LinkedIn Citizens Who Can Be Movie Titles

 

Almost Famous – The ones who humblebrag their badge of honor or newly achieved certificate every other hour spent on LinkedIn. They will always be almost famous!

 

Slumdog Millionaire – The ones who have rags to riches story to share and that has a potential for another rehash of a been there done with that Hollywood movie.

 

12 Angry Men – They are arm-chair critics who may not have a single worthy post to share but get immense pleasure in jumping to conclusions and harshly judging others' achievements or attacking naïve LinkedIn posts.

 

Vertigo – They are that rare breed whose meteoric rise on the career ladder is so heady, it can give an attack of vertigo.

 

Django Unchained – These are the swashbuckling cowboys who aggressively promote their organization and its products every day (even if it is a lame product/offer). Just short of getting the company name tattooed on their heart which rests on their sleeve.

 

Miss Congeniality – Her posts are about encouragement and motivation and stories about kindness, courage, and empathy. Their posts make you let out a deep sigh, make you teary-eyed and melt your heart.

 

The Pursuit of Happyness – These are the glass-half-full type of people who are hopeless optimists even in the face of adversity. Despite personal setbacks and challenges, they share utopian posts that can make even super-achievers doubt themselves.

 

Hidden Figures – With diversity being the darling of the season and possibly many more seasons in the future (and rightly so!), these LinkedIn users have found their niche. They won't stop posting about the hidden figures till the cows come home.

 

Jurassic Park – There are few early adopters out there who make you feel like a relic. Their posts are everything about the newest and the latest in technology space. Their posts spew cutting-edge topics and reading them makes you feel like a stunted shrub living under a rock inside Jurassic Park.

 

Avatar – These LinkedIn citizens are out there to make a difference but to their own Avatar. They want to save humanity from the clutches of climate change, pollution, overpopulation, hunger crisis, lack of education, corruption, and many global issues with their posts. Yes, just their posts. These are the armchair activists of the LinkedIn world.

 

The Return of the Living Dead

They were invisible on LinkedIn, but certain compulsions have made them go ballistic in recent times. Possibly, the merits of being active on LinkedIn have just dawned upon them.

 

The Social Network

They are the overtly obliging ones who are commenting on other’s posts “for better reach”. In a covert way, they are expecting the same return of favour.

 

Up in The Air

These citizens (or foreigners) were quite active in pre-Pandemic times, posting about their event appearances, achievements, and professional bravado gallantly struck across different countries/ continents. In recent times, this breed has vanished in thin air.

Image source: Pixabay

Take My Breath Away (In Corona Days) - Mumbai

(Sing to the tune of the song Take My Breath Away – Berlin)

Watching every motion
In my dreary doleful day

On this painful journey
Finally, sufferers know no end
Turning and returning
To the same steamy place inside

Watching in slow motion
As I turn the knob and say

Take my breath away
Take my breath away

Watching I keep waiting
For the steamy cloud to rise

Never hesitating to face and come undone
Turning and returning
To the same steamy place inside

Watching in slow motion
As I turn the knob and say

Take my breath away

Through the Borosil pot I saw you
In time you slipped away
When the lid was off, I called you
And turned to hear you say
If only for today
I am unafraid

Take my breath away
Take my breath away

Watching every motion
In my dreary doleful day

Haunted by the notion
Somewhere there's a bug misplaced
Turning and returning
To some secret place inside
Watching in slow motion
As you turn my way and I say

Take my breath away
Take my breath away
Take my breath away
Take my breath away

  

G.O.A.T conversation with my teenage niece on WhatsApp Chat

Me: “Hi, how are you Monu?’’

Niece: “Suh Mossy. All g!’’ (that’s what she calls her Maushi)

(There is a silence for seconds which seems like minutes.

I presume what she actually meant was, ''what’s up and all good'' but I don’t want to sound uncool so I don’t ask)

Niece: “Mossy, how are you? You there?”

Me: “Y. All g with me too” (trying to sound like her).

“How is school sweetie?”

Niece: “School is sick as usual!”

Me: (Rolling eyes emoticon) “Why sick? I thought you enjoyed going to school.”

