Emotions like everything else in life are a part of a continuum. They do not appear in discrete packets. There is an intermediary stage before irritation turns to anger, a smile turns into a laughter, between pulling someones leg and being mean and when assertiveness becomes stubborness. Most if I may add are from the perspective of the watcher than the do-ee (I picked this from Everybody Loves Raymond)
So the question now is whether there's a thin line separating these stages, how many degrees separate these stages and who owns the line? My guess is its most always the watcher.
Brings me back to the fact that everything that we say or do today is driven by perceptions (good or bad, right or wrong). Though we've made great advances in Communication Technology what has taken a beating is the Inter-personal communication. We are too shy or too proud to go ask people what they think about what we are doing, have done or plan to do. Resultantly, we assume a reaction of a certain kind and go ahead with whatever we wanted to do..."I ate the entire chocolate because I thought you did not want it" or "We went and watched the play..didn't think you'd be interested" There are ofcourse zillion such examples.
Coming back to the thin line.... Is there a way to set the bar? Can we actually define words like anger and come to one common understanding on what it means and when it actually sets in?? If we actually did, I bet we'd wipe out the entire man-woman poking around gig. On second thoughts, life then wouldn't be too much fun either.
Guess the only way to get around this is, that as an individual, much like an umpire in cricket we have to display consistency in our interpretation of the rule and call that delivery a wide or a no-ball at exactly the same point everytime and regardless of who. And as the saying goes in cricket "The line belongs to the umpire!"
Friday, February 11, 2005
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
Closure...Putting 2 and 2 2gether
What’s with the human mind? Why are our minds constantly in this great hurry to jump to conclusions? Any inputs from any of our senses seems to trigger the absorb, process, analyze and deduce sequence.
You see two colleagues of opposite sex sitting together and having lunch…bang they must be going around. A colleague walks away to take a call on hand-phone…you go it must be his wife or at other times must be a placement consultant! Cricketers are not faring well… Oh! Those guys spend more time shooting for commercials than in the nets! There are numerous such examples of people doing such things (would have done it ourselves). Well! Lets face it we are judgemental.
We give no room for things to have happened as a coincidence or out of force of habit. For many of us there HAS to be a reason behind every event and occurrence. Therefore the need to create, maintain/change and manage perceptions. Then starts the battle between one’s self-image and perceived image. For many of us perception is reality.
We are a species that takes its place in the evolution chain to seriously. But why take our analytical capabilities so far?
I do not want to know why it smells great after a drizzle nor do I want to find the reason behind why a sunset or a sunrise look best from the beach. I just want live in and enjoy the moment!
You see two colleagues of opposite sex sitting together and having lunch…bang they must be going around. A colleague walks away to take a call on hand-phone…you go it must be his wife or at other times must be a placement consultant! Cricketers are not faring well… Oh! Those guys spend more time shooting for commercials than in the nets! There are numerous such examples of people doing such things (would have done it ourselves). Well! Lets face it we are judgemental.
We give no room for things to have happened as a coincidence or out of force of habit. For many of us there HAS to be a reason behind every event and occurrence. Therefore the need to create, maintain/change and manage perceptions. Then starts the battle between one’s self-image and perceived image. For many of us perception is reality.
We are a species that takes its place in the evolution chain to seriously. But why take our analytical capabilities so far?
I do not want to know why it smells great after a drizzle nor do I want to find the reason behind why a sunset or a sunrise look best from the beach. I just want live in and enjoy the moment!
Monday, January 31, 2005
Best laid plans.....
How many of us set out to fail? Well! Stupid question, but the fact is that not many of us set out to succeed either.
Most of us keep going ahead in life and believe in the song que sera sera..whatever will be..will be. Much like the piece of paper whose ascent and direction are determined by the gust of wind that blows it from one place to another.
There are yet some of us who don't give their best till their backs are against the wall. Yes, five-setters are fun and nothing pumps an individual like coming in from the back and winning when the chips are down. But I bet that King Becker would himself concede that you can't possibly come back from two sets down in every match and win the slam.
Thats the big picture. Its about winning the slam with as little taken away from you as possible. Its about winning not just one slam but as many as one can. So don't always wait for your back to be against the wall before you fight back, see that you dont get pushed against the wall.
Yes, there's very little that one can control in terms of the environment and how it changes around you. But, one CAN control how one responds to that change and that is the key.
Most of us keep going ahead in life and believe in the song que sera sera..whatever will be..will be. Much like the piece of paper whose ascent and direction are determined by the gust of wind that blows it from one place to another.
There are yet some of us who don't give their best till their backs are against the wall. Yes, five-setters are fun and nothing pumps an individual like coming in from the back and winning when the chips are down. But I bet that King Becker would himself concede that you can't possibly come back from two sets down in every match and win the slam.
Thats the big picture. Its about winning the slam with as little taken away from you as possible. Its about winning not just one slam but as many as one can. So don't always wait for your back to be against the wall before you fight back, see that you dont get pushed against the wall.
Yes, there's very little that one can control in terms of the environment and how it changes around you. But, one CAN control how one responds to that change and that is the key.
