In the middle of an intense revision session, just before his final Mathematics examination, he got a stern warning from his dad.
"This one is also wrong! You are reading your own 4s as 7s and vice versa!"
And then it started, "when are you going to improve your handwriting?", "You will repent later on if you don't work on it now...when you can!" and so on and so forth.
Visibly irritated with the contradictory results (he had received his 'Student of the Week' certificate for his performance in Mathematics the same day and here, at home, half of his answers were wrong!), and itching to get it over with, the soon-to-be-10-year old replied, "It is okay!"
"How is it okay? I cannot even read it?"
"I can read it....it is my font!!!!!!"
"hun?" followed by laughter and more laughter.
He knew he was really reading his 4s as his 7s but for a change, he had used humour to his advantage...and seeing us laughing, i think he assumed that it was okay to use his own font all the time!
Well, no amount of examples of regrets of great leaders; like Mahatma Gandhi; over their own poor handwriting are going to be enough i guess. Even though we use less and less of this art in our daily lives now (even lovers resorting to sms and social networking engines rather than lengthy hand-written love letters!), a beautiful handwriting is not only a treat to eyes but a reflection of personality of that writer. I am no Handwriting Analyst but at one point of time, i did read a few books on the same and found it interesting how our carelessly written dots on i and j and sloppily written M's can reveal us...is that why people don't even send handwritten invitations anymore??
Thursday 17 June 2010
Tuesday 15 June 2010
Politely yours!
I asked him if my son's outgrown car seat would be of any use to him. I just wanted to give it to someone who would be able to use it rather than just throw it next to the garbage bin and waste something that some one might actually need.
I am now trying to avoid him.
Unknowingly, i have allowed him into my life, not in any unacceptable way though. He calls me his elder sister, and it is all very nice but somehwere, i can feel growing expectations and diabetic sweetness. And yet, i cannot bring myself to say no to him, out of politeness...
Like the invitations we receive for social networking. We either sit forever on those, or simply accept them even when we would just like to be left alone! It is said, we should be careful who we open the doors of our home and our life to...because people who come in through those doors might not want to leave; even when you want them to.
So, is it better to be firm and speak your mind (and risk being called rude and anti-social) , or is it good to be polite and create an inner sanctum which politely accepted social acquaintances do not get acquainted with?
I am now trying to avoid him.
Unknowingly, i have allowed him into my life, not in any unacceptable way though. He calls me his elder sister, and it is all very nice but somehwere, i can feel growing expectations and diabetic sweetness. And yet, i cannot bring myself to say no to him, out of politeness...
Like the invitations we receive for social networking. We either sit forever on those, or simply accept them even when we would just like to be left alone! It is said, we should be careful who we open the doors of our home and our life to...because people who come in through those doors might not want to leave; even when you want them to.
So, is it better to be firm and speak your mind (and risk being called rude and anti-social) , or is it good to be polite and create an inner sanctum which politely accepted social acquaintances do not get acquainted with?
Wednesday 9 June 2010
Being beautiful!
"I am waiting for her to grow up so i can start threading her upper lip!"
This was the most shocking comment i heard in all of that conversation. Coming from the mother of a 5 year old girl, i found it strange rather than amusing.
We thank God for everything, then why not for what He bestowed us with? We all are ample in one or the other area of life; precisely why the grass is always greener on our side when someone less ample in that area looks at us!
I have battled with this all along. Feeling overly conscious of what was not my choice but God's choice when He was creating me. Trying all kinds of products in the market and in the process, ending up spoiling my gifts was what i did at one point in my life.
Years ago, I decided, looking good was too much of hard work and i should concentrate on being good instead! I cannot say if that has been a wise decision though since the first judgement is always passed only upon your looks. It is like a gift-wrapping. You could have a rotten apple inside that awesome gift box but the beauty of the box will generate an instant smile and loads of expectations from the receiver.
So, being a plain brown gift-wrapping paper could very well mean losing a chance of a lifetime- whether you are appearing for a job interview, a marriage interview, or just interacting with someone. But, it is easy. It is easy to be who you are than to spend hours and loads of money trying to be who you are not.
I once knew a very pretty and lovely natured young mom. She was a professional make-up artist. No wonder then that she was always impeccably made-up. Her son would come to the park every evening with their maid but i saw the mom only occasionally. Once, i asked her the reason and she said that when she is tired, she does not feel like putting on any make-up and hence, she cannot come to the park.
I could not help wondering if i would have appreciated her lovely nature any less if i saw her without make up, or that why spending time with her son was less important than looking good to others?
