Everyone deserves a Smile. Cause one Today!

Smiling is contagious,

you catch it like the flu,

When someone smiled at me today,

I started smiling too.

I passed around the corner,

and someone saw my grin,

When he smiled I realized,

I'd passed it on to him.

I thought about that smile,

then I realized its worth,

A single smile, just like mine,

could travel round the earth.

So, if you feel a smile begin,

don't leave it undetected,

Let's start an epidemic quick

and get the world infected!!!
- - -

This post is for those unlucky people who are out there 'just living their life everyday' or I can say, 'waiting for the death to touch them'. It sounds loud, but the reality is even louder.

Every day when we walk out on the road, running step by step with everyone...somewhere 'besides' the crowd is one of those people waiting for others to feed. There is one such kid trying to attract people by hitting the ground with one hand and raising the other for someone to fill. There is one such person with missing limbs lying on the ground and calling people by shivering his body continuously. There is one mother with her toddler on the lap trying to collect enough money for eating so that she can breastfeed. People call them 'The Beggars'. I dissent. Can we better call them "The Needies"?

We shall be thankful to god for blessing us with at least that much so that we can keep ourselves up & running. We shall be happy that we have a family and we can support it. We shall be happy that at the end of the day when we go to the bed our stomachs are full. We shall be thankful that we don't worry every night 'bout how will we stand the next day without any food in reserve, without a shelter on the head and without any cloths on the body. We are heavenly blessed.

But then there are people who are not blessed the same way. They are under-privileged and most of the time ill behaved too. It's a phenomenon that at times when there is one needy person on our doors we tend to close it with force, yelling at the needy not to come again as if s/he committed a big crime by knocking. When there is someone tapping on our car window, we pretend not to give any attention and wishing him/her to move away. When there is a fund raising for the needies/the-flood-affected/the-natural-calamity-affected we alibi for running low on finances. Who is asking you your entire fortune? All that is expected from you is a small help, a very nominal help; and for the needies...it can make their day!

Can't we stop smoking for a day and use the same for someone's meal for a day? Can't we spend a lil less on tobacco for someone's warmth in the winter? Can't we skip a cup of coffee in a swish cafe just to stop someone from crying out of starvation? And then when there is a celebrity show, when there is a cricket/tennis/football match, when there is a cozy late night dance party we don't give a damn to think twice before nodding, "Count me In, I am all game!". I understand it's important for you too, I understand you want to live & enjoy your life, you have full right too...but what's the harm if you can make someone at least live, let alone enjoy, few moments?

If every one of us starts helping the needies in one's own possible way, we can make world a better place to live. Start with "Help 1 person every day" routine and you will see the difference. Not just that the one you helped will bless you or will make your day with his/her smile every time you pass by but you yourself will feel proud the entire day. Just give a try, I am sure you will feel good. We can spend a hundred bucks for just 2-3 hours of pleasure by going to movies; can't we spend just a couple of bucks for a day long pleasant feeling also?

And remember, Helping is not only in the form of money. There are people who need love & affection more than money. Because this will make them feel valued, make them feel proud. You can help them heal their miseries by being a bandage sometimes.

Merriam-Webster defines 'Needy' as:

1 : being in want : poverty-stricken

2 : marked by want of affection, attention, or emotional support

Hope you can understand that need comes in various ways, forms & volumes.

Don't we see so many small children wandering on the street everyday? What do you think the future has for them? No education, not enough cloths on the body, half eaten and full starving, wounded & beaten. Can't you just help one?

And you don't need to ask "All is fine, but how do I start with?". You don't need to ask anyone how to help others. If you want you can start with the routine: "The first needy person I see every day, I will help him/her in any way I can." Isn't that easy? And if you want to be a part of a larger group who does that, there are many NGOs you can get attached to.

I am also in a lil touch (though virtually, not physically) with one such NGO called "Neev". They are mostly into helping the little children in and around Kokata. They prefer calling the children "Flowers", ain’t it true? And then there is another one I was talking to, it's named "Janhit Foundation". They are into Child helpline, Water Conservation, Water quality maintenance, sustainable agriculture, violation of human rights, environmental education, etc.