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Halcyon Days........
Float back to the days
Where the days were long and the nights were longer
Times when we were young and the nights were younger
To the days where our thoughts were free
Times when the breeze was cool and so were we!
Bottles emptied through the night
A minor argument, a big fight
Things that went wrong and those that went right
Endless movies and highway rides
Guys who spent hours in front of the mirror admiring their looks
Guys who slept through the night while others sat with their books
Guys who topped, yet others who flopped
It all comes back when you walk down that lane
A drink in your hand without bothering who pays
Beautiful memories........those Halcyon Days
Where the days were long and the nights were longer
Times when we were young and the nights were younger
To the days where our thoughts were free
Times when the breeze was cool and so were we!
Bottles emptied through the night
A minor argument, a big fight
Things that went wrong and those that went right
Endless movies and highway rides
Guys who spent hours in front of the mirror admiring their looks
Guys who slept through the night while others sat with their books
Guys who topped, yet others who flopped
It all comes back when you walk down that lane
A drink in your hand without bothering who pays
Beautiful memories........those Halcyon Days
Monday, January 24, 2005
Chasing your dreams
How many of us actually end doing what we always wanted to do? Infact how many of us have really wanted to do the same thing all our lives?? Have'nt we all gone through our fair share of finding our calling?
Questions for which perhaps, the answers are more questions. Fact is that for a majority of us life pretty much takes it's own course. For those who end up living their dream, they did'nt wake up one fine morning and find that life's course had taken them straight into their dream alley.
Chasing your dreams is all about choosing your own destination, plotting your own course and invariably about swimming against the tide.
Amitabh Bachchan was not hounded by film makers the day he decided to pursue acting as a profession. But the change he made was he decided that he was willing to give up all else to become an actor and he persevered.
Dreams are'nt going to come true if the urge to change the way the things are around is'nt preceeded by a strong urge to change yourself! The first change has to be in YOU!
A few lines ripped from MJ and modified by yours truly.
"Wanna make a change,
for once in my life,
Wanna make a difference
wanna make it right........
I'm starting with the man in the mirror,
I'm asking him to change his ways..."
Questions for which perhaps, the answers are more questions. Fact is that for a majority of us life pretty much takes it's own course. For those who end up living their dream, they did'nt wake up one fine morning and find that life's course had taken them straight into their dream alley.
Chasing your dreams is all about choosing your own destination, plotting your own course and invariably about swimming against the tide.
Amitabh Bachchan was not hounded by film makers the day he decided to pursue acting as a profession. But the change he made was he decided that he was willing to give up all else to become an actor and he persevered.
Dreams are'nt going to come true if the urge to change the way the things are around is'nt preceeded by a strong urge to change yourself! The first change has to be in YOU!
A few lines ripped from MJ and modified by yours truly.
"Wanna make a change,
for once in my life,
Wanna make a difference
wanna make it right........
I'm starting with the man in the mirror,
I'm asking him to change his ways..."
Sunday, January 23, 2005
Halcyon: The Wonder Years
Halcyon was, rather is the name of the cul-fest of SIT, the institute from where I graduated as an engineer. Here's something I wrote a long-long time ago about how it all started.
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one..." So went John Lennon and since then a whole new generation has dared to dream and do. SIT (Siddaganga Institute of Technology) till 1994 had its fair share of dreamers and yes people did laugh and scorn at those who even talked about having a Cul-fest at SIT. "Impossible", "Are you f@#$*& crazy", "Who the hell would want to come to Tumkur of all places?" Believe me these are the mildest. And then God said
"Let there be light."
Genesis:
It just takes a spark to set a house on fire. Two guys chatting over endless cups of tea at one of the Tapris set the ball rolling. It was exam time, odd semester. "I'll speak with the second year
guys about it" one said, "I'll pull in some guys from the third and fourth year" said the other. Ordinarily, this would have been the end of very successful small talk. But, the doers had arrived!
A couple of days later a small gathering on the B.V Block roof-top formed a quorum though unofficial, for the first Halcyon meeting.
Ideas shuttled back and forth and probably, the skeleton of the festival was drawn.
Another exam tension relieving session? No way! The seeds were sown.
Exam time and a couple of guys were still thinking about the festival, the creative juices were flowing along with the adrenaline. The inner circle was probably formed around this time.
These were the brains and brawns behind the success that Halcyon is today.
What's In the Name?
Ever heard of people coming back early from their semester break? Well? these guys did.
Now, the biggest test lay ahead. They had to talk to the management about their grand plans. They were prepared for any eventuality right from the number of events to be held to the budget and of course, the all important name. The name has a story of its own. Not
going into that, it would suffice to say that out of a range of names HALCYON was chosen with a broad consensus and not without opposition. There was however, a very serious and sincere suggestion to call it "SIT Inter-college Cultural Festival".
A long exchange of ideas and the principal and the chairman of the cultural committee were ready to take the proposal to Swami ji. It did not take him long to decide.
Good news! Yes. Work done? No way!!!
