Enjoy the ride; there is no return ticket

Yet another forward! On a really different topic:-)

Aging!!! Isn't it a tried, tested and debated topic? What do you mean by that word? Wikipedia says the below:
"Ageing or aging (American English) is the accumulation of changes in an organism or object over time. Ageing in humans refers to a multidimensional process of physical, psychological, and social change. Some dimensions of ageing grow and expand over time, while others decline. Reaction time, for example, may slow with age, while knowledge of world events and wisdom may expand. Research shows that even late in life potential exists for physical, mental, and social growth and development. Ageing is an important part of all human societies reflecting the biological changes that occur, but also reflecting cultural and societal conventions. Age is usually measured in full years — and months for young children. A person's birthday is often an important event."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ageing

As the title says, Enjoy the ride...There is no return ticket in this matter.

George Carlin's Views on Aging???

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions. 'How old are you?' 'I'm fourand a half!' You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key. You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead. 'How old are you?' 'I'm gonna be 16!' You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life! You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony.YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!! But then youturn30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling.. What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone. But! Wait!!!You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would! So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, and REACH 50 and make it to 60. You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday! You get into! your80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; 'I Was JUST 92. 'Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. 'I'm 100 and a half!' May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1.Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them.'

2.Keep only cheerful friends.The grouches pull you down.

3.Keep learning.! Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever, even ham radio. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's family name is Alzheimer's.

4.Enjoy the simple things.

5.Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6.The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7.Surround yourself with what you love,whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8.Cherish your health:If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9.Don't take guilt trips.. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10.Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,but by the moments that take our breath away.

Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting'...holy shit, what a ride!'

Now, as usual, about the author and controversies....

This forward is widely and wrongly attributed to George Carlin. Sounds like him but TruthOrFiction says no, see http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/c/carlin-on-aging.htm)

Anyway Carlin denied writing this forward in an interview. You can read it @ http://www.avclub.com/content/interview/george_carlin/3

Another site says that it is probably written by comedian "Larry Miller" http://www.snopes.com/glurge/aging.asp

His profile: http://www.tcm.com/thismonth/article/?cid=159698&mainArticleId=159696

Anyway there are multiple site which debates who wrote this. Some say it is Carlin's and some attribute it to Miller! No matter who wrote this, it is an interesting read!

Why women cry???

Let me share another forward which comes to your mailbox atleast once a year and sometimes more. All girls who read it love it and forward it to all special women in their lives. But beware! Guys think that this another emotional forward to show men in poor light! So, you have to be careful about the gender of the recipient, especially in this case.

Our forward goes, as below:

A little boy asked his mother, "Why are you crying?"
"Because I'm a woman," she told him.
"I don't understand," he said.
His Mom just hugged him and said,
"And you never will."

Later the little boy asked his father, "Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?"
"All women cry for no reason," was all his dad could say.

The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry.

Finally he put prayed to God who would surely know the answer.
When God responded he asked, "God, why do women cry so easily?"
God said:
"When I made the woman she had to be to be made special. I made her shoulders
strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort. I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children. I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up, and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining. I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her very badly. I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart. I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly. And lastly, I gave her a tear to shed. This is hers and only hers exclusively to use whenever she needs it. She needs no reason, no explanation, its hers."

"You see my son," said God, "the beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair.The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart - the place where love resides."

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Hmm... So, are you crying? Then, you are definitely a girl! Mushy stuff, right??
I also found another poem "Why women cry..." in the site: http://www.whywomencry.net/
It is compilation of stories, poems & positive responses for the cleansing of the eyes and the soul.

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WHY WOMEN CRY...

We cry because our toe hurts
We cry because our friends hurt
We cry because our hearts hurt by the ones we love the most
We cry because our loved one and moved to the West Coast

We cry because we're mensing and our hormones are in charge
We cry because our butt is small....or is it way too large?????

We cry because our parents tried to tell us what they knew
We cry because we didn't listen, now life tells us what to do
We cry because we're parents now and want to give our children more
We cry because our children have no clue of what's in store

We cry because we're angry, upset or in despair
We cry because we don't know why, and sometimes we don't care
We cry because God says we can and He put those feelings there ...