Niece: “Sick as in cool Mossy. Not the sick as in the ill types.”

(“Duh, Mossy!”…I am sure she must have thought in her head)

Me: “Oh yeah, of course! And how is your Math class going, coping well I hope?” (Quickly moving to another topic to bury my embarrassment.)

Niece: “TBH, I was going tots cray with Math as you know….”

(Niece still typing)

Me: “Sweetie, too many typos…what was that?” (Me asking naively)

Niece: “…but RN, my Maths is on fleek. Touch wood!”

Me: “What, what, what???”

(I am too flummoxed)

Niece: “Mossy! (inserting a tired smiley face) There are no typos. I just said, ‘To be honest, I was going totally crazy with Math earlier, but right now my Math seems to be going perfect.”

(Whoa, enlightenment!)

Me: “Oh gotcha! That’s awesome.”

(Trying to sound cool and hip like her)

Me: “How about your drawing and drama classes?”

Niece: “hmm...drawing classes are kind of basic but drama is lit AF. We really have the G.O.A.T during drama classes!”

(Here we go again. I know this time these are no typos and the words do mean something for sure. I quickly google on my phone to check the meaning and bingo! I was right. No typo, these are actual words used by Gen Z.)

Niece: “Btw Mossy, I have been asking Mamma to get me a phone and she has been saying NO. Please convince her to get me one. I am 13 now and it is high time she gets a smart phone for me. Everyone has it and I just totally miss out on all the tea that my squad has to share. It really makes me feel salty.”

 (I am wondering, how is not having a mobile phone related to missing out on having tea. And why is she feeling salty about it?...A la Zeenat Aman in Pukar song ''Samundar mein naha kar''. I somehow sum up courage and ask sheepishly)

Me: “But sweetie… you don’t drink Tea, nah. In fact you don’t like it. So how can you miss it! And what is their to feel salty about it?”

Niece: “Mossy, tea is gossip. Feeling salty is feeling irritated.”

(Another Aha! moment for me)

Niece: (continuing) “My squad has their own Instagram accounts. Wait! They also have Finstagram. And look at me, I don’t even have a mobile phone.”

Me: “OMG. Now, what’s a Finstagram? Is that a new social media platform?”

Niece: “No, Mossy. It is a Fake Instagram account. You should check the photos they upload. They are so savage. And look at me! I don’t even have a phone.”

Me: (gathering my wits) “No way are you having your own phone till you complete your 10^th standard. Have you read the many articles which talk about how distracting they are for students and how it ruins…blah blah blah blah!”

(Suddenly it strikes me. A new salvo (read word)was fired and I almost missed it)

Me: “And by the way, why are they savage?? Hope the photos are not too wild, crass and violent. That’s precisely the reason your mamma is not getting you a phone like your squad, ok!”

Niece: “Mossy, you are defs iconic! (Wink emoticon) It is ''savage'' as in cool and nothing beastly about it.”

Me: “Oh ok. Anyway, let me discuss with your Mom on this new phone thing. ”

(Also, to find out how she deals with this cryptic language everyday)

Niece: “Ok. Pls do convince her. Btw, sorry, I have a French class RN and I have to go. When you are free tomorrow, HMU or I will DM you.”

(This aunt by now had made use of her fastest fingers to know what HMU and DM stood for before the niece wrote her off and logged out.)

Me: “Ok sweetie I will Direct Message you tomorrow evening on your Mumma’s phone or you can Hit Me Up. I will be waiting for you defs.”

(My last ditch attempt to be the aunt who still had the goods)

P.S: For those uninitiated like me who may still be stuck at G.O.A.T, may have realized by now that the conversation had nothing to do with the four legged animal or a mutton recipe nor about getting my goat. Although I did teeter between a peaceful and pissed state of mind for a few moments there. 

And yasss, G.O.A.T stands for Greatest of All Time!

Note: The above is fictionalized account of a conversation with my Gen Z niece.

(Pic courtsey @Adobe Blog)

Resolutions and blah blah...

