Birds of a Feather Flock Together! - A Poem

 

Free of any rein, harness, or tether

An invisible bond holds them together

Given any time, situation or weather

An adventure, leisure, or under pressure

Birds of a feather flock together!

Voice opinion, whether generous, incongruous, or displeasure

Being what you truly are and accepting is the endeavor

No judgment whether tender, moderate, or aggressor

Birds of a feather flock together!

In times of need whether Jan, June, or December

Whatever, whichever, wherever, and whenever

Whether a loud shout, quiet share, or a gentle whisper

A friend will be there for you forever

Birds of a feather flock together!

Sweet n sour, spicy, tangy, salty, or pepper

Like two peas in a pod, or different as apples and oranges flavor

A special bond that can remain forever

Only if we give it time, attention, and savor

Birds of a feather flock together!

Fluid - A Poem

The times have changed, and how!

To nature’s bounty and fury, we now sincerely bow!

The seasons as we knew then and now

Life, as we know, is more fluid today, I avow!

A thin line between work and play

Our life is how we mold the day

Nothing is black and white but all gray

Life, as we know, is more fluid today!

They say necessity is the mother of invention

In tough times a need for a new dimension

It’s time to find solutions through collaboration

Life, as we know, is more fluid today, with no exception!

When he/she/they gender pronouns matter

Nothing is what it seems on a platter

When all your earlier impressions scatter

Life, as we know, is more fluid today, and it’s no idle chatter!

How we do business today has changed

Brick and mortar to e-commerce, interchanged

A wave of digitalization unchained

Life, as we know, is more fluid today, unstrained!

School and office buildings have become redundant!

And yet the work gets done by the incumbent

Being self-reliant and yet interdependent

Life, as we know, is more fluid today, a judgment not indulgent!

Less is more, and minimalism is indeed the new maxim

What was indispensable has gone through many subtractions

While true essentials of today cost us a fraction

Life, as we know, is more fluid today, no retraction!

In the pandemic, the mask may have covered the ground

In truth, it laid bare our relationships and trust, unbound

No matter what, love and empathy stand finally crowned

Life, as we know, is more fluid today, I strongly propound!

But who knows what’s in store for us in the future?

As travelers in a time capsule, as actors, and as viewers

Adapt, adjust, hang in there, play our part, and maneuver

Life, as we know, is more fluid today and tomorrow, another adventure!

The lighter side of The New Work Eco-system.

1. Virtual calls with international colleagues becoming a daily norm, most have finally started understanding the concept of the Time Zone difference. Your global colleagues finally know where India is located on the global map.

2. We have understood it is not apt to wish a ‘Good Morning’ to everyone on a global call as there are colleagues in the meeting from different locations across the world. More correct would be just saying, ‘Greetings to all’. No need to ramble off with the time-consuming time-specific salutations to show you are inclusive.

3. Turning on your video for virtual meetings does not mean showing up at work anymore. If it was required last year, in 2021 it is ok to keep the video off. Your good work in the last year allows you that. If you have not worked hard enough, good luck to you. Even showing your face may not help. Your manager and colleagues can see through you anyway.

4. Logging in a few minutes early is being on time. Logging on time is not enough. And logging even a few minutes after the scheduled time is rude and discourteous. With no traffic woes, no excuse has been yet found to be good enough to report late. Maybe if you say, the previous meeting overran it could be tolerable but otherwise be ready with an apology.

5. Saying that a brand launch is in late summer/autumn is not appropriate if we have a global audience. There may be folks from the southern hemisphere who may totally miss the red-letter event. I say, just spell out the month.

6. Upskilling and taking up new courses has been the hottest trend of COVID19 that may not go out of fashion. An overwhelming majority has joined the (not fire) brigade and taken to drinking straight from the fire hose and oozing with knowledge.

7. If it’s an office call (even phone call) without prior intimation or appointment, it has now become expected to start with permission or request. Don’t be surprised to hear an unexpected warm humble request coming from someone who was known to be cold and brusque in Pre-COVID times.

8. ‘Are you still there?’, ‘Can you hear me?’, ‘Can you see my screen?’, ‘Can everyone go on mute?, ‘Can we take this offline?’, have been unanimously voted as the most used phrases in office seances, oops, office meetings. By showing up for these meetings, is how most of us have kept our spirits alive and home fires burning the whole of last year.