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Hahaha! Can't help laughing! Ya, you can take whatever way it is! I cry and I laugh as I please... It so easy to express your emotion and get over it! If you are sad or hurt, what is a better way than having a crying session and get over it? I really don't believe in bottling up my emotions... I would rather 'cry in the rain':-)

Ya, crying cannot sort out the issue. But then, crying can release the tension and emotions which needs an outlet. Once it is out, you can think about the situation without being emotional, then slice and dice it and come up with the best solution!

Anyway if you ask me there are two different questions - Why women cry? and why women cry so easily! You can come up with a complex scientific explanation for question no: 2... But then, how do you explain the first one?

Reason, season or lifetime!

Today, I was clearing the all forwards which I received last week. I again came across a beautiful and thought provoking one on friendship or relationships! The same old forward on how people come into your life for reason, season and lifetime... I 'm almost sure that most of us would have seen this at some point or the other. But then I can't help sharing it. It may be a crime if I don't! It goes as follows:

"A Reason, a Season, or a LifetimePeople come into your life for a reason, a season, ora lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, youwill know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON . . . It isusually to meet a need you have expressed. They havecome to assist you through a difficulty, to provide youwith guidance and support, to aid you physically,emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like agodsend, and they are! They are there for the reasonyou need them to be.Then, without any wrong doing on your part, or at aninconvenient time, this person will say or do somethingto bring the relationship to an end.Sometimes they die.Sometimes they walk away.Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.What we must realise is that our need has been met, ourdesire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer yousent up has been answered. And now it is time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON . . .Because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn.They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh.They may teach you something you have never done.They usually give you an unbelievable amountof joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; thingsyou must build upon in order to have a solid emotionalfoundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love theperson, and put what you have learned to use in allother relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Author Unknown"

If you are interested in a musical one with images, check the below site:
http://www.inspiringthots.net/movie/reason-season.php

Recently, I was looking for something and stumbled across the following link where people were trying to find who wrote these beautiful verses. I'm not sure who wrote it. But I read it first in 2002. So the claims that it was written in 2004 is wrong! It may have been written by " Brian A. "Drew" Chalker" as many sites claim. I cannot prove or disprove it! If you are interested in reading more on the controversy, you can check the below link.
http://www.anvari.org/fun/Misc/Reason_Season_Lifetime.html

No matter who wrote, it is one of my favourites. And the author has written a very thought provoking piece. And it makes me wonder, why and how long you are going to be in my life - A reason, a season or a lifetime!

Friend and secret keeper

Its so long since I wrote my last blog. Not that I don't have anything to write... Issue is time and time alone... How can I do all those things I love to do or hate to do but have to do in mere 24 hours? 1440 minutes? 86400 seconds? Impossible! That is my problem! Now, what I want to write today is about friends or friendship. I do not have any structure in my mind, but writing as I think.

I was just reading a forward today which goes like this....

" Sometimes in life, you find a special friend...

Someone who changes your life just by being part of it...

Someone who makes you laugh until you can't stop...

Someone who makes you believe that there really is good in the world.

Someone who convinces you that there really is an unlocked door just waiting for you to open it...... "

Hmm.. Ya, definitely. Some people come into your life and they stay! Some move on to find better things in life. No matter what happens, you are never the same. You may say that change is natural way of life and you can defend it and go on. Yes, but you willingly change for some people and you are forced in other cases. Whether the change made is making you a better person is the question here, I think. Positive influences and negative ones, exactly makes all the difference.

I have had many friends in my life. Never had a very close one... May be I never allowed anyone to come closer. May be, I was scared of sharing my inner most thoughts with anybody other than me, myself! But then all of us are not like that. People share everything, including the personal fears. Sharing makes the relationship better? I don't know... I can only say - May be! But then, most of my friends thought of me as their secret keeper. They shared their inner most thoughts and fears with me. I was careful with all those information. I was the guard, the secret keeper! People trusted me and I never broke the trust. My problem with sharing my issues may have been routed from this secret keeper business. If people trust me as their secret keeper, how can I find another secret keeper for myself. May be I never had the time to find one after solving everyones problems. May be I thought that their problems are so large and complex in comparison to mine and it is not worth the effort.

