beautiful golden necklace under my pillow as New Year surprise gift.

The steady decline in sporting achievements by the Americans should be urgently addressed to, lest we may not go anywhere near the winning podium. Just look at the supply chain, it is barren- no one has come to fill the shoes of Carl Lewis or Pete Sampras. After ‘Air’ Jordan and Mike Johnson dominated the basketball scene, there is no big icon seen in the sport that we struggle to win matches. Prestigious Cups like the Davies Cup, Federation Cup and Olympic gold in star events are becoming elusive. Introspection and intervention is needed for USA to regain the past glory.

Anger and frustration engulfs a helpless person, as nothing more or much he could do. So when the Bush administration took up the infamous invasion of Iraq and was involved in misadventures at every step, what could a citizen do? Probably at best, what could be done is organize public opinion against the move. President Bush got not only this wrong, his so called fight against terror sounded empty rhetoric and sloganeering than as any sincere cause of action. It is very sad and disgusting that the President led us to a war and took us back by couple of centuries.

When mom was busy in the kitchen and wanted us – me and my sister – to go to the neighborhood store and quickly collect some grocery, we took off merrily with few cents thrust in our hand. But we were lured by the temptation devil! Both of us were finding it too difficult to resist the temptations of the chocolates stacked in the store. We spent all the cents on chocolates, slowly walked back home, finishing off all the chocolates! With sorrow faces, we told her that we lost the coins and our loving mom gave us more cents to buy the grocery!

At school, we had an English teacher who made us write very long impositions, when ever we erred in our grammar. There was a resourceful student in the class – he used to write in the first three pages and end up writing the last pages, leaving the mid- pages totally blank! As the teacher wanted us to repeat the writings only as a learning process he just collected the papers and used to put it away. He happily continued doing this much to our chagrin, till one day accidentally the blank papers showed up. Today this student is a professor himself!

Those were the days when my dad had a Harley Davidson, the bike everyone desired. With great difficulty I learnt to drive it early in my teen age, with and without my dad’s help! One day when my dad was away, the temptation to show off my newly acquired skills was over bearing and so I took out the keys stealthily and decided to drive it to meet my friends. But alas my desire was not to be fulfilled as I straightaway bumped on to a cop, only to be charged with a token! Even now I remember my pleadings with the cop!

My dad, in a bid to cultivate interest in sports, used to take me to the club where he used to play tennis. And later he also presented me with a baseball kit. I and my friends were overjoyed and started playing baseball in the neighborhood parks. What I used to do then as a ten year old amuses me even now! I used to make it a point to continue playing even after getting out and if some one insists that I was out, used to walk out – lock, stick and barrel – with the kit to put an abrupt end to the game.

Christmas brings in joy to everyone, but more to the kids. It was during one such Christmas, my mom started decorating the Christmas tree. She had lots of small gifts wrapped up and was busy tying them up. And not wanting to be disturbed she asked me to bring any gift, that I had got for my birthday, just a couple of weeks earlier, so that that could also be tied and displayed. I went in and came back after some time with a well decorated bicycle and asked her to tie it up in the Tree, much to her amusement and laughter.

Smith was the German shepherd we reared. He was naughty to the core, though very disciplined. But he never missed out an opportunity to give a slip and move out to pick up a quarrel with a neighborhood mongrel! One evening as he was missing at home I set out to look for him in the neighborhood and in the nearby parks. He was not to be seen anywhere and after a long vain search slept very late. Early the next morning he stealthily walked in with full of stench and slush. I was overjoyed, but spent the next two hours giving him a huge bath!