Testaments of a Beautiful Marriage

He loves collecting and studying insects.
She loves art.
These are the exquisite art pieces she created using real insects from his collection. Don't they portray a perfect flawless blend of both their personalities? In my view, they are the testaments of how beautiful their marriage must be!

I recently traveled to Costa Rica, where I visited the Selvatura Park in Monteverde cloud forests. The center features biologist Richard Whitten's world class educational exhibits "Jewels of the Rain Forest", one of the largest private insect exhibitions anywhere in the world. I am talking about him and his wife of course! Her name is Margaret.

Okay, sorry for the really bad pictures below. There was too much reflection from the lights flashing all over  in the room. But I had to post these because I had never seen  such shining beetles and scarabs.

May every marriage on this Earth be as colorful, vibrant and blissful as these exhibits!

No Walker for my Baby!

Okay.. this blog is not like my usual blogs. I am writing this only to share some useful information with parents.

Nyssa was barely able to sit up by herself and I had many people telling me to buy her a walker. They said it would help her walk fast. I am a first time parent, clueless about most things and so I take help of our good old google for every little doubt I have.

I started reading about walkers helping baby's motor development, and I was shocked to learn what I found!

Contradictory to what people usually believe, Walkers actually hamper a child’s ability walk! That’s because baby uses different muscles to move around in a walker than what we actually use to walk naturally. Usually the bones above to that of knee help in walking but the child in a baby walker uses the bones below the knees.These children lose the muscle control and research has shown that they will walk about a month later than if they had not used a walker. They take longer to learn the balancing concept.

It is best to let the baby learn to walk naturally… sitting to crawling to standing to walking. Each of these milestones is important for Child’s development and it is not healthy to skip any. Each one of them is important for child’s muscle development and internal strength building. Walkers allow babies to move around before they are physically ready for it, which can cause unusual movement patterns and delayed muscle control.The children using walker may even show some different modes of walking than that of an ordinary child. The legs of those child are bent than that of an ordinary child.

In a walker, baby cannot see their legs and lower body and so they don’t learn that you need to use your legs to move. They don’t get the correct information they need about motor development. I still remember when Nyssa was first learning to walk, she would always look at her legs, how one moves and then the next etc. and then look up to me proudly.

Research has also shown that walkers are related to back pain in the later part of life.

Even the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against using them. There are a bunch of articles about safety issues with walkers as well.

It is better to get her a jumper or exersaucer (which is what I got in the end). Walker is a BIG No No!

I had to share this information because I haven't come across a single person who knew these side effects of a baby walker. Everyone who talked about it asked me to buy it for my baby. Statistics show that more than 52% parents in USA buy these for their babies completely aware of the fact that they are spending money over something which is bad for your child.

Vulnerable Peace

Nature's outrage blows Japan!

Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Fires and Nuclear radiations..

Deaths, Tears, Cries and Helplessness....

Unaware of any of it, my sweet little baby sleeps by my side in an innocent peace.

So vulnerable, yet so peaceful...

So defenseless, yet so calm...

So feeble, yet so composed...

And I am almost in tears!

May I have the luck and strength to protect my child in the biggest of calamities..

Sunny Side Up!

"You must have the easiest life in this whole world!", my friend exclaimed over our Lunch!

"Why do you think so?"

"Because, you know, you're always like .. lah di dah.. "

Before I could say anything, the waiter interrupted, "Can I get you anything else?"

"2 Eggs, sunny side up!, Thank you. ". I said.

The eggs arrive!

Oh how gorgeous they looked! two golden Suns shining in a white sky, smiling back at me!

I cut it in two halves , so each of us could eat one of those smiling little suns!

And while cutting my first bite, I said,

"You know, we are all eggs, and life is a process of cooking those eggs! No matter how hard you try, you are going to get burnt! Everybody does! It's your choice what kind of eggs you wanna be!

You can be a scrambled egg, torn apart into pieces with all the life's worries and busy routines.