It is nice to be friends with so many people. Listen to people, help them overcome their fears, fight with them, make up and all the while observing the very basic human behaviour. Slowly you can even identify their feelings without words. As one of my friends say, identify them through their smell! If you ask me whether it is a burden, I don't have an answer. But then, sometimes you have to deal with jealousy, selfishness and above all possesiveness. I really don't care too much for these three areas especially when I'm a party to it! But then again, these also are a part and parcel of everday life.

Anyway, I remained as a friend to all, but without having a best friend. Not that I' m complaining. But then, sometimes you feel that you are becoming a complaint box. Hmm.. all for friendship! And it is one of the most beautiful relationships! A relationship to cheish!

Weight loss - My top most desire

Losing weight is my top most desire these days. I want to lose some 10 to 15kgs and go back to how I used to look like in my college days - Slim!! I really don't know how to do it. I tried dieting and exercise in full swing. Different diets, different exercises, shortcuts, trying to improve metabolism.... My issue like so many other around me is doing the program for long. I am not sure if I lack motivation or dedication to the cause. Nothing is working and I don't see any improvement fast enough for me to see and I lose interest in continuing. I do know that I may have to sustain my efforts to reach my required results... But alas!





I was thinking why I don't lose weight even when I exercise or diet and found an article:
http://www.thedietchannel.com/Weight-Loss-Truths-and-Myths.htm
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6 common reasons why we don’t lose weight
Many of our social interactions include food.
Restaurants portions have increased (particularly fast food).
We are less active than in the past.
We find it unacceptable to be hungry.
We misunderstand how weight is maintained.
We forget the extra food we eat everyday, or we think we ate less than we did.
It’s also important to remember that when we consume fewer calories we have a tendency to be less active, which probably stems from our biological programming to preserve body weight for survival.
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Hmm...! What do you say?
I think the main reason why I don't lose weight is because I'm not really ready to do this. May be, I don't want it so desperately and is not ready to do everything needed to achieve this goal. It may not be really true!! No... I want it... Overweight makes me sad... I hate it... I don't like my pictures taken... I don't people asking me to lose weight! But then, what is preventing me from going all out and doing everything it takes me to do it? I really don't know.

But then, here I'm deciding to do everything I can to lose weight. It's my promise to myself.

Long weekend...

The long weekend is over! Again back to busy life in office and dealines! If you ask me whether I enjoyed my weekend and I don't want to lie, I have to answer affirmative. What made me happy and what did not is what I would try to share here....

I went out of Bangalore to see mountains, waterfalls and breath some good air. I did all that and some:-) As usual I carried by camera, binoculars, notebook, ipod, trekking shoes and a book to read... I utilised each one of that... It was so nice looking at those mountain ranges lying in a hammock with my ipod or that book in hand. I woke up eveyday listening to birds and watching them chattering... What marvellous colours... And so carefree... Life was so slow... there was no hurry to complete anything...

We went trekking, lazy walks in the resort and had some quiet time... Sometime with each other and also apart. We went for safari in the morning and night... We saw herds of elephants, bisons, some monkeys, spotted dear, more peacocks and a lot of birds. I sat around the campfire listening to people talk and guessing where they are from:-) Life was so simple in those days. I know, I have tucked many memories to last a few months at least!

My only bad memory is those tears which spilled out because of his careless words. But then, I can't blame him. So, over all I enjoyed my commune with nature and time away from the ways of city... I smiled and laughed a lot! May be I did a lot of talking to myself too...

I love rain!!!

I love rain! What about you?

I went to Kerala to enjoy rain, or should I say, rainy season... The season I love best!
Hmm... It was really nice..
Rain's playfullness, rain's fury, calm after a rain - What more should you witness to complete your rain experience?
Sitting in the veranda of my aunt's house, sipping hot tea and parippuvada(Channa dal vada)
(For recipe, check this link:
http://dailygirlblog.blogspot.com/2005/12/chana-dal-vada-parippu-vada.html)
I can't help my mouth watering in that memory... It was such a carefree moment with no thoughts other than how many more vadas can I eat:-)

I also took sometime to walk on the grass and feel the moisture on my bare feet. I walked in the drizzle and rain without an umbrella. The satisfaction I got in getting drenched was liberating. The lie I had to say why I got drenched was worth it.

