Bye bye 2008...

Have never been happier to see an year go by. Fervently hoping that 2009 brings on something to cheer about.

At the fag end of the year, my thoughts go out to all those affected by the Bombay attacks.

To those who gave up their lives for the country.
Salute.
Respect.
Awe.

You get some. You give some.

You can get anything in life, if you want it badly enough. Even if it's out of turn.
But as usual, there is a catch. You have to pay for it with something you value.

2008: The year that was...

"Different"

If I sum up this year in one word, it would be DIFFERENT. It was a mixed bag of emotions. A roller coaster in the true-st sense.
2008 was the year, my long-standing dream came true. I finally made it to Leh on my Bike.

The first half was a built-up period, which peaked around June end. It was a dream come true…with a few incidents and memories etched in my mind permanently.

And it was all downhill from there. August was full of turmoil...Sept was even worse, with my company going bankrupt. October was spent coasting along, trying to cope with the various issues with life. And it was just about to turn worse.

The Bombay attack happened in Nov, and it has a deep impact. It was quite a traumatic period. Thankfully, Dec was quite busy with work and I atleast had a few things to keep my mind occupied.

When I step back and sum all these up, it was a pretty average year. But this year is not something which I will ever forget. I have learnt a few lessons, made a few decisions, and moved on (or still trying to).

What do I want in 2009? Peace of mind, and spirit.

Change...

Changing yourself is easy. It's getting the compelling reason tough.

Time...

 


Sometimes, time is short,
Sometimes, it is unnaturally long.
The object is the same, the perception different...

Post #150

Well, three cheers to the 150th post.
Happy Holidays everyone.

Cheers!
PLEASE DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE...

Never Take Someone For Granted

Never take someone for granted.

Hold every person close to your heart,
because you might wake up one day,
and realize that you've lost a diamond,
while you were too busy collection stones.

From here

Friends...

I found this interesting. Here's an small sample:

Our $10 food-for-thought questions this week are:

* How do you define friendship?
* Would your friends describe you as a true and real friend, or more as an acquaintance? Would you feel comfortable asking them?
* Do you feel safe disclosing your innermost thoughts and feelings to your friends? To your partner or spouse? If not, why not?
* Do you ever feel alone or lonely when you’re in a group—or even at home? How do you deal with that?
* Does your lifestyle exclude time and room for developing meaningful friendships? When was the last time someone referred to you as a “real friend”?
* Do you pride yourself on amassing a huge number of social-network friends? How many of these “friends” do you really know and trust enough to share your true feelings and secrets with?

Read the full post here

Times Of India - Et tu, Brutus?

I wonder how long will it be, before the media moves on - from the Bombay terror attack.

The Times Of India is already showing signs of moving on with life. They started off very smartly with their Heroes die when..you forget them campaign. And published 10 questions from the readers on the front page, on top, on a black background...
As days passed, the 10 questions sections slowly moved to the bottom, and the count decreased from 10 to 5 and now 2 questions on the very bottom, with the rest relegated to the last page...


I wonder how many days before they stop publishing them altogether??

Paranoid

Is it just me, or you too are actively looking for fire exits, places to hide, escape routes every where you go?

Bombay under attack - Mail 2

Who ever appeals to the Law against his fellow man is either a fool or a coward;
Who ever cannot take care of themselves without that Law is both;
For if a wounded man were to say to his assailant If I Live I will Kill you, If I die you were forgiven

Such is the Rule of Honor "

- Lamb of God

Sent by Niket Bhusari

Bombay under attack - Mail 1

"To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers,
And the temples of his Gods"

Read more here

PS: This comes from one of the mails I received last week...when Bombay was under attack.

Greatness...

It takes two to make greatness, one greatness itself and another who recognises greatness.
- Ayn Rand

And DARK clouds loom over Bombay...

And its not even monsoon...

 

Crabs...

Some people are like crabs. When under duress, they crawl into their shell and wait for it to pass...

Sometimes, its ok. Just don't make an habit out of it, my dear friend. Life is meant for living, and tackling issues head on. You can run and hide, but you can't escape.
:-)

 

Pic taken on Velneshwar Beach.

What are you mourning for?

A friend of mine recently asked me this question, in connection to the terrorist attack on Mumbai.

And this is what I wrote back:

Like I have said before, each time something like this happens, it kills something in me. Its not something from which I can bounce back easily. Each time, it takes more and more active effort to overcome.

Im mourning at my own helplessness. At the same time, I am pondering over what I can do, however minuscule it may be.

(Though I am not entitled to) I am mourning at my misfortune of being governed by spineless bastards who are interested only in retaining their power at a time like this. Who do not even spare the father of an martyr from their vile games. I am disgusted by humans like these.

Im mourning over the petty ego games I(people) play, when death might just be an heartbeat away? And even though I know this, I still continue doing it. Why?

And the most, I am mourning at what *my* city is reduced to. This is not the Mumbai I know.

I am really missing all my friends right now. But each's life takes different twists and turns and takes everyone further and further away.

Given time, it will wash away the hurt. But I want to come back to this post some day, and remember this feeling.