9. With the rise in virtual meetings, there also has been a rise in multitasking, especially in meetings where we are invited but not required. With video kept off, you can be emailing, chomping on your favorite snack, preparing for the next meeting or your meal, completing pending items, doing other phone calls (yes, even that!) and no one will still find out.

10. With the overload of virtual meetings, one can politely declare, ‘I have a hard stop’ or ‘I have to jump to another meeting’ at the start of a meeting. It helps two ways. It helps you to get an early exit from purposeless meetings which you don’t need to be part of in the first place and show you are super busy with a full schedule (even when you are not).

11. The Coffee Breaks or the Virtual Water Cooler sessions ran by HR for team building and employee well-being have now run their course. These concepts if still running anywhere can now graciously call it a day. Honestly, we just want to get off the laptop and our back-breaking chair and take a Real Break!

12. With the lines blurring between office and housework, with meetings scheduled beyond typical work hours, it is ok if our work status shows ‘Away’ (from the laptop) or ‘Be Right Back’ or even ‘Offline’ during office hours. Because - When You Gotta Go, You Gotta Go!

Pic Courtesy - thearensic.com

The 15 most annoying types of people on Facebook

Dear FB friends,

As per my observation, these are 15 types of annoying people one can easily find on Facebook. I am proud to belong to at least two types mentioned here. 

This post is in good humor. In case you find yourself closely resembling to any of the 15 types mentioned below, please do not feel offended and unfriend me. ;-) 

If you do, I have very well found the 16th category to add to the list.

Category 1 - Just like that | The ones who like all and sundry posts that are published, like anything! They are the relationship builder category on Facebook. I sometimes wonder if they like the post before reading it.

Category 2 - Arnabs of the FB world | The ones who are perpetually angry, spiteful, and venting frustration through their FB updates. As if the nation wants to know what ire's them. My request to them – please don't angry me!

Category 3 - Testosterone | The ones who get high by frequently taking tests using FB apps. Either they are taking tests to test their inner beauty, their inner strength, or what they were in past life. Those types really test my patience!

Category 4 - Armchair politicos | The ones whose timeline reeks only of their favorite political party, their leaders, and their shenanigans. Sorry, spare me from your politically incorrect attitude.

Category 5 – In any eventuality | They are the ones who come what may always register for all kinds of events in the city and lead a highly eventful life or so it seems.

Category 6 – Wannabe Master Chefs | The ones who are responsible for the dribble on my keyboard. Posting foodgasmic photos from their kitchen forays. I say, please post only if you wish to invite me home, enough food for thought already!

Category 7 – Travel bugs | You will find these are aplenty crawling on the FB feed. Who does not like to travel and show off their travails? And to add to it, FB memories keep popping up, and these bugs  also time travel to their distant past. Wish they stayed there forever!

Category 8 – Hobby Horses | Every second person on FB is riding his/her hobby horse. Either he/she is painting, gardening, singing, writing, YouTubing, punning, or doodling. FB can very well become the new virtual Got Talent franchise and change its tagline to - A place where you can show off but not get shooed off.

Category 9 – I, Me, My Selfie | The most obnoxious of the lot. They are obsessed with self and selfies. Perpetually uploading profile pictures in their new avatar. It is either their own self in their DP or themself with make-up. It is like - Now you see them, Now you don't! Go figure!

Category 10 – Armchair activists | Animal rights. Human rights. Civil rights. It could be any cause. Whether you want it or not, they will share their opinion. And one thing is sure, they are always right. And if you don't think so, you have to Armageddon with it! (Sorry for the pun)

Category 11 – Sneakers | Then some are on FB but pretend they are not. The most pretentious lot who take the utmost delight in reading others posts down to the last comment, counting the likes and shares of someone else's posts. But will not comment or like. They won't leave a trace as they move on to stalk the next profile. I just get a sneaky feeling about them. If you ask them about FB, they will say, what's that!

Category 12 – Saree Ga Ma | Ladies, don't we just love these types, including you in their saree (sorry) chains. These types are music to our ears. Why? Because they provide us a chance to wear a saree without us having to make a song and dance about it!  

Category 13 – Pet Pooja | These are the types that will drive you crazy by perennially posting a picture of their dog, cat, pigeon, parrot, crow…well, not the last one. Still, you get the drift, I am sure. They will worship them to death (No Pun) until it becomes your pet peeve.

Category 14 – Swashbucklers | This one is a head honcho who likes to shares his daredevilry in the corporate arena with his friends. Friends who have no clue what he does in reality but eagerly applaud his performances played out in the FB gallery. Dear Swashbuckler, may I request you to move your performance to the LinkedIn stage where it's more suitable?