Or a boiled egg, which curls up in a closed, small space, shying and hiding away from the world.

Or an omelet, which looks wrinkled all over, old and exhausted!

I like to be the Sunny Side Up Egg. Of course it gets burnt on one side, but it still stays so smooth and bright on top. Fried on one side, but radiant and cheerful on top! As if it is smiling away in all it's pain, and that's the way to live!

lah-di-dah ... !!! :) "

And the Bumper-Sticker on my car says ...

I think everyone should get a funny bumper-sticker for their car ..

Ever since I got this, I see smiles and laughs instead of still-faces and frowns through my rear-view mirror. It's a nice feeling to make strangers smile just driving through the streets doing your daily chores.. Not that I bought it thinking of all this, it's just a pleasant side-effect!! :)

He said he's coming home!! (A short Story!)

So, he says he's coming home! She jumps out of her chair!

Wait! .. Is this for real? She pinches herself! .. Hell yeah! .. He IS coming home! For the first time!

You can see the sparkle is her eyes! And her smile couldn't be any wider! Shivers run through her body! She wants to scream out loud, but she is speechless!!

She starts counting the days... 12 days from now! She runs to the mirror. "Do I look okay?" The skin looks a lil stressed.. maybe a facial will fix it. And hair? She knows he likes curls on her. But she must practice with the curling iron a few days before THE day, because she's never done it on her own before. But she is going to pretend she didnt curl it for him, she will tell him, she would've done it anyway!

Few calls to the parlor for facial appointment, waxing. Nails need some work too.

What should she wear? she runs to her wardrobe.. She doesn't want to let him know she is too excited, so something casual , plus they meet at home, so nothing too flashy! she goes looking for something sexy, but cute! Something that should show, and at the same time hide!

What else? House is such a mess! She goes and buys a dresser for the things lying around that had no home. House should be clean and inviting. He should want to come back again, you know!

She doesn't drink, but she knows he enjoys it. So a bottle wine finds it's way to her house, so does a new set of wine glasses! And yes, a cute little card from hallmark! The card says, "If everytime I thought of you was a snowflake, you wouldn't be able to make it here today!"

She is not much of a singer, but she practices a few lines from this new song that's on her mind lately. Just in case, if the card doesn't do the trick, she should have something else ready as a backup.

He works a lot every day, sleeps tired every night and she knows exactly what he needs. A massage! A calming, soothing massage. So, she buys some "learn to massage" DVDs and watches them every night. She already has massage oil at home, aah, one less thing to worry about!

Days pass by real slow!! Longest 12 days in her life! But she is happy, she is dreaming! When he comes home, she is going to give him a warm hug! Then she will show him around the whole house, her patio, show him her favorite things, smile, talk, laugh, kiss!

She has everyhting planned - which sheets go on bed that day, which pillow covers, which candles to light, what food to eat, what perfume to wear, and the list goes on ..

All that, just cos he is coming home! She doesn't even know how much time he will spend with her. Her guess - 3 hours, max!

All that, just for 3 hours?

Well, it could be just 30 min, who knows!

All that, just for 30 min??

Oh yes, every minute with him means a dream to her. She would do that even if it was just a minute! Yes, I know, she is silly!

Is she in love? If you ask her, she'd laugh and say "No way!" dodging the question and further discussions away! But she knows, what you know.. by now!

Just a day left! She is almost ready! Only the kitchen needs to be organized a little.

Everythign else is perfect!

A messenger window pops up on her screen. It's him! yay!

"So, what time are you coming tomorrow?" she asks.

"I am so damn busy lately, I have zero time for anything. And I really can't afford you being involved with me. I have my work, my family, my life, you know... "

And there is this deep, helpless silence ..

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She wipes a tear drop in her eyes!

"Good!" She says to herself, "So the snow-flakes did work!"

Dear Ajji ..

Ajji, (Grandma)
Is there anything I can do to be able to hug you just one more time?
I never really told you how much I loved you..