We set our standards, and then fret all our lives over meeting those standards!
This was the most shocking comment i heard in all of that conversation. Coming from the mother of a 5 year old girl, i found it strange rather than amusing.
We thank God for everything, then why not for what He bestowed us with? We all are ample in one or the other area of life; precisely why the grass is always greener on our side when someone less ample in that area looks at us!
I have battled with this all along. Feeling overly conscious of what was not my choice but God's choice when He was creating me. Trying all kinds of products in the market and in the process, ending up spoiling my gifts was what i did at one point in my life.
Years ago, I decided, looking good was too much of hard work and i should concentrate on being good instead! I cannot say if that has been a wise decision though since the first judgement is always passed only upon your looks. It is like a gift-wrapping. You could have a rotten apple inside that awesome gift box but the beauty of the box will generate an instant smile and loads of expectations from the receiver.
So, being a plain brown gift-wrapping paper could very well mean losing a chance of a lifetime- whether you are appearing for a job interview, a marriage interview, or just interacting with someone. But, it is easy. It is easy to be who you are than to spend hours and loads of money trying to be who you are not.
I once knew a very pretty and lovely natured young mom. She was a professional make-up artist. No wonder then that she was always impeccably made-up. Her son would come to the park every evening with their maid but i saw the mom only occasionally. Once, i asked her the reason and she said that when she is tired, she does not feel like putting on any make-up and hence, she cannot come to the park.
I could not help wondering if i would have appreciated her lovely nature any less if i saw her without make up, or that why spending time with her son was less important than looking good to others?
We set our standards, and then fret all our lives over meeting those standards!
Having said that, it is not to undermine the importance of looking (and being) and feeling clean, presentable and hygienic. It is the over-obsession with superficial beauty that is overwhelming!
Tuesday 8 June 2010
A world of choices!
Time: 11am
Venue: a popular mall's food court
Day: weekend
Observation: people having McDonalds for a breakfast!!!!
Reaction: ???? (lost for words)
And what was i doing there? : I was with a friend and thankfully, enjoying fresh fruit juice...
Why am i sharing it with you? Because we all could and should start wondering if this is the best we can do?
With the obesity levels and hence, diabetes levels in the country reaching all time high, should we exercise restrain in places like food court or should the governments ban sale of high calorie cheap food completely?
I don't know. But what i do know is that everyone is sane enough to make that decision for themselves. There is only so much that the governments can do.
Look at tobacco. The UAE government has taken strong steps to curb this habit and yet, when my neighbour's teenage son has late night parties that keep us awake, forcing us to stand in the balcony and look at what's going on, it is shocking to see this whole group of teenagers smoking like a kitchen chimney. I wonder if they really go to a school. Because if they did, how can they not understand what smoking does to them? Do their parents know about it? Where do they get the money for this? Where do they get their cigarettes from- since they cannot be sold to those below 18? Or, are they 18 and yet, they think it is cool and fashionable to smoke and burn your lungs???
Call it communication gap, generation gap or just the arrogance of hormone-laden youth, or even the so-assumed wiser, older age...we are bent on destroying ourselves. We allow ourselves to eat junk, drink junk and are finally becoming junk.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Venue: a popular mall's food court
Day: weekend
Observation: people having McDonalds for a breakfast!!!!
Reaction: ???? (lost for words)
And what was i doing there? : I was with a friend and thankfully, enjoying fresh fruit juice...
Why am i sharing it with you? Because we all could and should start wondering if this is the best we can do?
With the obesity levels and hence, diabetes levels in the country reaching all time high, should we exercise restrain in places like food court or should the governments ban sale of high calorie cheap food completely?
I don't know. But what i do know is that everyone is sane enough to make that decision for themselves. There is only so much that the governments can do.
Look at tobacco. The UAE government has taken strong steps to curb this habit and yet, when my neighbour's teenage son has late night parties that keep us awake, forcing us to stand in the balcony and look at what's going on, it is shocking to see this whole group of teenagers smoking like a kitchen chimney. I wonder if they really go to a school. Because if they did, how can they not understand what smoking does to them? Do their parents know about it? Where do they get the money for this? Where do they get their cigarettes from- since they cannot be sold to those below 18? Or, are they 18 and yet, they think it is cool and fashionable to smoke and burn your lungs???
Call it communication gap, generation gap or just the arrogance of hormone-laden youth, or even the so-assumed wiser, older age...we are bent on destroying ourselves. We allow ourselves to eat junk, drink junk and are finally becoming junk.
CONGRATULATIONS!
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