My New Year Resolution

Monday, December 31, 2018

New Year Resolution

New Year resolutions are made every year and are broken too. I am thinking of making a resolution that will be not only difficult but impossible to break. 

Before I talk about my New Year resolution, it will be interesting to know about my previous years' resolution and what happened to them. Truth is I came to know about New Year somewhat late. So there was no question of making any New Year resolution. In the village, we were told that New Year starts from Chaitra. Later on we were told that it starts from January. Some said it starts from Dipawali. By the time I reached school in the town, it became clear that it starts from January for sure. The calendar hanging on the wall at home had both dates as per English calendar and Tithi as per Hindu Vikram Sanvat calendar. It was a perfect meeting ground for East and West. All office work in English and all Puja and rituals as per Hindu calendar. 

History of my resolutions

   1.    Whichever may be the calendar, there is a tradition of making resolutions was revealed to me when I started talking in languages other than my dialect which were Hindi and English. The resolution fever caught up only when the exams were knocking at the door. 'From tomorrow will get up at four in the morning’. An alarm was set but nothing changed, either I did not hear the alarm or simply got up and tumbled back on the bed. It was then decided to do as much rote learning during the day into late in the night but then again eyes would be heavy before long and would go to sleep assuring myself that rest will be covered by waking up early in the morning. In short, neither the resolution nor I became part of each other. 

   2.    After education, got into a job and started earning my own. Now was the time to indulge in. During college days, one Sardar friend introduced me to the taste of a cigarette. He never did it himself (Sikhs are not supposed to smoke) but he said he liked the aroma of it. He would bring only one cigarette at a time. Those were the days of tight pockets so it never became a compulsive habit. But now that I had a job and money too and on top of it there was this feeling that smoking is manly and adds to stature and position, it became a regular companion. Starting with cheap brands like Char Minar and Panama graduated to Wills Filter King and imported brands like 555. Some well-wishers tried to warn and some resolutions were also made every year but resolutions and vows are meant to be broken only. Then there was serious setback and Doctor said stop smoking or else….. What hundreds of warnings and resolutions could not do, was done by one pain in the chest. Some habits do not go by making resolutions. 

   3.    There is a long list of broken resolutions. Will speak truth only, will not give bribes, and will not get angry and so on. But most of them could not be maintained and the onus always fell on others. There was justification to -speaking truth does not help, bribing is a way of life, and things do not get done by being calm all the time. If there were a hundred needs for making resolutions there were thousands of reasons for breaking them. 

Now I think this year I must make some great resolution and live with it for the rest of my life. Took advice from friends. On some introspection found that I am already helping the needy to the best of my resources, trying to keep fit by morning walk, yoga and exercises, take medicines on time Etc Etc. There are some habits like love for tasty food and drinks, love and liking for all, helping people in need, not hurting others, no harsh words, living in harmony and so on. It is neither possible nor desirable to quit them now. Some of these must go with me particularly when there is no permission to take possessions like house, car, and money. 

After long and thoughtful deliberations within, I have decided to resolve as follows:

"I resolve that I will remain what I am" 

Howsoever hard I may try; I will not be in a position to break this resolution.

Wishing you all a very happy and prosperous New Year. 

Hari Lakhera 

Monday, 31/12/2018

Death-in passing

IN PASSING

Until yesterday, he was thinking and planning about - things to do and places to visit. We are regulars on the walking walk in a park near our area. In fact we came to know each other because of this passion only. We meet at the park every morning at almost at the same time.

He has been facing some health issues for quite some time. He has been under the care of a good physician and therefore had few health worries. For the last few months, he has been complaining of a recurring soar in the mouth. His physician prescribed some mouth gels and the soar disappeared. It appeared again and this time the doctor prescribed some antibiotics and advised to consult a specialist. Some doubts set in and so he did not tell anyone in the family.

Anxious to know more, he surfed the internet and all symptoms lead to possible mouth cancer. He tried to convince himself. It is not possible. He stopped smoking some 30 years back. He never chewed tobacco. He has not done any wrong, had always been God fearing and honest ant truthful to the core.   Finally he went to another specialist doctor. He did not want to scare the family and therefore did not take anyone with him. He would tell them at the right time. The doctor examined him and did not concur with his fears, though not as vehemently as he would have expected. The very fact that the doctor advised biopsy confirmed his fears. He referred him to another specialist. It took time to fix appointment as the specialist was out of town. Finally he could meet the specialist. He was not very sure and advised a biopsy to confirm either way. The sample was sent for biopsy. Report expected in three days-Wait and See.