When I was busy running around in the house, I could see you watching me from the corner of my eye.. perhaps you wanted me to stop for a little while and sit by you.. tell you sweet little things from my world..
I know it wasn't a whole lot that you wanted..
then why didn't I give it?

When I came back home late with lots of colorful shopping bags in my hand, I could see you waiting for me at the door.. perhaps you wanted me to show you all those things one by one, and ask you to choose what looked best on me..
I know it wasn't a whole lot that you wanted..
then why didn't I give it?

When I came to India just for 3 weeks in a year, you would come and stay with us in our house.. perhaps you wished I could reserve at least a one whole day, just for you ...
I know it wasn't a whole lot that you wanted..
then why didn't I give it?

I still loved you Ajji! .. a lot!
Will you tell me once, that you knew it already?

Did I take you for granted?
I never imagined the possibility of the day when you'll go away.. vanish from my world, just like that!
I thought I can sleep resting my head on your lap, any time I wanted.. all my life!
I never knew that there's only so much of you, that I can have in my life..

I am writing this, hoping you will read it some day.. somehow..
and then kiss me on my cheeks, and say "Majhi Chhakuli!" .. like you always did..
Will you?

Majhi Ajji!My dearest Ajji!

The Ugly Duckling!

A friend sent me this message today as a response to some pictures I uploaded on facebook recently.

" Saylee,You are so beautiful. The pictures don't really
make enough justice. just a friendly praise for you :) "

I get a lot of emails from fans and friends praising me about my looks. I send a humble thank you note back with a smiley face and if these emails don't carry any other significant information or feedback, they usually end up in trash. But this particular email churned my thoughts for some reason, maybe because it was unexpected, but it made me think, took me for a ride into my past!

Have you heard the Marathi song - "एका तळ्यात होती, बदके पिले सुरेख?"

It's about this ugly little duckling which suffers abuse and gets mocked and laughed at by it's friends and neighbors. Poor soul is lonely and cries to itself in sorrow, until one fine morning, when much to it's delight and to the surprise of others, it realizes that it is actually a graceful Swan...

I feel like it's my story!

Growing up, I was always told that I was ugly!! They called me all sorts of names, made fun of me and laughed at my expense! Family, friends and even the people who had nothing to do with me....

... and I cried .. all alone, to myself.. nobody cared enough to notice..

Things changed as time passed.. How? When? I don't know! .. something unfolded on it's own!
Now, the same folks praise me .. perceive me differently.. treat me differently ... world seems like a different place to my same set of eyes..

But can I forget?

Was I really ugly then?

And am I really beautiful now?

I remember when I was a child, no matter what they said, I always believed I was beautiful! I was kind to them even when they hurt me. I helped them even when they laughed at me. There were no calculations, no revenges, no acts and no tacts! I cared.. I loved.. I cried for those who cried ..

I think I was a beautiful child! ..

How much of that purity still remains in my soul? I am not sure about now, but I sure was very very beautiful then!

Ek Yaadi Jakhmoni - Gujrati Ghazals and Geet

I don't understand / speak Gujrati , but I am singing this album of Gujrati Geet and Ghazals called "Ek Yaadi Jakhmoni". To be honest, I was a little nervous at first to try out an unfamiliar language, but not after I sang the first line of my first song!

Really folks, I enjoyed singing these as much as my mother tongue .. Isn't Music a language that any soul can understand?

To listen to the preview clips of songs that I have completed so far, go to http://www.sailee-raje.com/eyj_songs.html

As I go on completing songs in this album, I will be updating the same link with new previews.

And don't forget to let me know which ones you liked .. :)

A Shout-out to 3 friends I never met!

So, my latest album is in my mother tongue - "Marathi". I feel so proud of the fact just as I am typing this. :)

The previews coming soon at http://sailee-raje.com/

The Marathi album most likely will be named "Kshan Ek Bhalanyacha..." which means " A moment of Allure...". It's a beautiful and exquisite collection of songs full of Romance and Rain. Most of the songs are the poems my mother wrote long time back. This album was my surprise gift to her. One of the poems "Re Sajana" is by me.

