DreamingAway

Child Dog Playing It was a perfectly sized dog for that child. If it had been too young, it might not have matched the child’s energy, and if it had been a bit older, it might have knocked him down. Adding a few more brown patches to this dog would make it resemble the pet I had during my schooldays. Would you call it stealing if someone spiritedly took a puppy without the owner’s consent? At that time, it didn’t matter to me. In fact, such ethical concerns were far from my thinking. The black puppy was beautiful, but the white-brown puppy was so attractive and his mother graciously (!) allowed me to take it with me. As a customary act, I gave it some sugar (mixed with Idly) to prevent it from running away. I still do this when I get a new pet dog, even after growing old enough to dismiss many superstitions. It was obvious to me that the child and the dog were familiar with each other, as I could see an instant connection and an intuitive understanding of what they wanted to do - play....

  அகராதிகள் பதித்துக் கொள்ளாத 'அழகான' வார்த்தைகளையெல்லாம் நண்பர்கள் இல்லாமல் வேறு எப்படி கற்றுக் கொண்டிருக்க முடியும்? இல்ல, இது மாதிரியான நண்பர்களெல்லாம் தவிர்க்க வேண்டியவர்களா? எதுவும் இங்க சரியுமில்ல தவறுமில்ல போடா என்ற வரிகள் பழகிப்போனதாலயோ என்னவோ "தவறான நட்பென்று ஒன்று இருக்க முடியுமா?" என்று யோசிக்கும் போதே யோசிக்கிறதை நிறுத்திக்கனும்னு தோன்றியதையும் மீறிச் சிந்தித்ததாலேயே இந்தப் பதிவு. எந்த ஒரு தேடலுக்கும் திருக்குறளையும் தோண்டிப் பார்க்கிறது வழக்கம். அட, இருக்கிறதே! நட்பியல் என்ற பிரிவில் பல அதிகாரங்கள், குறிப்பாக, "தீ நட்பு", "கூடா நட்பு" என்ற தலைப்புகளில். கூடா நட்பு என்றெல்லாம் ஒன்று இருக்கமுடியாதென்ற வாக்கில் நம்பும் போது இப்படி வள்ளுவரே சொல்லியிருக்காரேன்னு பார்த்ததும் கொஞ்சம் ஏமாற்றம்தான். என்னுடைய நண்பர்களெல்லாம் எனக்குத் தானாகவே அமைந்தது போலத்தான் இருக்கிறது. பெரும்பாலும் இடம் சார்ந்ததுதான் - வீட்டுப்பக்கம், பள்ளி, கல்லூரி, வேலை. மேலோட்டமாய் பார்த்தால் எந்த விதிகளுமே வைத்துத் தேர்ந்தெடுத்ததாய் தோன்றவில்லைதான். ஆனால் எல...

  Can a statement, “you kill at least ten thousand insects in your lifetime.” evoke any emotion? Is it the same emotion, or no emotion that you experience when you hear it while you are actually killing an insect? While searching for a definition of emotion, I found the one below, which closely aligns with what I assumed it to be, although it is still a vague one. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotion Emotions are mental states brought on by neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or displeasure. There is currently no scientific consensus on a definition. Emotions are often intertwined with mood, temperament, personality, disposition, or creativity. I was looking for the definition because I went through the below sequence about Aisha Chaudhary and felt none of them in the sequence, taken individually, would have raised any emotion. My friend told me about Aisha, who tragically passed away ...

       I don’t see everything that my eyes can see. I mean, even though my eye sees it, there is no brain processing of it. When I use my peripheral vision, all I see are only the same roads, same shops, same crowds. That is monotonous and boring. In fact, that is useless, as the more I see, the more my mind dwells on the problems and solutions related to that. And still worse, I am complaining about the same thing every single day. That is why I decided not to look outside while I’m on the office cab ride. Hey, I promise, it is not because I wish to doze off during my morning commute. Unfortunately, this has become a habit now, and worse, I am, rather unintentionally, following a form of this behaviour in the office campus. I realised it when people say that they’ve seen me and I failed to notice them. I understand that I should be aware of this and be watchful. Another promise - it was happening even before my eyesight was far better than the current state. The hea...

 Although I can remember a few people, at least vaguely, I am unable to recall anything that had happened before age 7. According to the internet, some may have access to memories formed as early as two years. That is impressive. It is okay, we all know that there are kids and others more talented than us in someway. Anyway, it’s not uncommon to have gaps in memory from our infancy days. By observing infants and their moms now, I’ve come to realise that my mom would have handled me rudely as she would have considered my innocent acts as rude ones at that time. I have vivid (!) memories of my early schooldays, where my mom had complete control over my days. She dictated everything from my playtime to study hours to my sleep schedules. No, she wasn’t a strict mom. It felt so natural to let her take control of my things. She knew every detail about my activities, interactions with my friends, and teachers. She truly knew everything! As I grew, she refined her ways and allowed me to do...

Who would choose to miss an opportunity to meet an old friend? When one of my friends invited me to his family function, I immediately decided to attend. My plan was to attend the function and then head straight to work. There is a special feeling in meeting friends after a long time. Even though our time together was brief, it was enough to bring back old memories and it made the present a pleasant one. It was morning 8 O’clock and as I walked towards the bus stop, I noticed a bus that I could catch if I sprinted a few meters. My flip-flop thought differently, smiled through the thong that had come off, and ordered me to walk slowly. No worries. I knew what to do - find a shoe repair shop and get it fixed temporarily. I walked for 100 meters on either side but to no avail. A thought about my schooldays’ “Hawai” chappals flashed, those that I could put the thongs back in a few seconds. Maybe I could use a safety-pin, but where could I find one? I spotted an open shop ahead, and althoug...

 Take a survey. Take data from any survey. We can easily find that the vast majority of people express thumbs down for whether they really get appreciated for what they have done. We may also find that the expectations are not costly rewards or high demands but the simplest form of deeds that shows appreciation. If it is that easy, then why is it not done as often as possible? Our smile and clap can help a toddler stand and walk a few more steps. It can encourage a kid to do more and feel happy when we appreciate him for solving a simple mathematical problem. Such is the very fundamental nature and the tendency of us, to receive an appreciation and feel good about it. Any genuine appreciation lifts us up. Do we still hesitate to appreciate, even after knowing the power of appreciation? When do we actually feel like appreciating? Some of the things I can think of: (1) When someone’s act gives a direct benefit, like a task completed. (2) When something makes us feel good, like a good...