Roshini

I will have named you S. Roshni
Because you are
Sensitive and sensible in work
Soft-spoken in dealing with others
Straightforward in approach and attitude
Smiling even in stressful times
Service-minded in nature
Selflessness being part of it
Supersub in the making
In all
Simply Superb
Lack of your hospitality
Will make us sick!
You have given a peep into your art
For a journalist-artist in the making
I wish you all the best

Call from mother

As the 18th death anniversary of my mother, K. Gnaneswari, drew closer, I had enough indications that mother is still with us, guiding us and showering her affection in many different ways. A few days before, one of her close friends and colleagues, Mrs. Achamma Jacob, called me, through my sister, and asked me to come for a prayer- cum-meditation at a place of worship and talk to a group of senior citizens about my work.

I was pleased and took it as a call from mother and promptly accepted the offer and went there. I made it a point to mention this at the short talk that I gave. The family friend also gave me a small memento, which I took it as that given by mother.

Then during my work I came across, in the past two days, words and phrases that made me remember her and the job she did – Central Statistics Office, for example. She retired as an Addl. Director of Statistics, Tamil Nadu government. Then on March 27, a day before, she came in my dream as a slightly younger person and I was telling someone, after briefly seeing her in close quarters and following her, that she remains very much with us. And, even as I finished writing this small piece, a colleague of mine gave me and others at work some sweet and chips saying her mother brought it for her. Mothers have a hold on us as long as we live.

Straussed Out

Come on, I have my own headings or comments for the 2011 World Cup
Cricket matches; it may or may not reflect the ones you find in the
Paper or aired on TV. But believe me its my own.

Here goes the first one: when India and England drew the match on Feb 27
I had in mind this heading which I haven’t seen in popular English
Dailies the next day. “Straussed out India manages a draw.”

WIND FROM THE NORTH

The wind from the North
Came and swept the southern fort
And that is THRAL
And she did ENTHRAL
By her performance
In her short stint
You ‘ve got the eye for details
And ears of a shrewd girl
True for a journo
Facts are sacred
For this GG-
Aptly named Google Girl
You would say
Sir, I checked it on the Google
And that was it
For the copy to clear
You may be a chatterbox
But you opened the mouths of many
Including mine on
Difficult subjects
You have all the thing
To make a star in this profession
You are from a star constituency
And wind from the North
Keep it up
We’re with you



K.K.
December 22, 2010

A reflection on 9/11

Anniversaries come and go; they remind us of things past: how we were born and grew up, who influenced or inspired us, what are the dates or events that went with the celebration or observance. But most of us do let go of the spirit behind these anniversaries once the day or perhaps the week is gone.

The run-of the-mill story goes on and on again until the next date comes up.
Are anniversaries only rituals that lose their significance over the years?

Today, the world is observing the anniversary of the collapse of the World Trade Center nine years ago in the United States. The strife is not gone yet though there are traces of a positive fallout this year with plans to open up a religious centre near where the disaster took place.

We need to focus on what needs to be done or not done day in and day out in order to make an event or date worth remembering or add significance to human advances already made. This alone can lead to a conflict-free society.

What happens after a disaster or tragedy? Blame games, inquiries, and revenge-taking. On the other hand, it can also open up new ways to find solutions to the problems that tie up nations in deep knots. A new awakening in the minds and hearts of people directly or indirectly affected can heal wounds, feelings, and renew hopes and lead to positive action.

History is full of such opportunities and it is for all of us to let this deeply take root in the mind and create situations conducive to world peace and brotherhood.


12/09/2010

Give what you can

"Yaan Petra Inbam Peruga Ivvaiyagam," the popular adage in Tamil means "Let the world get whatever good I got." And that’s what exactly drives the blog and other social ventures on the Internet.

One can get to know the latest in the thinking and behaviour of the world just by scanning the personal blogs and social networking sites such as the Facebook and Twitter.

Also, there is a lot of whistle-blowing going on in the Internet.
Whether the whole world takes note of it or not, just the feeling of having aired one’s views and feelings on different subjects itself give some pleasure and satisfaction, both mental and professional.

Someone sometime will get the benefit out of it seems to be the hope and faith behind the such ventures.

Just give what you have to give and do not expect anything in return is an age-old
philospophical truth.

Of course giving away on the net is also increasingly turning commercial. Anything good turns commercial when one finds the scope and use for it.

The Internet then offers one a wholesome treat.

The "Crossword"

The word of the Cross – that of the Jesus – is plain and clear: love one another and have faith that the Lord will save you . The only condition is that you should have total faith in Him and it will work wonders for you. And, it's just for anybody.

Just after I read about the Lord on Maundy Thursday listed on the newslist below the particular item was the usual Crossword slug. But that day (in April first week of 2010) to notice it immediately after I finished reading the item about Good Friday was more than a coincidence I thought.

The word then I thought was Crossword – the word of the Cross.

That's what the world needs more than anything else: faith, love, humanity, acceptance and tolerance.