But this post is not about me, but the 3 friends I never met!

There are also 3 other charming poems that were either sent to me as email forwards or found during my random search on the internet.

1. Tuzyatali Mi (Tuzya Saavalit ..)

2. Mi Harapale Re

3. Chimb Chimb Pavasane

Poems were great, neatly typed in Marathi .. the only thing missing was the name of the Poet, their creator! I have been searching for those, but haven't had any luck yet! :(

This blog is a call-out to these 3 poets who unknowingly contributed to the making of this lovely album. I would love to meet them. For me, they are my buddies already! It will be a pleasure to also add a credit to them in the album in the future reprints of the CD... Only if could I know who they are!!

If anybody can help me trace these folks, I would be truly grateful!!

So, I finally recorded my first two albums!

Yes, I was nervous every time I stood in the studio with headphones on, waiting for the music to start! Before each song, I prayed and asked God to be with me and to reside my throat. Then I visualized the entire song, and told myself to live it! For some songs I even danced in the studio during the connecting music pieces, just to get into the mood. (well, that's a secret :) ) Once the song started, the nervousness vanished on it's own.

Our music director, Pdt G S Chandra has been very satisfied with my performance in these 2 albums, although I feel I could still do a better job in couple of songs.. esp. "Main to Painyan" song. People are loving it, but I am my best critic and every time I listen to myself, I feel I could do better. Maybe that's how I'll improve.

Overall, I loved the whole experience. We were at the studio for 5 days from morning till late night, life was only about music, and how I wish it stays that way! ( oh..  I even lost a few pounds unknowingly)

I am working on putting together a quick website, where I can upload some sample tracks for you to get sneak previews of my songs before the CDs are released.

Here are a couple of pictures from last week. Both are taken in the backyard of our studio place. On first day, we did a small Pooja before we started with our venture. First pic is about that. The second one is my picture with our music director, Pdt. G S Chandra.

A Bold Step into the Musical World ..

It's been SUCH a LONG time, since I wrote my last blog .. I know! And I want to say sorry to those who look forward to reading my blogs. I really am!

During all this time, life took some beautiful twists .. so many to talk about! .. But today i want to share with you the most amazing thing that happened to me!

I finally found what I was looking for all these years..  my ultimate passion, my deepest craving,  my soul! ..

  MUSIC!!!

I had started singing as a kid .. I loved it, but at that time it was more like a study project. Then I went and tried bunch of other things... dancing, painting, poetry, sports, and more and more .. and oh! how can I forget my bread - hardware engineering! 

But finally I realized I have only traced the circle to land back on music! Music it is!!

If you asked me where I will be after 30 years.. I don't know!! But I know for sure that I'll still  be singing!! Singing my every vein out!!

I am just about to take a bold step in my musical world!

The recording of my first 2 music albums starts day after tomorrow!!

And I cannot tell you what it means to me.. if this is a dream, I do not want to wake up!

And at such an important milestone, how is it even possible to not remember you all?  

Today, my heart cries out for your love. 

I want to touch your hearts with my music... shower  you with the most precious gift I got!

Will you let me?

Will you sprinkle your affection, blessings and wishes around me?

Will you be on my side as friends, and as critics?

Will you? .........

Prayer a day...

Mamma: "Did you do Pooja (Prayers) this morning?"
Me: "Umm... no I didn't get time. umm.. I had to rush to catch my train!"
OR
" Umm .. no, not today, but I lit a diya on Saturday!"
OR
" oh.. yes, I have been doing it. Just didn't find to do it this week because ....!"

This is one of the typical conversations between Mamma and me when she calls me. She always asks me to pray every morning. And I keep saying .. "OK.. tomorrow onwards ... maybe ..I'll start "
The truth is I haven't done pooja in months!! I just don't feel enough drive for it.

