Thinking about the inevitable.

By inevitable- I mean "old age". Death, according to what I believe (and what several others may believe) is simply a transition from one state of "being" to another. I am not really afraid of death, as such, but it sure gives me the creeps when I dwell over it. What is more scary is the fact that in a few years we are going to get OLD. Ofcourse, some will say that feeling OLD is just a state of mind, like feeling happy. But over the years I have come to realize that being old is not a state of mind, but a state of reality. Its not until you are old that you realize you are OLD.

So here I am 25 years Old, married to a wonderful and a compassionate woman who loves me more than anything else in the world. Things are moving in a steady state of motion. However, I dont know if I have truly "achieved" anything in my life so far. I do know that whatever it is that I need to achieve has to be in the next 20 to 25 years. In the modern world, even though medicine and technology have become Uber-ultra-cool, there is still "that" aspect of Life that we haven't YET conquered. I am sure we wont, ever. But the point is, whatever we have to do, we must do in these years. Its heartbreaking to watch old folks work the graveyard shifts at Walmart greeting people at the age of 75, when in the ideal world, they are the ones who should be greeted.

I was recently calculating how much money I would need to save before I retire at the age of 65. This was the answer I got: If the market continues to stay stable (huh?)- $4,638, 567 - should suffice! Are you serious?? That, I think is incredible. The question now is what if it isnt enough? Our generation has been raised by well-read, educated and cultured parents. The only solution that I can think out of this is to raise our kids the same way we were raised and hope that they take care of us in our old age. Really? Can we really expect the coming generations to be connected to their parents as much as we are connected to ours? Maybe the only way in which children will communicate with their parents in the coming years, will be through "wwww.Chatter.com- A new way to talk to your offsprings. You teach them to type, we will take care of the rest!"

So anybody out there who is reading this, dont be afraid. There is one thing that you can most certainly do- of the $4,638, 567 that you will save till the time you are 65, invest some money in purchasing a house in the rural areas of your motherland. And when you retire, leave your agonies of the struggling world behind and move into a place that needs your wisdom. Because, even though Life may have taken its toll on those lean muscles of yours, it has most certainly given you ample wisdom to transform a village into a pot of gold.

To old age. To wisdom.

The spark plug of your mind.

This post could go in any direction you want- religious, spiritual, scientific or philosophical. However, I want this post to go in a logical way. I want it to go in a way that would entice its readers to scratch their minds and ponder about it. I want this post to generate a spark in the "minds" of its readers, because in all honesty, no one knows where the spark plug of your mind is?

I read one of the several forwards that Purnima -my wiser half- gets on her emails. This forward speaks of Buddha and one of his disciples. The story goes that Buddha asks one of his disciples to get him a bowl of water from a nearby pond. The disciples reaches the pond only to find that the water is muddy as a lot of other people are using the water to clean their cattle, wash their hands and everything else that a human could do in the olden days ( now remember this is Buddha-times we are talking about). So the disciple decides to go back to Buddha and tell him that he tried everything he could but he simple couldnt get him drinking water as it was too muddy. After an hour the "Guru" tells his disciple to go and check on the pond again. The disciple finds that the water has settled down and he gets Buddha a bowl of water. Buddha asks him, " What did you do to make the water so clean?" The disciple says " Nothing at all." That's when Buddha preaches, " Your mind is just like the pond. Let it stay for sometime and all the mud will settle itself. You wont have to do anything."

If you spared a moment after you read the story, you too like other people, have spent sleepless nights worrying about the future and its uncertainties. However, how many of us have spent sleepless nights trying to figure out a new passion in their lives? How many of us have desperately "wanted" something new in life which they could follow with immense dedication and a sense of satisfaction. I have come to realize that this desperation to "find" something is the need for a new spark plug of your mind. If we are to relate our brains to an electic generator, then there is definitely a spark plug that needs to exist!

Presently, my spark plug isnt working. So if any of you out there have anything new or interesting that you think I should pursue or give a chance, please let me know. I am in need of an intellectual, spiritual and a satisfying experience and a passion to put a smile on my face everytime I think about it. So if any of you know of something, pass it on. You can be my spark plug for a while!!!

Chao

According to the plan, or is it otherwise?

I never thought I will become a Speech Pathologist. There, its out in the open and I am not ashamed to say it! I never in my wildest dreams thought that one day my career will be that of a speech pathologist. Maybe one cannot dream of something if they aren't even aware of it subconsciously. However, here I am working on my PhD to become an expert in Communication Sciences and disorders. I can never relate myself to my profession. However, I am always on my toes waiting for that relativity to strike me and that's when I get excited.