I listened to the night rain and the changes in its rhythm. I watched that firefly who came into the room to escape the rain. Only thing I missed is the smell of rain! But then, I should say I have made enough memories to carry on till next year...

My love for rain took me to other blogs on rain...
I found another rain blog by Firefly which I would like to share: http://whileitrains.blogspot.com/
There are some 5-6 post but, the posts are really sweet...
If you are a rain lover and have some spare time, I think you should go through it...

Top of the world:-)

Today, I can feel the new rhythm in my steps....
The breeze which passes by is singing a new tune...
There are flowers everywhere....
Life has a new meaning...
I'm singing again!

What is happening to me? I'm just happy today... may be happy beyond all measures:-)
Life is simply beautiful and I just cant explain what I'm feeling now....
But why? Don't you get it?
I'm in love and fallen for you again...

It hurts

It hurts when people don't seem to care about you... May be seems is the key word. It is your perception, it need not be the truth. But still, it hurts. You feel lonely, unwanted!

There are few sides to this...

Scenario 1: People don't really care about you - Period
Scenario 2: People care about you, you dont realise it / believe that it is possible

Lets us see what it means and how you should see it...

Scenario 1: People don't really care about you - Period! Can you do something about that? If not, forget it! If yes, what are you waiting for if that is what you want. I would assume that you have a need to feel wanted and cared about. When people whom you care about don't care and hurt you - Won't you go all out and correct it? Make them love you, care about you, want you?? How you do it varies from person to person and situation to situation. Since you have a goal, things are easy!

Scenario 2: People care about you, you dont realise it/ believe that it is possible - What do I say? Ya, there are people who feel that they are not worth it and hence believe that nobody can possibly care about them and get hurt as the end result... I guess they are the ones who psycologists term as people with low self esteem! They are not confident or feel that they are beautiful or desirable or smart or whatever it is bothering them. What is is missing is self realisation. Chances are that you are not beautiful, but is that the only thing which is lacking? If so, understand your strengths and utilise them to your complete advantage. It may not help if the other person is bothered only about your beauty!

But is it worth getting hurt?? Dont you deserve better? What can be changed and what not?
May be you need to sit down and a SWOT analysis on your life! Tick those strengths, cross those weaknesses, search those opportunities and eliminate your threats! I know! It is not as simple as it seems. You need to ruthlessly brutal about this categorisation and act on it. What do you have to loose? A heart which is already broken / hurt cant be further hurt, right?

Give it a try. See the results... You may start believing in yourself!

Mirage

Love, if you ask me, is a mirage.
The more closer you get, the farther it moves away...
Always at a distance... May be a little too far away!
But does it exist?
May be - People claim that it does
May not be - I haven't reached it yet

So, here I share my pleasure, my pain, my thoughts, my feelings and everything else, which I am possesive about and rarely share with others! With this I share my life with the world... May be somebody cares to read it! If not, no issues! For me putting it down in words is like talking to myself and sorting it out! I know I gain in the whole deal.

Cry baby!

Sometimes I wonder why I cry over seemingly simple issues...
Do I take things too personally? I dont know...
I am too sensitive for my own taste...
In one way, I invite people to hurt me over simple things...
I don't really trust to share my thoughts with others for the simple fact that with sharing I give an opportunity to hurt me over and over again...

I close up as soon as I feel that somebody tries to tread into my domain...
Ya... Red alert! He / she may hurt you....
Protect what is yours... no point in regretting later...Aha!

You got it? That is me. I don't have a soul mate, whom I share my inner most secrets!
I have a husband whom I love little too much... I used to share with him... But results were same. He can hurt me and I just take it... It is never physical, nor he need to try hard emotionally. He can easily do it with his attitude. Poor guy... May be he deserves a better wife too...

Ya sis! I'm a cry baby. I cry when I'm hurt... I cry my heart out... My pillows, my bath room - they can narrate a lot of stories... If they could speak for themselves, I better disappear from this earth!

Hmm... I have tears in my eyes... They are threatening to fall... I feel a pain in my heart... It hurts too... Where is that friend with a good stock of tissues? Where is that balm which can ease this pain? I'm still waiting...