The First Time Is Always the Hardest
They had got the go ahead. But, with less than one and a half months to go there was lot of work to do. What's the big deal? Well, this was the first time an event of this magnitude a three-day state level inter-collegiate cultural festival with 22 events was about to be held.
The Avalanche Effect
The campus became a beehive with debates; jam sessions and antaaksharis going into the wee hours of the morning. The intramural competitions evoked an unexpected and unprecedented response.
The spring in the step was obvious and infectious. Students did not complain about the 7:30 AM classes and evenings were eagerly awaited.
Witty banners around the campus and the hostels were one major feature. People actually waited for fresh punch lines every two days. A mini advertising coup, that too in an engineering college.
The campus was decked up. One couldn't have asked for a better build-up to the actual festival.
Judgement Day (s)
Day 1
0800hrs IST
Scene at the canteen. "I'll be happy if we get 5 colleges to come" cut to the reception at Birla Auditorium "Just two colleges???"
0900hrs IST
The floodgates open. An unexpected 16 colleges have sent their teams. Take off.
Day 2 & Day 3
What happened next is a blur all I know is that the eagle had landed. The rest as they say is history. Halcyon was on its way to becoming the best fest in Karnataka.
Down the Memory Lane
For a good many SITians Halcyon is a door down the memory lane which they'll knock upon often. The names of the guys who started the fire will perhaps fade away and never be mentioned. There will be tall claims by some as to who started Halcyon. But the two guys who
sat over that cup of tea will always know!!
As far as I'm concerned my part as a story teller is over and I know one thing for sure "Ondu kings and by-two tea" do go a long way in creating history!
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one..." So went John Lennon and since then a whole new generation has dared to dream and do. SIT (Siddaganga Institute of Technology) till 1994 had its fair share of dreamers and yes people did laugh and scorn at those who even talked about having a Cul-fest at SIT. "Impossible", "Are you f@#$*& crazy", "Who the hell would want to come to Tumkur of all places?" Believe me these are the mildest. And then God said
"Let there be light."
Genesis:
It just takes a spark to set a house on fire. Two guys chatting over endless cups of tea at one of the Tapris set the ball rolling. It was exam time, odd semester. "I'll speak with the second year
guys about it" one said, "I'll pull in some guys from the third and fourth year" said the other. Ordinarily, this would have been the end of very successful small talk. But, the doers had arrived!
A couple of days later a small gathering on the B.V Block roof-top formed a quorum though unofficial, for the first Halcyon meeting.
Ideas shuttled back and forth and probably, the skeleton of the festival was drawn.
Another exam tension relieving session? No way! The seeds were sown.
Exam time and a couple of guys were still thinking about the festival, the creative juices were flowing along with the adrenaline. The inner circle was probably formed around this time.
These were the brains and brawns behind the success that Halcyon is today.
What's In the Name?
Ever heard of people coming back early from their semester break? Well? these guys did.
Now, the biggest test lay ahead. They had to talk to the management about their grand plans. They were prepared for any eventuality right from the number of events to be held to the budget and of course, the all important name. The name has a story of its own. Not
going into that, it would suffice to say that out of a range of names HALCYON was chosen with a broad consensus and not without opposition. There was however, a very serious and sincere suggestion to call it "SIT Inter-college Cultural Festival".
A long exchange of ideas and the principal and the chairman of the cultural committee were ready to take the proposal to Swami ji. It did not take him long to decide.
Good news! Yes. Work done? No way!!!
The First Time Is Always the Hardest
They had got the go ahead. But, with less than one and a half months to go there was lot of work to do. What's the big deal? Well, this was the first time an event of this magnitude a three-day state level inter-collegiate cultural festival with 22 events was about to be held.
The Avalanche Effect
The campus became a beehive with debates; jam sessions and antaaksharis going into the wee hours of the morning. The intramural competitions evoked an unexpected and unprecedented response.
The spring in the step was obvious and infectious. Students did not complain about the 7:30 AM classes and evenings were eagerly awaited.
Witty banners around the campus and the hostels were one major feature. People actually waited for fresh punch lines every two days. A mini advertising coup, that too in an engineering college.
The campus was decked up. One couldn't have asked for a better build-up to the actual festival.
Judgement Day (s)
Day 1
0800hrs IST
Scene at the canteen. "I'll be happy if we get 5 colleges to come" cut to the reception at Birla Auditorium "Just two colleges???"
0900hrs IST
The floodgates open. An unexpected 16 colleges have sent their teams. Take off.
Day 2 & Day 3
What happened next is a blur all I know is that the eagle had landed. The rest as they say is history. Halcyon was on its way to becoming the best fest in Karnataka.
Down the Memory Lane
For a good many SITians Halcyon is a door down the memory lane which they'll knock upon often. The names of the guys who started the fire will perhaps fade away and never be mentioned. There will be tall claims by some as to who started Halcyon. But the two guys who
sat over that cup of tea will always know!!
As far as I'm concerned my part as a story teller is over and I know one thing for sure "Ondu kings and by-two tea" do go a long way in creating history!
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