Why do I have to explicitly sing the words of praise to God when I am grateful to him in my heart?
I thank him time to time for being there for me. I trust in him and know that no matter how lonely I might get, he'll always be there with me. I truly believe everything happens for good!

Doesn't God know that already?
Why do few verses in Sanskrit (that I don't always understand) are considered more meaningful than what I really mean at my heart?
I may not join my hands, offer flowers, lit diyas everyday in front God Idol. But does that mean that the feelings of gratuity, faith and thankfulness in my heart weaker than someone who does?

Mamma said, "Things always need to be expressed. If you love a person, it's not enough to just know it. he'd never feel it unless you show it. This is something like that.
It's not enough to just say you are smart. You actually have to score to prove that you are smart. This is something like that. Physical actions do matter."

I listened... but wasn't quite satisfied with that answer. Even though I accept that fact that I have to act physically to convey my prayers to God, I don't feel that performing the pooja mechanically at a specific time in the morning would be the right way to express my love to God.
At least not the right way for me!
I want to say it only when I mean it! .. I dont want to do something like a daily chore. That's not me, if I start doing that!

I spent 3 days thinking over it.

When do I want to pray? ..
When I feel closest to God!
When do I feel closest to God? ... and How do I want to pray?

Prayers to me is to be thankful when I go to bed happy!
Prayers to me is to look at the skies above and feel one with them!
Prayers to me is to remember God in good times and not just in bad ones!
Prayers to me is making the best of what God gave me!
Prayers to me is living every moment!
Prayers to me is an honest unselfish advice!
Prayers to me is to help someone in need!
Prayers to me is a kind act!

and that's where I got my answer!
Answers actually lie within us! and It's so awesome to find them!

One kind act a day!
That will be my real prayer!
Yes, I have found my prayer!

Kiss at the mall

My ice-skating class is right next to the Valco mall. After the class, sometimes I go for a walk in the mall. It makes me forget the body-pain that I get from falling at the ice-rink. :)
It’s a fun walk... I love hopping from store to store, trying on different stuff. Observing people around, is something I love even more! What I don’t like is that I always end up buying something I don’t really need!

Yesterday was one such day. I stood outside the mall, made a resolution that I won’t buy anything . Then I stepped in. Luckily, I didn’t even find anything interesting that would tempt me to break my resolution. But I still kept walking.

It was about 40 minutes later, that I suddenly heard a voice from behind... “Hi!!!”
I turned around to find a girl holding hand of a woman. We had never met before. The pair didnt look like mother and daughter to me... maybe they were relatives. The girl wore a shabby red T-shirt and jeans. She was skinny, with her hair braded and wore thick glasses… too thick for her age.
Anyone could tell that she was a special child. She looked about 8 years old but her mental age could be around 2-3 years. Since I did not recognize her, I looked at the lady for some help. She simply stood there silent; I figured I am not going to get any help from her there. There were a few other people around and it was kind of awkward situation for everybody.

“Hi!!!!” the girl said again, looking straight into my eyes. I looked at the lady again. She turned away as if she was embarrassed because of the child. For one moment I thought of simply walking away, but something made me stay there.

I looked at the girl... she was smiling as if she was very happy to see me. I shook all my thoughts away, smiled and said “Hi…”
“What is your name?” she asked.
“My name is Saylee... and what is yours?”
“Roshni!”
“Roshni! It’s a nice name!”

Then for a couple of moments we just kept smiling at each other.

Then she suddenly said “Ok... bye bye!” .. still smiling.
“Bye!” I said.
I was about to leave when she said “Kiss?”
All this was going at a very fast pace for me to comprehend. But I could feel the love in it.
She opened her arms wide, with assurance in her eyes that she will definitely get a kiss!

The lady now had turned her back completely as if she didn’t know what was her happening behind her. And I didn’t care if there was anybody else looking at us.