I know the images above are heart paining and they will continue to be such until we start willing to make a change, in one’s small way. And if we do, the world will smile together, see:

Everyone loves to be loved and needs to be needed. How True!

So, What are you waiting for, won't you like to cause a smile today?

A Martyr Dies in The Ear - The Epilogue

This continues my last post A Martyr Dies in The Ear.

Lacy was alive!

Yes. Last night as I was trying the home made therapies, things changed. I had poured some Mustard oil and after 2 hours of it tried with an ear bud to see if I can drag her dead body (as perceived). But I couldn’t. The ear was paining so much that I could not try more. The ear felt sick. I got strained. I thought, "Why me"? I was getting tensed.

Then I warmed a bucket full of water. Once it was lukewarm hot, I got up my place with a lil heavy heart, water bucket in my hand. Felt like I am going for a war and the bucket in my hand is the only ammunition I have to fight the enemies with. I held the faith that things will improve. But how can it? I wasn’t an ENT myself!

I took a mug full of water, tilt my head left and started to pour slowly. My heart was praying. I continued. I heard a ripple. Voila! I couldn’t believe my eyes. She dropped into the bucket and she was Alive. Was she?

For a second I thought that it’s some other fly, I looked around; there was nothing else but silence. I don’t have such insects at my place. Even when this incident happened last night, I was at one of my relative’s place.

I was sitting there, as one dumbfounded person, thinking of the stupidity of taking this carelessly. What if she was an insect with stings? What if she had bit me? What if she had crawled into my brain via my ear drums? What if she had multiplied herself? Phew! All the scary feelings came in a fraction of second and I was all wide eyes, frozen.

Lacy was fluttering her wings in the bucket, trying to come out. She couldn’t fly, she was inept. I tried to take her out on my finger. I could. There she was, resting on my finger silently. She wasn’t moving. I whispered to her, “Hello there! Can you hear me?” No one replied. I tried to shake her gently, she was unmoved. She had died, for the second time. And this time it was for sure.

For few seconds I thanked God to keep one innocent creature alive. Though, I was more worried seeing her alive than what I was when she was there dancing in my ears. May be she was so handicapped by the warm water the other night that she lost the energy to move, let alone dance. She was scared, she didn’t move for almost 18 hours. At 11pm last night she could come out. Thanks to me, thanks to the old age therapies and thanks to Google. May be she knew that she is going to die, and this was her one last wish before death…wish to see the world with her eyes for the last time. And as soon as her wish was met, she died in peace. God bless her soul, she was a real fighter, a Martyr indeed.

And then I could sleep well last night. One sound sleep after such a long time!

I am all happy ears, once again! :)

A Martyr Dies in The Ear

That was an awry feeling. And it is leaving me in a big dizzy. The picture below describes the incident well, though it’s a lil exaggerated than what actually happened.

(It’s one Scary feeling, and it's NOT a Dream)

"A Martyr Dies in The Ear"

The Plot:

Dinner under electric lights, few insects and Me.

The Story:

Last night I, Ro, was having dinner around 8pm under the electric lights. As it’s Diwali time, lots of flying insects are all around. Everything was normal. Suddenly! Alas! I felt something entering into my ear. As I could make out, I knew it was one tiny insect entering inside my right ear. I don’t know what the breed is, but it was some sort of small lacewings (a.k.a. Lacy). I poked my ears with my finger for a while (the normal reaction one has in such situations). And it was NOT another dream.

A minute of jabbing and then there was silence & peace. I was relieved. It felt as if the cool breeze (out of fan) is flowing in the air and touching my ears with soft pleasant sounds, it felt musical.

4am today, I woke up feeling that someone is dancing on my ear drums. It was a hell of a feeling. I recalled it’s Lacy, she lost her way and got inside my ear last night. And see her bravery; she was silent for almost 8 hours, One true idol of Patience. But then she must have rested enough and wanted to come out, so she struggled her way out and in doing so she woke me up. I was worried. It was almost like having a monster inside. I tilted my head to the right and shook hard. She got feared of her life. She started to move even faster. I could feel each and every millimeter she was walking inside my ear.

