TURNING THE PAGES of THE GREEN BOOK

My green book is actually a raconteur of an ecological narrative. I name it ‘a green book of nature's gems.’ 

T is for trees/turning the pages.....

This green open book is none other than the all-encompassing natural phenomenon in all its magnificent manifestations. Its pages perennially juxtapose change and consistency. It follows a perfectly orchestrated paradigm set by the cosmic power. I adore this prized book, which not only stands by me in the darkest moments of life but also unequivocally inspires me, excites me and gladdens my heart. 

To the initiated, this book has infinite dimensions upon which to play the game of life. It is there for us by the grace of some mysterious power. None can compete with its munificence. It neither divides nor discriminates. It unites. It embodies peace and goodwill. It showers its blessings upon all freely. It feeds, shelters, and elevates. It is a resurgent force. It carries potent restorative properties. 

How it has patterned effusively with its green cover: our plateaus, valleys, glens, mountains, and hilltops. It creates humanity’s food bowl through wheat stalks, corncobs, and numerous grain-bearing plants. It makes our life beautiful by its statuesque trees greening our avenues, river banks, our parks, and backyards. Its presence is palpable in every leaf, bud, and bloom.

It beckons us in spring to the magical charm of new life. In summer, it fructifies and ripens our fruit and berries. The color and splendor of autumn is a feast for the eyes. Winter is there for reunions and renewals. Can one ask for more?

At the beginning of this creation of ours, this book supported and fed not only the human animal but also legions of live organism nestling in its magnanimous fold. Our very existence owes its survival to the forces of nature. Our relatedness to nature is inherent in our very being. Modern man seems to have separated himself from the overwhelming aspect of nature through the arrogance of his sharp intellect. However, man can neither sever his relatedness to nature nor ignore its significance in our lives. To do so would be at his own peril. 
  
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THANK YOU NATURE FOR THE CHANGING SEASONS.

"To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring."    -                 George Santayana

Now we are nearing the end of spring. Most of the flowerbeds show dry seed pods ready for storing if you are into sowing seeds for future saplings.

Fortunately, gulmohars in our area are resplendent with orange colored delicate bunches of flamboyant blooms. They provide a visual feast that is noticeable even from a distance. Their flower-laden branches, filter through the spread of other trees to mesmerize the initiated. Wherever you sight a gulmohar these days, you’ll find it in full bloom.

Frankly speaking, nature has ensured that there is not a dull moment in our lives. The change of seasons, though we take it for granted is the greatest benedictions of all. When we are amidst one we look forward to the next. The cycle goes on and on earnestly and regularly. The yearly clock of nature never wavers or pulls a long face even in trying conditions. It brings back wholesome equilibrium soon enough. Just imagine our misery if we had wintry conditions the year round. We’d be crazy with boredom. The world will be peopled with intolerance, conflicts and what not. The idea itself is scary.

I salute the utilitarian forces of nature for gifting us happiness, joy and lasting bliss. If there is something amiss, the fault lies with us.

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Here are some images of blooming gulmohars in our area captured during the week!

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RADIANT MORNINGS PROMPT IMAGINATIVE POURINGS

R is for Radiant.

Some remnants recalled of past experience:

You encounter a sanctified world if by chance you wake up early in the morning one fine day. All at once, you realize wistfully the magic you had been missing all the while. The sensuous and eerie silence of the early hour suffused with strange rhythmic otherworldly sounds engulf you into a session of divine reverie. The extraordinary hour resonates with endowments which nature has thoughtfully reserved for us. The tumultuous turmoil of the existential odyssey temporarily goes off the radar of the mind. The privileged moments steeped in uncanny spirituality lifts the self above the drudgery of daily life.

The unseen aura of pious vibes around you in the early mornings does what the unusual flavor of some ancient potion is meant to do i.e. to energize the sagging spirits and inert limbs.