A week before Dec 31st 2014, an after-dinner conversation between 'A' and me went something like this:

Me: I am making a goal sheet and a daily schedule for 2015. (me gently avoiding the trending word 'resolutions')
A: Hmmm....(half listening as he is watching some vague football match on ESPN)
Me: It's a list of things that I need to do.... and a list of things WE need to do.
A: Oh really! (turns to me, only when I mention 'we' the operative word)
Me: Yes, do you want to have a look at it? Maybe you would like to add or change something in the schedule (trying to make it look like a democratic process)
A: Hmm...not really! (goes back to watching TV)

Me: (pursuing the conversation) See nah! This is how it goes. Our day will start with waking up at 5:45 am. Then Yoga for 1 hour...blah blah. Then after work it would be reading a book in evening or learning something new on coursera...blah blah...
(I am rambling knowing fully well he is sitting somewhere in Emirates stadium watching an Arsenal match)
Me: (I continue) On weekends a walk in Aarey for 2 hours....all dinners will be at 8 pm with no carbs... (vehemently pursuing the conversation) 
                                                              
(Suddenly I am in luck. There is a commercial break on TV)                                                                 
A: (he turns to me and says) Oh! So are you saying 'It's going to be that time of the year again...soon!'
(huh, so he was listening after all).

Me: Yes, and believe me, this time its for real..really!
(the drama queen in me surfaces)
A: Good! All the best....and count me out! (with a 'been there done that many times' air to it!)
Me: Don't be mean. You have to give another chance. And this plan makes sense only if both are in it together. If both work together like a team then one of us can pull the other up if the other is slipping. (here I was playing my last card)
A: Hmmm... nice try ma'm. (He knows me too well)
How about just sticking to what we should be doing anyway rather than making some new grand plans that fall through the crack in less than a month. (he says with an air of finality)
Me: Thank you very much for your 'enthusiastic' response. Hmph... I don't need your gyaan ok...just tell me...
(As I am about to retort with sarcasm that was thrown at me....the damn commercial break is over. 'A' is back where he belongs... in Emirates Stadium..and me with my grand plan...all by myself)

Dec 30, 2014
My plan is ready...the goal sheet print out taken (in Font size 16 and double line spacing). Loud and clear!
I have put it up on the fridge door for (my) whole world to know. That is my not so subtle way to convey that I am going ahead whether 'A' is in it or not. Also, it was my way of committing to the plan by openly announcing it. I was putting my neck online here.
'A' had passed by the fridge multiple times...and I was very sure I heard a chuckle every time he did (or maybe my brain was over-reacting). Well, at least he knew the plans, and that was clear. I was just hoping he would warm up and join me after seeing my continued dedication and commitment through the year.
So here I was, gung-ho and ready to go!

Dec 31, 2014 (morning arrives)
I am brushing my teeth in my half asleep and half awake mode, and then there is a sudden jolt of realization.
A thought suddenly breaks my sweet reverie in the early morning stillness.
I realized that every year I tended to go overboard with resolutions that unfortunately fell by the wayside a few months into the year (if not days). I also remembered the conversation of few days back between A and me. I put two and two together. Maybe he was right there, after all. Instead of changing lifestyle patterns drastically or biting more than I could chew, why not just stick to a simple regime and follow THAT perfectly well.
It could be just one or at best two new items on the list. And do them so damn consistently and so well that it became a habit and eventually part of life.
Just like brushing teeth in the morning or having a bath every day. We never forget to do that don't we, whether hell or high water. So just like that!
It didn't take me long. I looked at my list again, struck off the many new radical changes I was planning to bring in my life, all at the same time and focused only on  what mattered the most. And there it was ...my revised goal sheet in front of me. SIMPLE AND DOABLE.
And this time I knew 'A' would happily join me willingly.

Mantra for 2015
"If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way." - Napolean Hill

A new day, a new year, a new realization!

For many days that rolled into months, we had a 'work of art' nurturing at home. We ignored it like we would a messy crayon drawing by a little child. Thinking, if we didn't pay heed, it would stop craving for undeserved attention. However, it was not to be. This piece of art, which was till now successfully obscured by its uncertain future, suddenly started making its ugly presence felt. We didn't realize it was capable of creeping up on our neighbors, too, and 'keeping them awake' with its creative outbursts.

