Unmuddlings!!

This is a topic to which reams of paper and terabytes of storage space must have been already devoted. Probably the pain barrier would have been discussed, in a wide dispersion of paradigms [incl. medicine, sports, emotional growth, self evolution, societal moulding, organizational growth etc] and contexts. Even though there is nothing new to share, let me share it still. Well, hopefully from a fresh window [looking glass!!] – if not anything else. The more I am fortunate to experience pain, the more I am enamoured of its self annihilating and life giving [re-generative] capacities. Experiencing pain and the expression ‘fortunate’ is a queer association - aint it? Well, what I mean by this – looking at pain [physical, emotional whatever] as it is in its intrinsic form and not the manifestation of pain [consciously or sub-consciously]. Sub-consciously every pain [physical / emotional] in its root is a fear of decimation. Often times, the inability to look at it intrinsically and connect...

………Or the Olympic motto of Fast, Higher, Stronger has manifested in some astounding moments of human endurance, precision and perfection. These three words have been the hallmarks of human determination, since 1896 in Athens – the year and the venue of the first modern Olympic Games, - to continuously evolve to something hitherto ‘superior’. To continuously extend the frontiers of excellence. They were [probably] an ambrosia for the era encompassing the late nineteenth century and the pre-world war years, where inadequacies of life and living were stark [at least in terms of base/average levels]. Ill health and hunger were imminent for a much larger proportion of mankind. These words seemed even more meaningful and appropriate ambassadors, by the Emil Zatopeks, the Jesse Owens, the Dhyanchands and somewhat later Nadia Elena Comaneci or for that matter Mark Spitz. Yes, three words have played a huge part in having millions and many more people to aspire for and achieve dreams that other...

Lets do a playback!! Can we run through the last one year or for that one month, and play back the number of decisions we took. Then slot them, to what degree of certainty [relatively firm vs a decent possibility] we thought we would end up sticking to the decisions [probably based on extraneous precedent activities]. Then do a check on actually how things happened really. What % of the firm decisions materialized and what % of the possibilities materialized. Another way of looking at the same conundrum. Lets say we took x no. of stated firm decisions, and we are some maha gentleman or lady and make sure we stick to all our firm decisions over a period of finite time frame. Then at after the decisions are made and a good few weeks later post the time frame – we look back at all our decisions from afar. And assess what % of our firm decisions were correct decisions [based on subsequent info received during the decision time frame]. I somehow have a feeling, - as being the lazy me, I pr...

All the facts or figures that I ll quote, if any, will be purely figments of imagination. Similarly all that I call as instincts, may just be (for you) mere tendencies or inclinations. Whatever it is, I feel like rambling on this topic of instincts – which has been swirling in my head since yesterday afternoon. Lets start with a few questions, • Have you often wanted to avoid an unsolicited phone call?.....as irritated and disdainful as you could be • Do you more than a few times, judge a person by the looks and surroundings?….and put across too confidently your point of view, more strongly than you normally would… • Don’t you have a set of traits, convictions?…that you think they define you and which are the pillars of all the positive things of yours Then the answers: • Guess 4 out of the 5 unsolicited calls [and the wanted ones] were very much worth the miss • Probably 9 out of 10 times, the took a call on whose views to ignore was right • Similarly, am dead sure, what you call are ...

A small eatery doing brisk business or a flourishing fashion store, don’t just convey the enterprise of the people running the show; but they also convey what their customer yearn for in a demand driven economy. Is holistically happy and healthy life about good food, Hollywood hits, fashion flaunts? In a era that measures money more than anything else, what happens to those ingredients of evolution and good living for which there isn’t always a steady demand. What happens to a passionate coin collector, or a street dancer, the village priest, the benevolent pigeon feeder, the small town magician, the community music teacher, or a provoking movie maker, an exciting athlete or all the various people – who want to passionately pursue a unique or rare talent that they possess as an end itself. Do they also become bean counters – and serve a small exclusive segment, with due manipulation and machinations – or do they live a tough life [and be a bad advertisement for their profession] or wor...

Folks, this question is really meant to be tongue in cheek for the 20th century grads of the city. Especially the ones who haven’t stayed in BBSR for many years now; or for the ones who have stayed on but have hardly ventured out and have restricted themselves – figuratively speaking - to only a few watering holes. So many times, I have heard people getting confused about whether they are waiting in CRP Chakka [I mean Square] or Jayadev Vihar signal [thankful not behind the wheel]. With the population percentage growth growing rapidly I am dreadfully waiting for the day, when visitors compare the time spent at traffic signals with those in Haji Ali crossing in my previously amchi Mumbai. That day certainly, I will want to recede further to some other village - aka Koraput or something. Even though there are a few snarling roads / alleys and frustrating crossings now – I hope no one ever compares BBSR to CTC one day [I know this Cuttacki / BBSR fight emerges again – though am not sure i...

As I mulled over this title, during an in-flight meandering amongst the multifariously shaped clouds, I grinned - when it gleamed upon me that this title was too similar with ‘Through the Looking Glass.’ ‘Through the Looking Glass’ is a masterpiece I have never read – even though I have referred to its character [Alice] in few dozen business presentations over the past half a dozen years. This book written by a mathematician!! [can you believe it – for trivia sake Lewis Carroll is the nom-de-plume of Charles Lutwidge Dogdson!!! Who wrote more mathematics books than literary ones I guess] has caught the imagination of the hundreds of millions of people – most of them would not have read the book, like yours truly – over the past 200 years [late 19th century novel]. No wonder the author thought of this name, to title a free wheeling dreamy story. The other day traveling from Kolkotta to BBSR, when I inadvertently let myself be allotted to a window seat [as opposed to the aisle seats – ...