Category 15 – OMG! | These types will share their family deity's photo three times a day on their timelines, and in one of them, they will also tag you, which will be (oh no!) a chain message. The message will say - Do not break this chain. You will receive good news in the next three days! For the love of God, please don't rope me into this emotional drama. In March, I had shared a message with 15 people, and I am still waiting for some good news this year. I am sure you all are too!

(Image courtesy - https://q3p9g6n2.rocketcdn.me/wp-content/ml-loads/2016/02/facebook-reactions-official2016-1920-800x450.jpg)

A Happy Mother's Day - Dedication to all Mothers

In the current times, we have all been tested to our limits. It's almost akin to being thrown under a bus and then being asked to drive that same bus home.

If you are a working professional actively working from home, managing housework, and also taking care of family members, then more power to you. 

This was the stuff that nightmares were made off in bygone times, but today it's a harsh reality.

Battling the virtual meetings, with the phone in one hand and wielding the chapati rolling pin in the other, we have definitely armed ourselves with a Ph.D. in multitasking skills within a short period.

At the same time, we have been forced to introspect, dip into our inner reserves of energies, and find ways and means to deal with these unprecedented challenges. Each of us, in our own unique ways, is tackling the inner demons along with fighting the faceless universal evil out there.

Why am I ranting about it today when so much has been said and fumed by many already?

Well, amidst all this chaos and uncertainty, when all of us are seeking solutions or answers from experts out there, we have one superhuman living right among us. A superhuman who has all those qualities that the specialists are urging us to cultivate; that will help us to accept the new normal courageously and without any complaints. And that person deserves attention today more than ever.

Today is Mother's Day, my friends. And the superhuman is none other than our dear mom. 

Hard-working and Energetic – Have you seen your mom ever sitting down after a hard day's work and complaining. "Oh, I have had enough; now I need a break." Or "I can't take this anymore. You guys manage; I am going to lie down now".

Not my mom or mother in law for sure. Despite their frail frame, they are always on their feet from dawn to dusk, unfailingly toiling away as if they have access to the "Akshay Patra of Energy." It's incredible that at their age, they are more agile than any of us who are almost half their age. Sometimes, I wonder what secret sauce they have been cooking their food with all these years.

Self-sacrificing - No one can come close to being defined as self-sacrificing more precisely than our mothers. Whether it's their choices, their likes, or ideas, they will always put our interests first and their last. Period!

Unconditional Love and support – When everyone in professional circles is talking about the importance of collaborating, teamwork, supporting each other, and having each other's back in the current crisis, mothers literally can teach us a lot beyond all these ornate words. They are our strong pillars who not only support us, help us, provide us all comforts but also do not expect anything from us, unlike professional relationships. They will do it wholly and unconditionally and, more often than not, bend over backward even when their backs hurt.

Resourceful – In these tough times, we don't know what the future holds for us in terms of jobs, business, health, safety, and even existence. We have been forced to think creatively, find opportunities in stressful situations, and to keep a positive outlook. When I think about it, haven't our moms been doing that forever. Always ingenious, finding alternatives for scarce resources, finding a quick-fix for seemingly complex problems, and many a time even converting your potential recipe disaster into a lip-smacking dish.

Proactive and disciplined – Despite having a grueling day, the next morning, they will wake up at the appointed time, get back on their tired and old feet, and gently amble into the daily grind, keeping all excuses at bay. Ready to face a new day with the same vigor, they will foresee any potential lags and delays and, like a real professional tick all boxes in their packed daily schedule. They will stick to the required timelines and will not pause until the task is done. Also, they have an innate sense to sniff out any shortage, problem, and take timely preemptive action.

Nurturing and empathetic – Even after all this, they will always be ready to give a kind ear to all your woes and complaints unfailingly without missing each and every word you say. After all these years, they are still keen to know from you how your day has been, listen genuinely, and allow you to share your problems so that you feel lighter. How many people in our life are sincerely concerned about our well-being? Well, we can probably count them on our finger-tips.

These and many more qualities we need to imbibe from our mothers not just today but forever. I am sure my feelings above resonate with most of you. So much to learn from these superhumans whose value we take for granted. We as their children cannot thank them enough for all that they do for us, consistently and steadfastly. This is a dedication to my mom and mother-in-law, for simply being the superhumans they are, and also for showcasing their humane qualities with such humility and grace.

Happy Mother's Day – Aai and Mummy

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)