I took a step closer to her and she gave me a kiss and a hug. She was very happy and so was I. I felt so touched by that child in just a few seconds! She asked me my name and that was all she needed to know to feel like we've always known eachother!

I waived my hands to say god bye and started walking. It was lovely!! I suddenly found that mall much more beautiful, more cheerful and filled with love and happiness. I felt good about me.

I didn’t buy anything that day, I walked for some more time and then returned home. On my drive back I kept thinking about the girl... what a loving heart she had!
A heart that could love strangers!
Because of her mental condition and appearance, I am sure that she must have been laughed upon and neglected. But she still had immense love for the world in her heart. I could see it in her eyes.

May I also be blessed with such a loving heart…

Anyone can love their own family and close ones. I don’t call that a loving heart though.
A loving heart is a heart that can love strangers…
A loving heart is when you don’t get irritated by a slow driver in front of you thinking that he could be a new driver.
A loving heart is when you take time to see if the ugly old lady in the handicapped chair at the checkout queue needs help, just the way you do to admire and smile at the irresistibly cute baby in the same queue.
A loving heart is a heart that can love someone that can do absolutely nothing for you...
And it’s hard …

The little special child taught me a lesson of love all over again...
Through a kiss at the mall..

Why are you on the train?

You wake up from your sleep and realize that you are on a train. You don’t know how you got on the train and why. You have no idea where the train is going.
Wouldn't that fill you with questions and questions and questions? Wouldn't you wonder where the train is taking you? Wouldn't you wonder why are you on this train?
Of course you will!
You won’t be able to relax until you find the reason why you are on the train.

Our life is that train. All of us have been sent on that train for a reason. You are expected to wonder and dig for the purpose of you being there. But most of us get so distracted with fighting for a window seat, finding the right company, upgrading the seat to first class, that nobody even cares to find out the real reason why they are on the train in the first place!

Isn't that funny how we let our minds be occupied by such things so much that we forget to wonder why we are born?

Ever wondered what is the purpose of your life?

We live our everyday routines, make money, raise kids, retire… But ever wondered what is it that you are really here in the world for?
Or do you even believe that your life might have a purpose?

Do I know the purpose of my life? Well, not really!....
I have wondered about this ever since I was a kid and I always felt that there is a reason to why I was born. I believe that it will occur to me some day...

Of course there are a few people who know exactly what they are here for. And they inspire me deeply!
Not only the famous people like Mother Teresa or Mahatma Gandhi but even the ordinary people that I come across in my life. Wait…. if someone knows the purpose of their life, they are not ordinary anymore!

Ever taken some time out from your monthly bills and groceries and paychecks to wonder about the reason for your existence?
Even if you succeed in achieving the first-class seat, you have to remember that you have to get off that train at some point. You cannot carry your luxuries with you when you get off..
All you can carry is the satisfaction of really giving your best towards the reason why you got on the train….

( My inspiration to scribble this blog is Sam who believes that he is born to make people laugh and Penny who lives for Koko. )

A secret..

They see me laughing, jumping, dancing and singing and wonder what's the secret!
They want to be me sometimes, to feel the joy overflowing!
Some say it's mere luck!
Some say it's freedom!
Some say it's independence!
Some just keep wondering.....

Well, heres' a lil something about me that they might not know..