That which was privy to only both (hubby and me) of us till now had suddenly started getting attention far and wide. It was out there for everyone to see, just like an object d árt in an art gallery. Only, in this case, our neighbors would come visiting at odd hours, check the 'work of art,' give their vociferous feedback, and leave fuming. It somehow had a way of bringing out the emotions even amongst those who are typically unperturbed people. What's more, we had them come back repeatedly as they could not 'rave' enough about it.

As you must have realized by now, the 'art piece' was nothing to be proud of but the handiwork of a leaky pipe in our bathroom. We figured out (though late) that this artwork had indeed amassed a vast area and unexpected attention. In short, inversely proportional to the time we had spent in 'looking' at it (or into it).

But now enough was enough!

We finally decided to go to the 'he-art' of the matter and identify the problem.

I must say that this experience of a few months has left us a little wiser. Like leaky pipes, we need to fix many leakages in our career, health, money, and relationships. Here are a few learnings which I derived from this experience.

Leakage problems can be very tricky. We think we know the source of the issue, but only when the plumber breaks and opens up the facade, we realize that we have been barking up the wrong wall. The problem is somewhere else altogether. In career, health, money, and relationships, we need to go to the root of the issue and address it. Simple and quick-fix solutions will not always work.

It is essential to identify the cause of the problem at the earliest. Once identified, nip it in the bud and address it immediately. Or else, the problem can fester and then lead to minor scrapes, then cracks, and eventually a shaky foundation - just like in life.

What may appear like a small issue on the surface may have grave and major issues running deep down.

Personal issues can remain private only if given the desired attention at the right time. If not worked on at the right time, then it has the strength to become a spectacle for all to see and comment upon.

If we can't solve problems on our own, seek external help, especially from those who are experienced, wiser, and skilled in that particular area. It's good to get a specialist involved, and moreover, a different perspective does help sometimes.

I am happy to announce that the leakage in our bathroom is now a 'closed' issue. Thanks to Munnabhai, our Dr. Fix It for all seasons (no, I didn't make up his name. He is for real), it is now a 'water-tight' case!

I have said my goodbyes to mildewed walls, damp ceilings, and hideous 'artworks.'

Ready to start on a clean slate and looking forward to creating real works of art in the days ahead.

Here's to new lessons and new realizations!

Age of Distractions

The day starts with me reaching out to my cell phone and not the newspaper as in earlier days
Few swipes up and down my smart phone screen and I know the stories which happened when I slept away.

Over hurried breakfast, my hubby is asking me something and I say ‘Yes’ without realizing what he asked
Blame it on the conversations on the cell phone; the personal ones sometimes get bypassed.

Heading to office creates a new ‘Me’ time where I have my FB, LinkedIn updates and RJ to boot
Dense traffic on the road as always, information clutter inside the car and fragmented attention too.

Once at office, the cell phone doesn’t stop ringing, messages flood in steadily and the email box has again reached its max limit
That’s how a typical day starts and ends, just about to focus on something and then a new distraction every minute.

Conversations cross over cubicles sometimes clashing with the voices inside my head
I want to make a point but the moment has already slipped through and forever waylaid.

In midst of resolving a problem and another one is already inching to take its place
I may seem to be involved in one thing but my mind is drifting somewhere else.

Just about to dash to grab my first good meal of the day and as luck would have it, a red flag is raised some where
One quick bite into what will be my half eaten lunch so that the issue gets attention fair and square.

So here I am, back at the workstation to deal with the situation at hand
Only to realize that someone made a mountain out of molehill, that too out of beach sand.

Never ending con calls and inessential meetings makes me wish I had a magic wand
Moving it in quick circles, make everyone disappear and take off to my dream land.

While I am talking to someone on phone at desk, my hand is drawing faces, triangles and squares
And in my mind I am looking forward to the evening get together and what will be my party wear.

As is apparent, our world will continue to get more chaotic, and many choices and options to choose from
What we need to understand are our sacrosanct goals in life and the rest leave outside our mind temple and 'home'.