The intervening period was gruesome, to say the least. There was every possibility that his fears were unfounded.  The biopsy will be negative. But what if it is positive? He will surely die, sooner than he had expected. Did he fear death because he has seen life? He has been telling everyone, who cared to listen, that death is obligatory, everything else is optional. He had attended many funerals and tried to console the aggrieved families by telling not to grieve, stay strong. How sallow all that looks now!

Looking back, he retraced the steps and was reminded of all the hardships and troubles he had faced in life. He was reminded of the many unanswered questions of life-reasons for failures, deceit. Will death be in a position to answer all those questions? Will those questions remain unanswered forever?  What will be death look like - dark, cold and all alone? Will the light in the tunnel be as bright as was described by someone? It is sad that the living know that they would die but the dead know nothing. Or do they?

These and many such questions are haunting him. He is swinging like the pendulum of the clock on the wall-left, right and left or is it right, left and right. Hope- despair and hope or Despair- hope and Despair? 

I am also helping him to stay positive, strong and hopeful. I tell him of the advancement in the field o cancer treatment.  I know all this will fall flat if the report is positive.

I hope the report is negative so that I may say-look, I told you. I want to be proved right.

Activitism

Activism-Passion or Profession

When people are committed to correcting a wrong, they don't think what is going to happen in their personal life. They think about how they are going to correct things for others. Such people are called activists. Some of them are:

Medha Patkar of Narmada Bachao Andolan

Anna Hazare of Indian anti-corruption movement

Teesta Seetalvad of Citizens for justice and peace - communal violence in Gujrat

Sunderlal bahuguna of Chipko movement

Swami Agnivesh of the Bonded labor liberation movement

All of these activists are unique personalities in their own right. Highly educated, madly dedicated to their cause and badly treated by vested interests.

They are not free from controversies. Some brand them for playing on the hands of foreign hands that finance their activities for their own good. Some are even branded anti-national.  

Age is Contegeous

Aging, like conjunctivitis, is contagious, But ..

It is a catching disease like conjunctivitis, because we are in contact with people who are aging from the day we are born.

Can segregation help? May be. But it has not been tried as yet and no research data is available to support this remedy. Prince Siddharth made an effort when he saw aged and sick people for the first time. He was not allowed to step out of the palace. Probably the King wanted him to be safe and secure. But he forgot that those in charge of the care of the prince were old and aging, including the King and the Queen themselves. Siddharth left the palace and deserted his wife and son in search of a solution to this problem. He did find other things like how to prepare for the next life but could not find any solution to the problem of aging itself. He also aged and died. Children who left their aging parents behind and went away in search of better life, never to return, also age. They found that the places they migrated to also have the same problem though not as acute because of better living conditions. It however hardly matters if one is called old at 58 or 68.

Can precaution help? Maybe. Again no such study exists. There have been suggestions - organic food, regular exercise, and regular medical check –ups and even Botox injections and plastic surgery. This might have given some psychological feeling of wellness but each birthday reconfirmed the fact that aging is contagious.

So what is the solution? I have a suggestion. We should never grow. I mean we should never grow in our thinking. We should always stay with the child within. The aged are compared with children for a reason. Just observe a child keenly. He or she is fully contended- unmindful of what he is wearing, unmindful of how many times he has fallen while learning to walk. Give him a toy and he starts kissing and loving it or even dismantling it to find out what lies inside, always inquisitive. He learns and unlearns very fast. He is always assured of himself. The only time he cries is when he is hungry. He also cries when he is sleepy, not because he wants to sleep but because he does not want to. Above all there is so much to see and learn with open eyes. He is very selfish and manipulative also. He hesitates to be friendly with strangers but once in his lap and assured of the stranger’s intentions of love and caring, he will jump with joy the moment he sees him. He can manipulate his way as he wishes. He likes to play with other children. He does not carry baggage. He will fight one moment and become friendly next moment. He does not know how to cheat, steal or speak a lie.

So, dear SILVERS! Stay child, stay blessed. Remain contended under all circumstances, do not grumble. The body will turn weak with this or that pain but get up and smile. For a change, take out the old photo albums and live life again. Listen to music which is as young as you are. Eat well and on time. Cry if feel so. Pamper yourself once in a while with food or drink of your choice. Eat what you like after 70, they say. Don’t count hours you slept, count hours you stayed awake. Don’t expect children to guess what you want or don’t want. Speak it out in a very diplomatic and tactful way. Use the childhood tricks of manipulations. As far as possible, avoid company of people older than you. They are contagious. You will catch their symptoms. Stay with younger lot, preferably children. Do not carry any baggage of the past. Do not cheat, steal or speak a lie. Enough has already happened.