This is a picture of a night that's very easy to find in my life, every once in a while ....
I am sitting here in my apartment...
on my sofa with my laptop ...
all alone....
at 2:00 AM in a dry cold night..
The next time I hear any voice will only be when I get to the office tomorrow...
a sleepy dim light spread in the room..
sitting next to me, are tons of indifferent mails and arid credit card bills...
a slow gazal playing without even caring why it is being played..
I am wondering about something like ... "what is it that I really want"....
my eyes are red and paining, but I still won't sleep...
and ofcourse, I have nobody around to force me to sleep..
It's so quiet that I dont like it when refrigerator shuts off once in a while..
I am thirsty but the empty cup of water on the center table will sit there with a grin on its edge....
I look around .. all the furniture and all the walls stand still..
I look at all the pictures on the walls and the decorations that I did with my own hands...
they sit dead, as if they dont care whether they are on the wall or in the box ....
The only things moving are my eyes, and the feelings hidden behind them..
Flocks of thoughts with a few memories stapled to them start gushing into my mind, only to make it tougher and tougher for me to breathe..
I wish ... if only someone could call me right at this moment, from India, and tell me how bright the day is over there....
I recall the faces that make me happy and suddenly realize that it's going to be a while before I get to see them....

Slowly, I feel like I cannot see anymore...
Oh! Is that a silly water drop in my eyes?

?

But I know that it will never fall down as a tear..
It's gonna turn into a sparkle instead...
I take a deeeeep breath!
strech my arms as wide as I can, get up, and smile!
Drink a glassful of water!
I start watering the plants in the living room since they might be thirsty too!
while pouring water, I look out of the window....
and the empty streets say that they're waiting for tomorrow because that's when I'll drive through them!!
I smile again...
I go out in the patio and pour seeds in my bird-feeder, so that there are lots of birds coming to wake me up in the morning..
It's cold. So with joy, I run inside the house..
I hear a few happy whispers.. I look around. All my pictures, flowers and decorations say, "We really do like it here, to be a part of your home!"
It feels so wonderful that I must close my eyes...

Yes!
Tomorrow is gonna be the happiest day ever! :)

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Some say it's mere luck!
Some say it's freedom!
Some say it's independence!
Some just keep wondering.....

I say,
it's seeing what you really want to see!
it's hearing what you really want to hear!
it's feeling what you really want to feel!
and it's being what you really want to be!

:)

I was getting kinda bored today after lunch.. But then I came across this pic, and it made me alive back again!

Live your life like a story....

"Once upon a time there was a ....."
And your favorite story begins!
The story is touching .. full of adventure, full of passion, full of excitement and love. You just love the hero of the story, for what he is!
No one is a born hero. What makes him a hero is all the things that he does which ordinary people don't. That's what makes him stand out. And that's why you like him so much.

I believe that our life is a story....
And everyone has a story of their own.
You are the main character of your story. So, anybody who reads this story, is going to look up to you as a hero.

So, at every point of life, when you cannot decide what to do, imagine how you would like a hero in a story to behave if he were in the same situation.
Thats because sometimes we expect the heroes to be doing right things, but when it comes to us, we forget what is right and behave only towards our own benefit. Its easy to say "why do I have to be good everytime? I am not a hero!" But you forget that YOU are the hero of your own story.

Sometimes, being ethically wrong could be beneficial to you at that moment. But after 20 years, when you look back at the story of your life, you won't be able to be proud of yourself for what you did.
Because at that time, you realize that inspite of having an opportunity to be a star of your own life story, you just lived like an ordinary person. Your story might have brought you diamonds, but for the audience, it's just as boring as it could be!

When we listen to a story, does it matter whether the hero of the story is rich or poor?
No! that has nothing to do with why we like him. We like him, for the person he is!
Ofcourse we become happy if he becomes rich at the end. But the reason why we are happy for him, is because you loved him throughout the story. And the reason why you loved him through the story is because he always did what was right.
He lived like a hero!

Happiness is true happiness only when everyone else is happy for you. If you're happy, but someone out there is suffering because of that (directly or indirectly), you should rather think before you celebrate. You're playing an evil person not only in their story, but also your own. Heroes never make anybody cry while they achieve what they want.

It might not be always easy to do what a hero would do in your situation. But this exercise would atleast make us aware if are doing anything wrong. Sometimes, we are so much into ourselves that we dont even realize that what we are doing could be wrong. Sometimes we just neglect it.

Our story is in our hands and we should live it like a story to be told!
Live it such a way that the listener likes you and looks up to you.
So, wear the smile, and start living the life again as if it were a story...