By 4:10 I had tried enough. I immediately thought of calling one Doctor friend of mine, but she is out of India these days. She is my all time physician, first hand. Didn’t want to call my home and cause panic so resisted that too. I took a deep breath. Took another. The insect moved faster. Staying alone away from family leaves you in such situations where you are clueless. I was one such. But being an IT professional saves you...I Googled. (do not laugh, because she is a darling which is 24*7 for me and she saves me aplenty).

15-20 mins of reading; at the same time trying to drill the ear with ear bud; and at the same time wishing & praying that nothing goes wrong. Lots of thought hit my mind in such a small time. I felt like an airplane is running inside my ear. I was calm. I remember from the old days when I was with family that whenever there is trouble with your ear, you drop some Mustard oil and in a while you will be relieved. That works 100%. But being alone, not cooking at your place, even that option was void for me. Nothing left, I tried something else what Google suggested. I got some lukewarm water, fed it to my ears with a spoon. 1, 2, 3 spoons of water and then I decided to stop. The dance stopped too but I could not sleep again.

She died. I felt sorry for her. Because it wasn’t her mistake. But then that’s life, a bug’s life. We both suffered for some time. And I being the stronger breed came out alive but not her. God bless her soul.

The misery isn’t over yet! She is still lying dead inside my ears. And that’s bad for both. Her, who can’t be cremated and me who is fearful of an infection. And then there is my mind, which is feared the most. It was Anny twice and now it’s Lacy. Why are bugs behind me?

I being the software developer ‘plant’ bugs in the software I make, like all other coders do, unintentionally. And yes our bugs give nightmares too. But then we fix (read kill) them asap. So, is it that the bugs are taking revenge? Or are they normal; it's just we who come in their way everynow and then. Phew! Whatever it may be, I think I am already suffering Entomophobia.

(A person suffering Entomophobia)

Now, when I have got myself some ear drops and some mustard oil. I can hope for a relief. Before writing this post I just poured few drops of the latter (I trust the old age home therapy in this case). Hoping that by the time I finish this post I can try to dig my ears once more softly and take out the weaker victim. Then some warm water therapy, if needed. Else it will be time for SOS for me.

(Home Therapy for ear troubles)

Suggestions for those who suffer insects in ears (god forbids):

• Do Not poke your ears with any objects, not even ear buds as it can cause the insect to push deeper making it even harder to come out (and survive too). It can even cause damage to middle ear or eardrums. Remember, your ears are one very very sensitive part of body.


• Tilt your head to the side and gently shake, Do Not hit.


• If you feel the insect is alive and doesn’t come out by shaking, pour a small amount of vegetable oil (few suggest paraffin oil too, not sure). This will suffocate the insect to cause death (one warrior goes martyr).


• If you feel that the insect is dead, pour a small amount of warm water to flush it out.


• Still If nothing helps, it’s time for SOS. Contact your physician, preferably an ENT specialist, immediately.

(Poking can be really harmful. Do NOT.)

I know I know you want to yell at me, “Go to an ENT now!” But, that’s another part of story :)

(The ENT specialist…jokes apart, DO Consult them when needed)

Wishing you insects free days & nights.

But Picture abhi baki hai mere dost (the movie isn't over yet!). Read what happened next at: A Martyr Dies in The Ear - The Epilogue

Who Drafts My Dreams?

Watch out a missile is heading our way. Phew!
You all….get behind me, let me fight the terrorists!
Oh I lost one leg, still I can kick them flying in the air!
Aliens. OMG! They are attacking with lasers. Do a thing, you all go to the nearby lane, lemme fight them down!
Seems like police is coming, do you hear the siren?
Or is it ambulance? Do you hear the siren?

Oops, it’s not police it’s not ambulance either….. It’s the sound of my alarm bell, In Real. Ro, wake up!!!

These are few of my dreams, dreams which we all see. But to me, in every 3/10 dreams, I am playing a Super Hero. Do I look like? Or do I feel like? Ahem, mysterious dreams.