Slowly the mystery of the hour is embellished with the humbling cacophony of invisible avian families starting the day with those enigmatic choruses. Yet they deepen the nuttiness of the special time zone. Your immersion in the piety of the hour is short-lived, though. Soon hypnosis caused by the unique experience is intruded upon by the creepy sounds of the waking world.

The soft blazing hues appear imperceptibly in the east. The sun’s brightly lit chariot is on its way. The strangeness evaporates giving way to sensing the exigencies of another day to be lived with renewed vitality and positivity.

It is well said: "One small positive thought in the morning can change the whole world."

PS. Missed writing posts for two consecutive weeks due to the visit of dear ones.

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OLD IS GOLD

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O is for 'Old is Gold.'

Sorry for posting late. Sometimes it takes a while to zero in on a topic. Yet here I'm:

The proverb “Old is Gold” has always enjoyed a kind of universal endorsement in everyday conversations. Without going into the history of its emergence, it can be safely asserted that it has sustained its significance in subtly enfolding in its rhymed persona some acclaimed truths. It evidently epitomizes the wisdom of centuries propounded by some great soul. Let’s widen our discussion by first trying to understand its meaning.

“Old is Gold” subsumes under its sagacious canopy that old things have priceless value not measured by any prevalent benchmarks. Antique furniture, old artefacts, ancient architecture of famous monuments, old designs and quality of textiles , old friends, strong family bonds and ancient corridors of learning et all are fantastic testimony of our ancestors' fertile imagination, utilitarian outlook, deep intellect, intense creativity, loads of patience and single-minded devotion to explore  every avenue of life.

Taj Mahal at Agra India, a marvel of enchanting beauty.

For example, ancient alternative medicine Ayurveda’s herbal potions with proven medical benefits signify and manifest the glory of the past. There used to be a few ailments, a lot more contentment, and positivity. The hollowness of individualism has not yet crept into the human psyche.

Most of us will agree that our past too was undoubtedly a golden period of new ideas. The scientists and mathematicians of the past grappled with the hypothesis and did intensive experiments and laid the foundations of future researches in specific fields. Their footprints paved the way for unraveling the mysteries of the cosmos. The past intellectuals left a path-breaking legacy that helped the present day researchers to have a foothold rather than start from scratch.

Their visions and painstaking efforts in diverse fields acted as vanguards for modern technological advancements. Our life in the 21^st century is so different from the past still we keep singing paeans of the virtues of good old days.

In some respects, old will be cherished as something very sacred. Simultaneously we realize how much the present day innovative miracles have revolutionized our lives in a manner unimagined even half a century back.

Human life is unique with unlimited possibilities. Man will keep evolving to mind-blowing heights. Yet the continuity of past with the present and future will remain and there will never be an absolute break.

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NATURE’S BRIDAL WEAR

Bottle Brush in bloom.

Spring is nature’s bridal wear and offers an incredible visual feast. Indeed everywhere around you be it parks or flowerbeds maintained by residents or trees lining the roads, spring’s sparkle is unmistakably there. Mesmerizing sights of spring’s freshness overwhelm the responsive onlooker.

Spring’s arrival has finally bid adieu to lingering remnants of winter. People are feeling upbeat and thronging the roads for evening walks in the cool breeze.

Let’s soak spring’s riot of colors till the summer is upon us with its heat waves and scorching sun elevating temperatures to sweaty limits.

Lilies in their prime in my front yard.

A profuse presence of fully rounded marigolds at a religious place.

A richly budding mango tree in our neighborhood. I'm expecting cuckoo's arrival from her secure abode any time now since her visit coincides with the emergence of buds on mango trees.

Curry plant growing outside our boundary wall is donning glistening green leaves once again. I's missing their exotic flavor in my curry, rice pulao, and some other dishes. 

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MONDAY MINDSET

When I’s thinking of an M word, in a flash it occurred to me why not write about Monday itself. Being the first day of the week, it is infused with uncharted seeds of significance

“‘The names of the days of the week were coined in the Roman era in Greek and Latin.” In the case of Monday as “day of the moon.” Wikipedia.