Wise men have many time said before, our happiness is nothing but being in the present moment to experience a WOW.
And so as I am writing this poem I realized the joyfulness and bliss by just being here in the NOW.

Focus, single mindedness, and concentration are the rare bywords we should cherish and practice daily
In this age of multitasking, mind wandering and distractions, my simple aim in life today is complete the task at hand truthfully.

A giant lollypop or a sweet nothing!

Some days back on my way to work, I happened to notice the Lollypop hoardings skirting the Western Express Highway (WEH) on a very short stretch. It was FedEx advertising on them all through.

As I tried to recollect my last memory of these hoardings, I wondered "Had they had become a blind spot to a Mumbaikar like me who travels up and down the WEH twice every weekday?" What with  with our head immersed in our mobile phones, it was quite believable as we don't have time to look out the car window.

For those who have not seen them, Lollypop hoardings are concrete structures literally the shape of what else but a lollypop. They are used for advertising on the flat surface on either side of it's face (see pic below). They came up in the 80's ( I think) and have been their ever since. And mind you, in recessionary times and even beyond we had seen only variety of bird images instead of any advertisements for a very long time.
I thought that as the media trends changed, even these lollypops would have gradually receded into oblivion. But after having seen them yesterday still 'alive and in complete form' with FedEx campaign running on it, it made me immediately infer. If there is one media vehicle which has bravely survived the onslaught of dynamic hoardings and even the fairly young social media, are truly these Lollypop Hoardings - standing tall on the fringe of Western Express Highway near the Mumbai Domestic Airport area. They truly deserve to be the hero of the movie 'Die Hard- Part 6', if ever there is one made.

However, what really amplified my curiosity was, why were the advertisers still using this medium?
What was attracting them to use these hoardings?? Was it the uniqueness of these lollypop hoardings, their few numbers, low advertising rates, the location of these hoardings or the sheer old world charm that the advertisers saw in this format? Now, that's something I am really curious to know. If you happen to have some insights on this medium, do let me know.
A giant lollypop for your thoughts!

What's in a name?

Juliet:
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

That's what Juliet said but I beg to differ with her.
Honestly, this was never intended to be a blog post but in the recent times there have been so many stories I had heard around this topic that it drove me to write this piece. I would not say it has been an inspiring lesson but let's just say I was inspired to write about it. And as a marketer, I can assure you that I am definitely not on the same page as Sir William Shakespeare on this one.

Let me start with the memory of a story I had heard a long time ago which came jogging back to me as I sat down to write on this subject.
Story 1
Legend has it that many years back Madura Garments (now part of Aditya Birla Group) was about to launch a store for its newly launched brand of shirt in India. It was in one of the big metro cities in southern India. The top head honcho of the company was going to unveil the showroom amid lot of fanfare. He arrived very much on time but to be welcomed by an unsightly fascia (front branding) of the shop. Apparently, no one had noticed it till then and he also chose  to grin and bear through the whole proceedings as if all was perfectly fine. He did his job of inaugurating by cutting the ribbon, posing for a few photographs, and then leaving quietly. As expected, all hell broke loose the next morning in his office. He asked his secretary to round up all those involved in the store launch and asked them to meet him in his office immediately. By then even the team involved in the store launch had realized their fatal oversight and lumbered inside his cabin like lambs to the slaughter house. And as they say, rest is history!
By now you must be wondering what was the unsightly fascia branding which really got his goat. Believe it or not some one in the marketing team had outsourced the store branding to a painter who apparently didn't know his ABC's so instead of the fascia that should have read Van Heusen it ended up as Van Hussain.