I always wanted to join the Forces. I dont know why I never thought about doing anything else. However oppurtunity never really knocked my doors on that front. I never wanted to be a "Doctor", an "Engineer" or as a matter of fact a "MBA"! I neither had the aptitude for that, nor the interest to be one of the mass. But things never really go according to the plan. Which brings me to the main topic of my thought- Is there truly a plan that you are capable of executing with the best of your knowledge?

I guess the answer is "Maybe". Like every other philosophical topic there can ever be, this too is a "Maybe". I never planned to go to SVPT for my junior college, never planned to meet Purnima, never thought I would land in the US and never imagined getting married to Purnima! I guess where I am in life right now was not what I had planned for at all. But this is where an individual gets a choice- a choice to either complain or a choice to enjoy. Today I chose to enjoy because (touch wood) I am glad things didnt work out the way I planned!! I can only continue to pray that The One who is taking care of my lifecar shall continue to smile on one of his lambs. I hope He or She knows that I am grateful to Him or Her for his givings.

A note to people who may read this- If things don't go according to the way you plan, the wisest thing to do then is to keep quiet and be flexible. Its one of the best ways to get out of the situation feeling good about yourself!

Chao.

My first 25th Birthday!

Before I begin, let me tell you why I titled my blog as "My First 25th Bday"- because when I turn 50, I am going to celebrate my Second 25th Bday! (Duh).
Well, let me begin by saying that the 25th Bday was one of my most memorable birthday's yet! Sorry Ma and Pa, I know you have done a lot for me on my bdays, but what the wife did will stay in my working memory and long term memory forever! (you cant blame me if I dont remember my yesteryear bdays- now there's a thought for philosophers....).

Anyway, I woke up on the 24th of April, feeling happy in my heart that it was the Master Blaster's bday and I wished him a very happy birthday. My friend Kunal was supposed to go and visit his roommate from Ohio at Goldsboro at noon or so. My friend Kiran came home and told me that it would be better idea for us to go out and eat, because he didnt feel like cooking. (Wierd- coz Kiran doesnt eat outside!).

So the time was 1.30p and I was getting hungry as a horse. So I decided to eat Chole and bread and meanwhile Kunal calls me and tells me that his car has broken down so he wont be able to go to Goldsboro. He too mentioned that we go and eat at Lemon Grass Thai restaurant. I said sure. (Kunal likes to eat a lot outside!).

So off we go, Kiran, Shariq and me in Kiran's car to Lemon Grass. We are about to reach there and Kunal calls me up to ask me where we are and shows special interest in the route we are taking. ( Now i am starting to get irritated by him and I may have even cursed him a bit). He then calls Kiran and talks something to him (which again is wierd because that usually doesnt happen).

So we reach Lemon Grass and I find Kunal in there, sitting all by himself. I go sit next to him and am thinking about what to order. A minute passes and I look to my right and there she was- the wife!!! She was sitting right next to me!!! I didnt recognize her for a second and then it struck me so hard that my mouth stayed open for like 2 minutes before I realized that it was true. For a minute I felt that my hallucinations have returned! (just kidding..) She had a great new hairstyle and looked as pretty as an angel (in a yellow top and a hairband!).

So the wife takes me out in the evening to the Goose Park by the pond and we talk for like 2 hours. Around 8.30 we come back home and I start getting suspicious once again because I see a white van in the parking lot and the blinds to our apartments closed. I knew she was up to something. So we walk in and there they are- all my friends from Greenville standing right in our living room yelling "Surpriseeeeeeee!!!!". It was a great feeling. It truly was. More than anything else, I was amazed at the fact that the wife was able to arrange the whole thing being 1200 miles apart! I have to commend this girl- she is a fine woman!!!

I wanted to write this post in plain, simple English only because that's how pure the memory is. I visualize it unfolding before my eyes every single day and I cannot thank my wife enough for making my 25th bday such a special one. I always complained that my wife never gave me a surprise- but not anymore!

I just hope that I can live up to her expectations as a boyfriend and a husband....Thank you once again for an awesome bday. You are amazing and I love you crazy!

Muuuuuuuuuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
Amu

The Beginning....

If the world is assumed to be under a normal distribution curve, my position in this distribution is what researchers call "late adopters". Hence the delay in adjusting to the thought of writing down thoughts on the www. But I believe, that the excitement of blogging has certainly reached the late adopters and my desire to blog has emerged successfully. So I guess people who are interested in reading about what goes on in other people's lives without having to talk to them, are free to come by and read to their heart's content. Atleast they will be preventing Alzheimer's that way!!
Enjoy reading... its a habit you wont regret.
Untill later.