We all see dreams and we all forget them. Yes if we believe the studies and we recollect our experiences, we forget almost 9/10 dreams. And the ones we are able to remember leave us in a dizzy that why did we see those?

There are so many times when we can relate a particular dream to things seen/read/spoken during the day. But what ‘bout those which are from nowhere, see these Alien ones. I see them very often.

It’s hard to say clearly why we dream and most importantly WHO story-lines our dreams. But whoever s/he is…is an interesting story writer. The creativity, something beyond anyone’s imagination, the twist & turns, the association with recent happenings or the link with the unfulfilled desires…all are beyond comprehension. And the best part is the ability to adapt with the things happening in real time around you. How many times have you felt that what you are seeing in your dream, something similar is happening ‘at that moment’? Does it happen to you too that a ringing door-bell/cellphone/alarm-bell nearby gets converted into a siren in the ongoing dream OR a yell from your parents for waking up gets exchanged with someone calling your name in your dreams OR a mosquito biting you in reality is substituted with a wild animal tearing your body? I wonder how…but it happens, happens with all. At least to me.

There are many theories based on dreams; scientists have done lots of researches but I am afraid none seems 100% acceptable to me. Few say it’s a chance to do those things which we are not able to do in our day to day life, few say it gives us more time to think ‘bout something, and few say it’s outright useless. Whatever it may be, it’s interesting. Very interesting.

If I can quote what I have read recently…it say that five minutes after the end of a dream, we have forgotten 50 percent of the dream's content. Ten minutes later, we've forgotten 90 percent of its content. And I can tell you it’s true. So what’s the best way to remember dreams, if only you want to? One of my friends says, she keeps a pen-paper near to her bed and whenever she wakes off her sleep, she immediately notes down the dreams. And yes it DOES help, because I tried and I do it many times now. I already have few dreams of mine noted. And whenever I read those, I can’t help smile because they are at the meridian of creativity. Hats off to the creator!

You also wish if you could remember your dreams too right? No issues, give a try. If you would like to remember your dreams you can try the above approach. Yes it sounds a lil troublesome to hear but the result is very pleasing. You will enjoy each and every of your dreams, only if you value them. Though to me this has proved to be ‘the best’ solution to recall dreams, there are few more as below:

How to Improve Your Dream Recall

• When you go to bed, tell yourself you will remember your dreams. It is found that thinking about dreams before you fell asleep actually makes you remember having them.
• Set your alarm to go off every hour and half so you'll wake up around the times when you're most likely to remember your dreams.
• Drink a lot of water before you go to bed to ensure you have to wake up at least once in the middle of the night! – I know you are smiling b’coz this is really Funny! ;)
• Keep a pad and pencil next to your bed. – I told you this already, it works.
  
• Try to wake up slowly to remain within the "mood" of your last dream. - slow motion waking up with adda :)
  

Few facts ‘bout dreams, worth mentioning:

• Most dreams last anywhere from five to 20 minutes.
• People don't only dream in black and white, as was once believed.
• Even though they may not remember them, everyone dreams several times a night. In fact, during a typical lifetime, we spend about six years dreaming.
• People who have been blind from birth have dreams that are formed from their other senses (e.g., touch, smell, sound). - this is interesting.
  
• When people are snoring, they're not dreaming. - this is even more interesting, b'coz you can safely wake up your snoring hubby without worrying of the yelling, "you broke my dream!" ;)
  

Interesting facts, indeed! And this post will be incomplete if it doesn’t talk of the meanings of dreams. Yes, your dreams can be interpreted. Same as few people interpret moles on body or a a lizard falling on your belly. You may call these superstitions but its true that "it's superstition till it happens to you."

Common Dreams and Their Interpretations [NOT mine ;)] – Interesting, very interesting

• Being naked in public
  Most of us have had the dream at some point that we're at school, work or some social event, and we suddenly realize we forgot to put on clothes or are in minimum clothing! (I do see this sometimes…eesssh) Experts say this means:
  
  • We're trying to hide something (and without clothes we have a hard time doing that).
  • We're not prepared for something, like a presentation or test (and now everyone is going to know -- we're exposed!).
  