Story 2
A couple of months back my colleague and her family members had been on a holiday to some place in North India. It was a big group and hence all the travel arrangements were dutifully done through a travel agent. The family landed at the destined airport, collected their baggage and headed towards the exit gate. As is a normal case, they expected someone with a placard to welcome them and take them to their hotel. Unfortunately, it didn't exactly happen that way. They scanned every placard which was being thrust into their face. None of the ten family members could locate either their name or surname on any of the placards bobbing up and down over the sea of heads. My colleague's father-in-law checked, her husband checked, even the youngest member of the family scoured but could not find the person nor placard they were looking for. It had been almost close to 45 minutes and now they had all started getting impatient and irritated for not being able to find the bloke. The travel agent was assuring over the phone that he had sent a person but his words now started ringing hollow after a tiring hour long scouring and searching.
Finally, my colleague's husband saw someone standing in the crowd with an unusual name pasted on the placard. Given the name, it seemed almost funny and unreal to him. He put two and two together and saw a glimmer of hope shining right in front of him. He walked up to the bloke with the placard and asked him the name of travel agent he worked for and the hotel he was to take his guests to. When he confirmed the same travel agent name and the hotel name, it all fell in place. It was precisely this guy they had been searching all over the airport and it was as if they had finally unearthed him under the heap of people. All the tension, irritation and helplessness of few minutes back dissolved into hearty peals of laughter when the family members saw the unusual but familiar name printed on the placard. 
My friend's family name is Gupte but you won't believe, the placard actually had 'Chhatrapati Shivaji' written on it. Yes, you read that right. The name of the fearless warrior King Chhatrapati Shivaji who has famously been dead since April 3, 1680. I am very sure that the great Shivaji Maharaj himself would have laughed his guts out in his grave after hearing this one.
Someone naive at the travel agent's office who desperately needed lessons in History had definitely goofed up in communication. Interchanged the family name and the name of the airport they were arriving from. Whatever the confusion, the family's holiday had definitely started on a hysterical 'war footing'.

And many such short stories...
There have been countless stories around how names have been mispronounced by those uninitiated. Here are a couple of quick ones which I know of, to make you believe in the real power of name and why Juliet was absolutely wrong.
A weekend back, two of my friend's had gone to a nearby bar to down a couple of beers. They asked the attendant which brand they had stock of. The attendant promptly replied 'Karuna' and 'Honeycan'. For a minute both could not believe their ears and thought either they had heard him wrong or these were probably new brands in the market. They asked him again and when he repeated the same names, it suddenly struck them. What he meant was Corona and Heineken and oh, such a tragedy for the marketing managers of these two world famous brands. They would surely not have appreciated this unintended blunder. But my friends happily downed one two many over this incident.
And then there is my colleague in office whose name is Mary Fernandes which is as simple a name can be. But guess what, even that name gets distorted by the many vendors she deals with. All the invoices and bills she receives, either address her as Merry or Marry but never Mary. And now she is  living with the fact that they are never going to improve in spite of the many corrections and dressing downs. She dreads the day when they will start addressing her as 'Meri'.
So there you are.
What's in a name? is what Shakespeare famously wrote in Romeo and Juliet, but I say, if not for the name, we would surely have a complete loss of identity and be left highly confused as all the above stories pointedly prove.

Groovy kind of love! (Reinvented for today's times)

(To sing in the tune of 'Groovy Kind of Love' by Phil Collins)

When I have no clue, all I have to do
Is take a look at you, and then I feel so cool
When you're close to me, like to see you light up
And listen to your sweet ring in my ears

Any time I want to, I can turn you on too
Anything I want to, any time at all
When I miss your beeps, you help me to figure
Who could be the caller,  you are my slave!

Wouldn't you agree, baby you and me, we've got a groovy kind of love,

When I need to call, all I have to do
Is hold you cheek by jowl whether in office, home or mall
When you're in my palms, nothing seems to matter
My whole world could shatter, but not you I swear

When I am up in morn, just have to steal a glance
to know you're safely enconced, before I hurry, run or prance
And when I am off to work, I have to check your stance
I depend on you a lot, just cannot take a chance

Wouldn't you agree, baby you and me, we've got a groovy kind of love

When I am all by self, I have eyes for you, no one else
You truly complete me, and your presence is most felt
But when you are not with me, I quiver and I fear for you oh my sweet dear
Look for you here and there, hoping you are in safe hands

Wouldn't you agree, baby you and me, we've got a groovy kind of love

When I see you charged, the day goes flying by
without as such a sigh, there's nothing that gives more joy
But when you are drained and weak, I just cannot bear to see the fading light
And hear you whimper, my sweet boy.

