Giving Peace a Chance....

On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, and also Non-Violence Day…it was inspiring to read Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh’s editorial in the Times Of India. While how much of it is practicable, is up to each one of us. Here are a few which I particularly liked:

“Every reader has seeds of fear, anger, violence and despair, and also seeds of hope, compassion, love and forgiveness. As journalists, you must not water the wrong seeds. You have the job of selectively watering the right seeds. You must attempt to tell the truth and yet not water the seeds of hate. It’s not what’s in the story, but how you tell it that’s important” (On being asked by the TOI on what they should do on a day like this)

“You don’t have to run into the future, you have enough conditions to be happy right here and now….the kingdom of god is available for you. But are you available for the kingdom?”

“I am made of so many non-me elements – my parents, the food I eat, the education I received, knowledge gained from others. Take away all the ‘non-me’, and there is no ‘me’ left.”

“We cannot often choose our circumstances, but we can choose how we respond to them: that is our real freedom.”

One Issue. One Day. Thousands of Voices.

I am all for preserving what’s left of our environment. My latest “contribution”……signing up for innumerable causes on Facebook. Be it GreenPeace International, Stop Global Warming, World Wildlife Fund or any of the other myriad and noteworthy causes up for grabs.

Bursting with righteous pride, I felt I had done my bit for our shaky ecology. But before I began polishing my halo, I paused and wondered. If I actually had to take a stand and make a strong, constructive gesture or speak out against some wrong-doing, would I do so with firmness or smile sheepishly and retreat with my tail quivering between my legs. Morover, did I know enough about the causes I was backing with such ardour???

Observation has often shown that people who voice their beliefs and point out environmental no-nos, often get dumped with unflattering titles. Unless you are a stellar celebrity, or a brunch-happy; page 3 socialite....you become an interfering "do-gooder".....a beatnik throwback to the flower-power 70s and an all-round "pain-in-the-YouKnowWhat"!!

Take for example, the promenade outside my house. A long, relatively clean stretch of walking space, it is shrouded by generous clumps of greenery on both sides. Nestled against the sea, it provides a welcome haven for joggers and visitors alike. There are a group of concerned citizens who have contributed to the upkeep and maintainence of this walk……keeping the plants well-spruced and adding to the foliage whenever possible.

.....but ever so often, there come along people who don’t think twice before trashing the walk, spitting left-right-and center and breaking the minimal rules without a second-thought

When a pro-active citizen points out the error, he often gets a dirty look for his efforts. The wrong-doer rolls his eyes, smirks at his buddies and reluctantly cleans up his act.

But it doesn’t stop the next spit-happy soul from adding his own personal mural to the sidewalk!!

More often than not, people keep shut……preferring to let bygones be bygones. No one like’s to be thought of as an interfering “paragon-of-virtue” with too-much free time on their hands. So things slowly but steadily unravel and all good intentions go flying out of the window.

All I can say is that...... if plunging head-long onto the environmental bandwagon seems like a scary step……do your bit by speaking up (atleast once!!!) and being more aware of the causes you support. Find out small but definitive steps to make atleast a miniscule contribution. Make this a cleaner and greener earth!! (couldn't resist adding a cliché in the end!!!)

Rest In Peace, Lisa

The curtains were finally drawn on Lisa’s struggle with breast-cancer on Oct 4 2007.




Funky Winkerbean, a long-running comic strip has often delved into contemporary issues…be it gun violence, teen pregnancy or child abuse. Issues which rarely find their way into the funny pages, were handled with tact and tasteful humour.

Lisa’s story line was one such recurring theme and it covered an entire gamut of emotions…..be it despair, helplessness, hope or even resigned acceptance. Even when things showed a definite downward slide……the creator of the strip infused the last few days with a bundle of poignant moments.

A quiet and dignified end to a memorable character.




Here are a few of the last strips......

THE BURIED LIFE

100 THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE.....that’s the quest undertaken by four quirky young men.

Certain things have to be experienced and achieved, but life has an uncanny way of taking over and wishes and desires often get pushed to the back-burner. Given the penultimate deadline……these four guys have decided to turn their dreams into a reality.

Armed with an RV and a dog-eared list of 100 things to do before they die....Ben, Dave, Jonnie and Duncan are scouring the length and breadth of North America crafting a memorable documentary. Along the way, they ask people one question: "What do you want to do before you die?" and encourage others to go after their own lists too.

The inspiration for the documentary title “The Buried Life” came from a poem of the same name written by Mattew Arnold in 1852.

The lines were:

But often, in the world's most crowded streets,
But often, in the din of strife,
There rises an unspeakable desire
After the knowledge of our buried life;

From the insane to the socially responsible……their list traverses a whole range of unfulfilled wishes and aspirations. Some are easy as hell and others….downright impossible. But the journey has been incredible and inspirational.





Check out their BLOG and doodle out your own list……..goin’ after it with altleast half- the conviction and fun that these guys are having!!!

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.