Cribbing about nothing

Most often, we vent our frustrations just by cribbing about anything and everything that happens to catch our mind. For some, it is blaming co-workers, and for others, it is blaming the tools. Some may even go so far as to gossip about all and sundry, or by being as profane as humanly possible without turning into stone. At this time, I am reminded of a proverb from school days, "A bad worksman blames his tools". However, here I am not attempting to address those workmen (who probably always blame their tools). Rather I am commenting about those who are stuck in a bad spot and trying to lift their own spirits by engaging in a bit of cribbing.

"Crib session" is an oft-heard word if you ever study a course around here. The first time I heard the term, I took it very literally (I am sure that a few people will point out here that it is meant to be taken literally). In any case, I found the term very amusing when I first came across it. Students were invited by their TAs to crib about their exam papers! That sounded interesting! Ofcourse, it was soon clear that the TAs were not about to offer any sympathy listening; the session was just meant for clarification regarding why you have got so few marks as you have. :P

Apart from the crib session (where on average, you always end up feeling that you have been ripped off by the TA :D), most other cribbing that we indulge in, is almost of no concrete use than to give temporary relief by letting go of the pent-up negative energy. Many a times, you may regret later, that which you had said in a heated cribbing discussion.

Why am I talking about cribbing, all of a sudden? Well today, we lost kho-kho general championship game. And yeah, we have n number of reasons lined up in defence of our courageous yet losing performance. But the fact is, we did lose. All of us keep trying to convince ourselves in vain that we did good, considering this, considering that. But finally, lets face it. We lost, and its done.

Today I realize that even cribbing about it is tiring me out, instead of even remotely lifting my spirits. So eventually, all the cribbing was for nothing.

People talking of urban legends today.. and this comic caught my gaze. Nothing else extraordinary about it.

Another encounter with a snake

Well, this time it was a different snake. It was as long as a tree twig, the same brownish colour and was lying across the hostel gate pathway. I was walking my cycle out of the hostel compound, and I could have almost squished that creature under the tyre. Oh well, not necessarily squish. Maybe it would have lashed back at me with some poison instead and that would have been the end of me.

Anyway, point is, "observant" that I was (refer to the name of this blog :D), I did see the snake crawling its way from one end of the gate to the other. I moved a little away from its apparent direction of motion. A girl behind me, was less observant probably. One, she didnt see me take a detour from my path. Two, she didnt see the snake. So I raised my voice in an attempt to drag her conscious mind to the present, "Hey look!". Her gaze suddenly dropped down and reflexively she jumped back.

I took a few seconds to decide whether this snake incident needs to be reported somewhere, or should I just get on my cycle and ride away. The other girl gave my thoughts some company with her own thoughts probably. Finally, I thought of informing the hostel security guard.

I parked my cycle, rushed back to the security guard and told her, "Hostel gate pe ek saamp hai".
SG: Kaunse gate pe?
Me: Yeh wala, saamne hostel gate (I pointed for emphasis)
SG: "Pump?"
Me: (huh?) "Saamp. Snake."
SG: "Oh, woh jayega naaa".
Me: "Haan jayega", I agreed and I left.
(As I reached my cycle, I again hear the SG. SG has followed me to the gate.)
SG: "Kahan hai?"
By this time, that thing has successfully, and at unexpectedly quick speed, clambered the gate and is trying to enter a hole inside the night lamp on top of the hostel gate.
Me: (I point out) "Woh dekho wahan, upar"
SG: "Oooh"
SG: "Jaane do na usko."

I shrugged my shoulders and pushed out on my cycle. The last I saw when I turned back to look was the SG giving the snake company while it probably tried to find a cosy place to climb into.

How to measure human sensitivity?

Women accuse men of being "insensitive", while men blame women for their "over-sensitivity". Really, how does one measure sensitivity? This epic emotional battle between men and women has been in existence since time immemorial, or atleast since Adam and Eve, whichever came later. Yes, it is an exciting question to ask, the question of "why do you say 'whichever came later'. I do have my theories to back it up, but that would just make me digress from the issue at hand.

The issue is, how does one measure sensitivity? Without a decent measurement tool, how can anyone accuse anyone else of being "less" or "more" sensitive --- less or more than what? Ah, probably it is just something that is measurable by common-sense. But as is commonly said these days, common sense is no longer so common.

Being sensitive makes one get hurt more often, while oneself hurting others not so often. Being insensitive is like emotional blindness, one doesnt see that another is hurt due to one's actions and thus is very much like an armour against the world. So, is it better to be insensitive in this cruel world?

If the world were devoid of sensitivity, maybe the world would be simpler like the men imagine. Or it maybe a much colder place like the women fear. So we (women) tie up our shoelaces and keep marching on into the sensitivity territory, where no man has gone before (pun intended), believing all the while that the men will catch on soon enough.

Given a choice, I would prefer over-sensitivity to insensitivity. After all, "over-sensitivity" may even be tamed down a bit but "insensitivity" could never be replaced by its opposite.

An ode to mothers

Mothers, how do we get along with them? Mothers, how do we get along without them? They can make you pull out your hair, and at the same time, they can also give you a fabulous tel malish so that your hair stays healthy and shiny.

How an hour of restless tossing and turning gives way to instant sleep when your mom keeps a watchful eye on your fever. At the same time, how you start bawling like a kid when your mom says a kind word to you after you have had a strictly obnoxious spat with a stranger.

Were these mothers the same who were merely girls a couple of decades ago? Are the present-day girls the same who will be mothers a couple of decades hence? Is motherhood something that just dawns on you, or do you learn how to be a mother in the 9 months that pass by.

We, non-medico professionals, usually believe doctors to be miracle-workers. He being a doctor is about the biggest reason for us to place our life in his hands for him to do what he feels like with it. In a non-medical way, we believe mothers also to be miracle-workers. "She is a mother, she should know. She is a mother, she would know." Wow! Talk about pressure!

Love you mom! Thanks for all you do.

saari umra hum, mar mar ke jee liye
ek pal toh ab hamein, jeene do jeene do

Give me some sunshine, give me some rain,
Give me another chance, I wanna grow up once again.

Nice song, liked the lyrics.
But my childhood wasn't that regrettable :-)

What makes you tick?

What makes you tick? No, I dont mean "what ticks you off?". That is another topic entirely :D. I mean if you were a clock, what is your battery? What makes it possible for you to move from second to second, or in human terms, from day to day, week to week, or month to month and so on.

What makes you get up everyday, and get to the work at hand? What pushes you on to the next thing to do? Is it your family's joy and comfort, or is it your own? Is it something that you look forward to on the weekend? Is earning your superior's admiration/appreciation your motivation? Are you "living" life or are you simply leading, as they call it, a mundane existence?

Till date, I havent found an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of life?". After witnessing and reading about the various incidents occuring everyday all around us, I have begun to accept the answer that there is no particular purpose after all; just live and let live. However, my heart refuses to quiet down so simply, every so often it raises its thinking cap and pops the same question again. Will enlightenment ever strike me?