A challanging exercise to be completely random..

Why do we have global warming? And that too, when I am wearing yellow colored shorts?
This would have never happened if you had run a spell-check in the first place. Because the harder you hit, the bigger is your wife's nose. Anyways, as long as you hide into the closet, the shares will keep holding their value . I am saying this only because I dont want the politicians in this country to let their pets calculate my weight. Didn't you see that on cartoon network?
Ok, let’s not panic and try to find a way out.

As far as I know, the man must have finished eating his omelette already. So, all we can do is divide X by Y. And why do you think she is spying on you? There is no way that can happen because the vending machines are out of change. Moreover they allow only one pet in the apartment so your shoes can be untied any time you want.

So, tell me - are you ready to sue him? It’s just a matter of changing your hairstyle. Your favorite shirt can still be dipped in salsa. Winking at a lizard isnt that hard afterall! If you can do that, I’ll go ahead and get married tomorrow. It’s been a long time since I got oil change done on my car anyways. Oh my god, what a pleasure it was! I kept pressing the 'start' button! That was THE moment because Jack finished doing his laundary and a red ant came crawling on my forehead. That’s why I always tell people, save your data every 15 minutes!
Otherwise why do you think I ordered from the breakfast menu? Isn’t the pain I get from my dentist enough? In spite of changing all the tires, we still think that humans are evolved from potatoes.

You know, this is why you get those dreams about the quadratic equations. Believe me, the only thing that can save you now is Popcorn! And, if you try jumping at every 13th step, all the cans will get recycled.
People change with time man! And I thought the cop told you about it when you barked at the balloon! If you still have a doubt about it, just give me a quarter and I’ll ask her to brush teeth on Highway 101. Being atheist is one thing, running out of toilet paper is another. So, just believe in parallel parking and all your aunts will solve puzzles.

Before leaving, I just want you to know how painful it is to see you bent in 49 degree angle, and always keep in mind that Bob is actually a female!

Nursery Rhymes: Are they for kids?

Ever noticed that most of the nursery rhymes have destructive endings?
Lot of them talk about falling, beating, breaking, and I wonder why!
How might the mind of an innocent kid be interpreting them?

Humpty Dumpty falls and breaks!
Jack and Jill go up the hill, and both fall down.
London Bridge falls down.
Hush-a-bye-baby/ rock-a-bye-baby: the cradle and the baby fall down from the tree.
Doctor Foster falls into the muddy puddle.
In Oranges and Lemons, you chop off the man's head!
Three blind mice: the farmer's wife cuts their tails with a carving knife??
A spider comes and frightens Miss Muffet away!

And the worst... Mary Mary quite contrary!
This rhyme actually talks about the ways of torture Mary Tudor (daughter of Henry VIII) used to punish the Protestants. It’s too evil for my fingers to type, so refer to this link. http://www.rhymes.org.uk/mary_mary_quite_contrary.htm

These rhymes are made for the kids to sing, but they sound like they have been created by older people to let their own worries out, having hardly anything to do with kids!
They don't fit into the kid's world!

"Rain rain go away, come again another day": It’s always the older people who crib about rain, not kids! I always begged my mom to let me play in the rain.
"Rain, rain, go to Spain, Never show your face again!” What does a kid have to do with the rivalry between England and Spain? Why are they even being taught such things?

As a kid I always liked the stories with happy endings. In fact, if the story did not have a happy ending, I never felt that it was a story!
I always felt that grandma didn’t know the remaining half of the story, so she shouldn't have picked that story in the first place. It always left me with so many questions!.. What might have happened next?, why did they do that?, why are they like that?, who'll punish them?....
And nobody would give me answers! They would say "will tell you later, go and do your homework for now."
I hated to be in that kind of situation!

You don’t know what these rhymes might be molding the way kids think!
Or how they've molded our thoughts and perspectives to contribute to what we are today!