Based on my experiences and observations, Sunday has always been the busiest day- a total workday. However, it is not so with Monday. It is the vanguard of the week. It sets the tone of the week ahead. It is as good as axiomatic to say if you plan your Mondays well your whole week will take care of itself as the most productive one.

Monday is the first born of the week as precious as the first child in a loving family is. Remember the nurturing, which goes into helping the child to grow into a great human being. Similarly, if we schedule our Mondays earnestly, we’d be far ahead of others who resent Mondays as strict taskmasters.

Monday is relaxing in a different way. Your body feels energetic and light simultaneously after Sunday’s ‘me time’ indulgences of pedicure, manicure and a luxurious bath. Your hair shining and bouncy after proper shampooing gives you a dapper and more confident look.

Your wardrobe organized with properly folded and freshly ironed clothes (Sunday’s labor) offers a wide choice for looking smart on Monday wherever you’re heading to.

Whether at home or at your workplace you are highly focused, being yet free from the overload of the coming days.

One is also relatively stress-free on Mondays minus any piled up tasks and ready for challenges.

Monday signifies fresh start with unimaginable possibilities for achieving wonders during the week. It is like a clean slate to write anything upon.

If you love beginnings of every aspect of life, you're bound to acquire self-motivation and achieve fulfillment in whatever you undertake to do.

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“LAUGH AND THE WORLD LAUGHS WITH YOU, WEEP AND YOU WEEP ALONE.”

The above proverb has its origin in Ella Wheeler’s poem ‘SOLITUDE’ (1883). An American novelist STANLEY GORDEN WEST gives a slight variation to it in his novel ‘GROWING AN INCH” by saying “SMILE AND THE WORLD SMILES WITH YOU, CRY AND YOU CRY ALONE.”

Whatsoever!

Our life experiences teach us that people converge around a person who has a cheerful nature and shun the one who is a sob storyteller. When you are having good times people will enjoy your company, laugh at your jokes and even try to flatter you. You would be in great demand in get-togethers if you can narrate humorous incidents or satirize people in subtle ways.

This reminds me of Alexander Pope’s mock-epic poem “THE RAPE OF THE LOCK” which lampoons British aristocracy and high society and the hypocrisies of those days.  Its enjoyable reading makes you chuckle off and on.

Coming back to our theme of people liking your company when your life is in the ascendancy and deserting you in adversity is common indeed. We console ourselves by uttering these oft-quoted clichés like ‘this is the way of the world’ or ‘life is like that’.  Yet it is painful no less to be left alone when facing misfortune or bad times. Such an outlook only reflects our selfishness and insensitivity to sufferings of others. It is, of course, a sad state of human bonding. Is it so fake and fickle? How easily one forgets the fact, that hardships can come about on anybody without notice! Maybe serious introspection to analyze our behavior Vis Vis others in trouble can lead to some changes in our attitude.

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On the other hand, we cannot overlook the established facts that laughter is immensely advantageous to our overall wellbeing. It reduces stress hormones, stabilizes blood pressure, and unlocks the dormancy of our system.

   

                   “He who laughs, lasts!”       Mary Pattibone Poole

Laughter triggers the release of body's natural feel-good chemical endorphins, which results in the creation of optimism in our lives. It boosts our moods and brings enthusiasm and zest for productive living.

A good laugh opens up blood vessels and improves blood flow keeping our cardiovascular system healthy. Thus promoting longevity.

It diffuses tense situations and conflicts and improves relationships. One tends to forget all worrisome situations while surrendering to the act of laughter.

Laughter touches our soul by blowing away all negative emotions.

It is a magical medicine, which is fun, free and forever available.

It exercises the body, burns calories and helps in weight loss.

When we were children, we would laugh in guffaws but as adults, we shy away from laughing even when the situation is funny. Sad indeed!

Let’s indulge in genuine laughter in our daily encounters with life.  This wonderful but short journey of ours is replete with precious hilarious moments too. We have to do it for our mental, emotional and physical wellness.

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