By my side from dawn to dusk and in you I truly trust
You are the last and also my first, till the new one comes around
But I hope to see the day when there's no power and no range
You will fight the odds and be my true hero, inspite of it all.

Wouldn't you agree, baby you and me, we've got a groovy kind of love
We've got a groovy kind of love, we've got a groovy kind of love
Oho, we've got a groovy kind of love

P.s : With no offence to the original by Phil Collins :)

Seriously, not kidding!

The summer has been extremely unkind so far. Never has been the Mumbai heat so dehydrating and torturous as this year. To add to our sweltering woes, we (as in Ashish my hubby and me) have absolutely no escape plans to retreat from the heat of this summer. But hey, inspite of the situation and right in the midst of this unbecoming weather, we both (ashish and me)have a broad grin on our face since past few days. Grin which sometimes dissolves into hearty peals of laughter, on few ocassions leads to tears (of joy)strolling down our cheeks and other times complete bewilderment.

Confused?...Ask me why?

Like a fresh breeze of cool mint air, my niece has wafted into our lives to provide us just  the refreshing relief we were yearning for badly these past few weeks.
Though she is here only for couple of weeks to spend her summer holidays with her aajju (her grand mom) and aajja (her grandpa), I have not been able to contain (ironically) my childlike excitement since the time she has arrived. Her presence amongst us has not just enlivened and rejuvenated us into new beings but also every moment we spend with her is entertainment and freshness personified.

Like any other child her age, she is full of joie de vivre, with abundant energy and with a extra spring in her hurried steps. She talks nineteen to the dozen and regales us with her delightful puneri phrases (yes, she lives in Pune) and anecdotes. She is full of (camera worthy) expressions and dramebaazi. Never runs out of questions and counter questions. Keeps us on our toes and some times brings us to our knees. She is the energiser bunny, a stand up comedian, observant sherlock holmes, a demure barbie fan, mischievous elf,  and a very curious cat all characters rolled into one.
Ok, so that's my niece for you in a nutshell. And I am sure other kids her age would also show the same characteristics with a few plusses and minuses.

So what am I trying to say here!

This young girl within a short span of few days that she has spent with us has helped us to relearn a lot which we had left behind many years back. This blog post is all about what we secretly imbibed from our little niece when we were overtly reveling in her joyful company.

Below are those 8 virtues we realised we had forgotten as adults :

1. Pristine innocence tinged with naughtiness
2. Keen observation
3. Ability to forget the past (more so the negative)
4. Unbridled energy
5. Contentment in life's simple pleasures
6. Straightforward as an arrow
7. Curious as a cat
8. Fearlessness

If you look at all the above qualities, isn't it what we all yearn for and seek as adults. Its incredible that we sometimes don't have to read books, watch videos or look further for inspiration. The kids can be our best teachers and icons .
Seriously, not kidding!

The 7 year hitch of a Yin and Yang

Your warm, gentle squeeze of  my shoulder at the 'threshold' of our married life,

standing tentatively on the door sill as a newly wedded husband and wife.

As you reassuringly looked at me, read my mind and my inner strife,

your touch comforted my soul, quietened my nerves and questions rife.

I took my first gentle step over the threshold easing myself into a new household, people and life,

the compassionate look in your eyes provided warmth for the just married bashful wife.

A special moment that I cherish in my heart even today after all these years,

as you continue to show me the same quiet strength and fortitude for all my unwarranted fears.

Etched in the chest full of sweet memories, bejeweled and studded with ruby and pearl,

are the heartwarming moments we have shared, experienced when we let our inhibitions unfurl.


An enchanting and magical journey so far, which has seen many an ups and equal share of downs,

have drawn from your strong character and innate positive qualities, I think I have grown.

Of the many things I have learned from you which you have self-effacingly but invariably shown,

today I put down my 'pen to the paper' to enlist your seven habits I cherish as they make you, YOU and are truly your own.