I can assure you, death will come but the reason will not be age.   

  
Hari Lakhera

Sunday, 23 December 2018

THE BIG BOSS IS WATCHING

The big boss is watching.

World over investigating authorities engage in spying and surveillance of people speaking against police and other government authorities including the party in power.

This is done under the pretext of preparing for riots and other disturbances during otherwise peaceful protests.

So far so good. Governance is a complex job and the trouble makers should be kept at bay. In most cases the police know them as they know the petty thieves.

What happens if the information so gathered is distributed among public and private sector organizations, who happen to be the employers or future employers of people involved in public demonstrations and protests against the misdeeds of the people in authority? Wouldn't they fire them on flimsy grounds? Wouldn't they refuse to hire them for no reason?

So, watch out, the big boss is watching all of your activities on the social media. They may put blocks in your daily life. They may get you fired.  They may add unfavorable lines in invisible ink in your CV.

Does this mean curtailing freedom of expression? Yes.

 Does it mean to intimidate you? Yes.

Does it mean you mind your business? May be.

Choice is yours.

Age is more than a number

AGE IS MORE THAN A NUMBER

The realization came to him too late. All this time he was smarting under the impression that age is only a number and the fear of aging is in mind only. He was stupid enough to go by these softy words with lofty tit bits between the lines.

Well, he was suffering from cough and cold and a little fever which was nothing new and all these years he was treating it with OTC drugs with good effect. He never visited a physician for common cold. Rather would make a joke and say common cold goes in a week if you take medicines and seven days if you don't.

This time however it refused to subside even after two days, Crocine, notwithstanding. On the third day morning, he felt dizzy and fell down early in the morning. Got up dusted himself and hummed ' bin piye Mai to gira , (stumbled without having a drink). Head was still heavy and as he was trying to sip his morning cuppa, he felt like throwing up and he did.

It was enough for his wife to take him to the doctor. The diagnosis revealed high fever 102, low BP 90/65. Was prescribed some medicines and if no improvement in a day, hospitalization. While doctor wanted to watch a day more, children and wife insisted that he gets to the hospital immediately. Next day he was in the hospital under treatment for which in medical jargon is as under:

"Acute febrile illness due to viral pyrexia with postural hypotension with vertigo and Dyselectrolytemia "

In simple words dehydration that caused drying up of body fluids and thickening of blood resulting into low BP, loss of sodium and potassium in the blood. They put him on saline and other fluids administered IV for three days, took complete blood count and bio-chemistry every three hours and BP every two hours.

He was back home after three days, fully recovered and 50000/- short of bank balance not forgetting the physical discomfort. One stupid misadventure at this age troubled everybody. Added to this was the collateral damage of cancellation of our 15 days tour to London and Europe with heavy cancellation charges. The biggest consolation however is that he is fine now. In the process he learnt a lesson for rest of my life.

I am posting this with his permission, to all oldies with a request not to be as stupid he proved to be. Age is a merciless number when we grow as far as our body is concerned. It is both in our mind and body. Next time you feel like this sort of or any sort of discomfort, visit your doctor. At this age our resistance power takes a beating and cannot hold longer as it used to. The doctor is the best judge.

Baki sab Theek Chhan

बाकि सब ठीक छन

शांता बौ  गांव मां ही रंद । जाण भी कख च। जब तक दादा बच्य्नू छे एक द्वी बेर लड़िक ब्वारी और नाती नतणौ ताई देखणौक बंबई गै छे । दादा क जाणक बाद कखी नी गे।

जगजीत कबी कबी ऐ जान्द । पिछल मैना ऐ छे। एक मोबाइल देगे । चार्ज कन करण, घंटि बजण पर कु बटण दबाण सिखै गे। यन नी कि बौ की याददाश्त कमजोर च पर आन्ख कमजोर ह्वै गेन । की पैड पर कुछ नी दिख्यान्दू।

ब्यालि बौ न ब्वाल कि हे चैतु जग्गू कुण एक चीठ्ठी लिखणी छे। मीन ब्वाल परबात सुबेर  ऐकन लेखुलु। यखम  ई बताण जरूरी च कि गांव मां  अब हम गिनती क दस बूढ बुढ्या  और चार परिवार  और छन। एक टाइम छे जब गांव मां रौनक रैदि छे। मछख्वाल, वलिख्वाल, पलिख्वाल, मुडख्वाल मिलाइक तीस परिवार छे।  100/150 लोग गांव मा रंद छे। खूब रौनक छे। आपस मा लड़द झगड़द छे पर दुख सुख मा शामिल रंद छै। अब सब उन्द  चलि गेन,  मतलब शहरी ह्वै गेन । अब क्वी झगड़ा करणौक बि नी।