Habit 1
Loving and compassionate in your subtle and not so visible and undemonstrative way

You don't need to prove your feelings and shout from rooftops as your actions speak louder than your say.

Habit 2
Non-judgmental and never hurting in every word and deed you have so far shown,

You very well know each person has his unique history, you give due credit and believe, to each his own.

Habit 3

You keep your word always like a real gentleman and a rare day would you fail

Even if you would, you let me know, and that is why your penchant for the commitment I hail.

Habit 4
Trusting completely without an iota of doubt, you forget, forgive and embrace with all my warts and faults

Life is never a smooth journey we know, but you make it worthwhile whether it speeds, slows down or halts.


Habit 5

On many an occasions, I have lost my mind and temper, maybe I was right, justified or even wrong

You have never wavered and always remained calm and composed in spite of the heated atmosphere around

Habit 6
There had been times when situations demanded a lot of mental strength, courage and rigor

You have invariably shown me through your farsightedness - the logical side, with much patience and candor

Habit 7
Last but not the least what entices me about you is your sweet innocence and helping nature with one and all

Also, your ability to make me laugh, pamper, cajole and dote on me when I need it most of all!

Happy seven-year hitch to you my yang. And wishing us many more such fulfilling years!!!

Disclaimer - Firstly, the blog post is not yet over...there's still more to come. Like there are two sides to a coin and two sides to a story....so it is in this case. So, before you get the impression that 'My Yang' is a Prince Charming plus Mark Darcy plus Indiana Jones plus Peter Parker plus Mr. Knightly and what have you, all rolled into one. Let me clarify the same.The time has still not yet arrived for the dream sequence where the couple in question rides gently into the iridescent sunset. So just relax and hang on to your romantic notions and premature deductions! ;-)

Ride they do, this Yin and Yang, but it's never a gentle, smooth ride, is it? (except in Mills & Boon and Fifty Shades of Grey, maybe). Like any journey, there are pitfalls, boulders, and mountains to circumvent. After all, a journey becomes more enriching and meaningful with experiences such as these and only through them do the individuals realize the true potential and strength of their relationship with each other.

So here I go yet again, providing another perspective to how I have seen you 'My Yang' and your seven ineffective habits in the last seven years of our journey together.

Of the many things, I have learnt from you which you have self-effacingly but invariably shown,

today I put down my 'pen to the paper' to enlist your seven habits I have not so cherished as they make you, YOU and are truly your own.

Habit 1

Wet Towel and Clothes strewn across the floor, newspapers lying around such an eye sore, my earnest pleas go but all in vain,

For the umpteenth time, I tell myself that I am not going to put all this back in place again. And there I go again!

Habit 2

I agree, time is money and precious too, in many many ways,
but one can't be punctual and time bound all days and always.

So in a party, wedding, social gathering or a friend's place.
It’s ok to be late but uff! I never can escape your restless moves and intense & piercing gaze (hinting me to move)

Habit 3

You sometimes are so lost in thoughts and much preoccupied too that you tend to ignore people you know without meaning to.

Your Yin, your parents, brother and also friends may understand you, but the rest of them apparently have no clue.

Habit 4

There are but four things that you truly enjoy that get your undivided attention, without they yearning for you.

Not in any order is football, long walks, sleeping, and reading. Oh god, what do I do?

Habit 5

The weekends are meant for fun times, to engage in something light, frivolous and footloose.

But you are picky even when it comes to watching films in movie halls unless IMDB gives a thumbs up through its critical feedback and reviews. 

Habit 6

Occasionally you watch television but once ensconced on the sinking couch you prove.

That aimlessly surfing from news to sports channels can be a headache for yours truly though an 'intense and active' sport for you.

Habit 7

Your bathroom singing is fine as long as the lyrics are correct and in tune.

But alas, you kill me softly with your inventive lyrics, even the late songwriter might turn in his tomb.

All said and done, your seven (ineffective) habits may irritate and even anger me on odd days.

But the fact that you tolerate my idiosyncrasies and, even more, insufferable habits too, I must say we complement each other in many ways!

Happy seven-year hitch to you my yang!

Yours truly,
Yin