मी भी क्वी ज्यादा पढ्यू लिख्यू नि पर काम चलाणकुण खार्यून्  छौं ।  कागज़ कलम, लिफ़ाफ़ा क इंतजाम रंद च।

खैर,  दुसर दिन बौ क दरवार मा हाज़िर । बौ बोल्द गे, मी लिखद ग्यू।

“म्यार बेटा जग्गू,

खुश रै, राजी रै। मी ठीक छौं । जब तक हथ खुट चलणाई  छन, ज्यादा फिकर करणैकी बात नी।  फिकर करीक कन बि क्या च।  न त तू फोन करदी, न मीताई करुण  आन्दु । चैतु काका से चिठ्ठी लीखवाअंणाई छौं । फोन त तु देगे पर म्यार बस की नी । आन्ख कमजोर ह्वै गेन । बाकी सब ठीक छन ।

बिना दूधैकि चाय मा  क्वी श्वाद नी। मुड़ख्वाल झाबा ब्वारी दूध दे जान्दि छे, गौड बिसिक ग्या । गांव मा और कैक लैन्द नीं च। बिहारी क दुकान बिटीक पाउडर मंगाई। भले ह्वेन ऐ बिहारी कु जु अपर देश छौड़ीक हमारी जरूरत पूरी करणाई च। बाकी सब ठीक छन ।

सग्वाड़ सब बांझ पड़्याअं छन। बिहारी क दुकानीम आलु प्याज मील जान्द । बाकी सामान भी वखी बिटीक ऐ जान्द ।      काम चलणाई च। बाकी सब ठीक छन ।

पकाण भी कैन च। प्रेमैकि ब्वारी कुण ब्वाल, मना कर दै। सुबेर कुछ पकाई लीन्दु । बिहारी क दुकान बिटीक ब्रेड मंगाई, गरम कैक, प्याज भून  और काम चल गै। बाकी सब ठीक छन।

गांव सुनसान च। हमार ख्वालम मी छौं । डिग्गी म पानी छै  च।  छोटी  बाल्टी भरीक लान्दु।  बट्टा भरीक नी लै सकुद।  द्वी तीन बेरि जाण पड़द।  बाकी सब ठीक छन ।

बुनाइ छन कि स्कूल बंद ह्वै सकद। द्वी मास्टर और दस बच्चा। जब हमार गांव मा स्कूल छै छे त अगल बगल क गांव मा स्कूल खोलणैकी क्या जरूरत छे। एक द्वी मील त बच्चा तनी ऐ जान्द छे।  पैली बि त आन्द छै। सब ताई मिलाइक एक करणाई छन बल। खैर मिताई क्या । म्यार ल्याखन। बाकी सब ठीक छन ।

तबियत भी ठीक च। ई उमर मा कुछ न कुछ लग्यू रंद । पान्च दिन से हल्कु बुखार च। ठीक ह्वै जालू । बोलणकुण गांव मा प्राथमिक चिकित्सालय च पर डाक्टर नी। कंपाउंडर चलाणाई च। वैन बि क्या कन, दवाई खत्म छन। पता नी कब आलि। तु चिंता नी करी। बाकी सब ठीक छन ।

हाँ बताण भूलि ग्यू। त्यार मूल चाचा नि रै। बिन्डि दिन बिटीक बीमार छे। दगड त बस चाची छे। बड़ी मुश्किल  से आस पास क  गांव से कुछ लोग जुटेन । नदी जैकन फूंक  ऐन। लड़का तीन दिन बाद  आई। तेरवी करीक चलि जालू बल। बाकी सब ठीक छन ।

मिताई पता च कि तु बोलिल बंबे ऐ जा। नी ऐ सकदू। अब कब कुण  आण। ज्यादा कटि गै,  थोड़ा रयी च। पैसा तु भेजी दीन्द। बाकी सब ठीक छन ।

ऐ बारी घर  ऐली त ब्वारी और बच्चों ताई जरूर लै। छोट छोट छै जब देख छै। अब त ज्वान ह्वै गे ह्वाल । बाकी सब ठीक छन ।

अपर और बच्चों क ख्याल राखी । और बोलु भी त क्या ।

मां”