  
  
  
  
  If we're naked but no one notices, then the interpretation is that whatever we're afraid of is unfounded. If we don't care that we're naked, the interpretation is that we're comfortable with who we are.
  
  
  • Falling
    You're falling, falling, falling... and then you wake up. This is a very common dream and is said to symbolize insecurities and anxiety. Something in your life is essentially out of control and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Another interpretation is that you have a sense of failure about something. Maybe you're not doing well in school or at work and are afraid you're going to be fired or expelled. Again, you feel that you can't control the situation.
  
  
  • Being chased
    The ever-popular chase dream can be extremely frightening. What it usually symbolizes is that you're running away from your problems. What that problem is depends on who is chasing you. It may be a problem at work, or it may be something about yourself that you know is destructive.
  
  
  • Taking an exam (or forgetting that you have one)
    This is another very common dream. You suddenly realize you are supposed to be taking an exam at that very moment. You might be running through the hallways and can't find the classroom. This type of dream can have several variations that have similar meanings. (Maybe your pen won't write, so you can't finish writing your answers.) What experts say this may mean is that you're being scrutinized about something or feel you're being tested -- maybe you're facing a challenge you don't think you're up to. You don't feel prepared or able to hold up to the scrutiny. It may also mean there is something you've neglected that you know needs your attention.
  
  
  
  • Flying
    Many flying dreams are the result of lucid dreaming. Not all flying dreams are, however. Typically, dreaming that you are flying means you are on top of things. You are in control of the things that matter to you. Or, maybe you've just gained a new perspective on things. It may also mean you are strong willed and feel like no one and nothing can defeat you. If you are having problems maintaining your flight, someone or something may be standing in the way of you having control. If you are afraid while flying, you may have challenges that you don't feel up to.
  
  
  • Running, but going nowhere
    This theme can also be part of the chasing dream. You're trying to run, but either your legs won't move or you simply aren't going anywhere -- as if you were on a treadmill. According to some, this dream means you have too much on your plate. You're trying to do too many things at once and can't catch up or ever get ahead.
  
  
  • Your teeth falling out
    Many people have dreams that they lose all of their teeth. In this dream, they may feel something strange in their mouth and then spit teeth into their hand, eventually losing all of their teeth. According to some, our teeth are related to our sense of power and our ability to communicate. Losing our teeth not only makes us embarrassed by our appearance, which hinders our communications, but it also lessens our power because we may not speak our minds. It's also associated with feelings about our appearance.
    
    
  • You Die in your dreams
    Yes, it is possible to experience death in your dreams. Dreams of death often occur as a result of great stress caused by relationships, school, career changes, depression or by the approach of death itself. Death in dreams may also be viewed as a metaphor - as a new beginning or a time of renewal.
    
  
  
  
  There are few dreams that one sees many times repeatedly. And then we start getting a lil curious to find out why this one again? If you have read the above interpretations, you can understand that it’s also linked to your mental state, something which is running in your mind for a long time. Take my example, as I said I do find myself half naked in the dreams and as soon as I realize I start running to my home….which I never see reaching. I also find myself with slippers/shoes inside the holy temple and I immediate take them off making sure no one noticed it. And then these Superhero ones…..God, this gives me jitters!

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, which I just read, says “Dreams are the language of God.” No point arguing on this as I am clueless ‘bout the Author of my dreams. But if it is God then does he want me to be a Super Hero, huh? I remember the Super-Hero-ship, or I better call it the feeling of being a Savior, was deep inside me few years back. There was a time when I used to feel that I am gonna solve all the problems you have and that you was everyone I was interacting with. But then I gave it up, thankfully. I realized that I am a normal human, not a super hero who can fly in the air and kill the bad people, one who will do a magic to get you what you want, one who will solve your personal problems, one who will help you get over all your weakness. Stupid me! I realized and I am relieved. Because I can do it to one, but I can’t do it to all. I don’t want to.

Wikipedia describes Dreams as:
Dreams are sequence images, sounds and feelings experienced while sleeping, particularly strongly associated with rapid eye movement sleep. The contents and biological purposes of dreams are not fully understood, though they have been a topic of speculation and interest throughout recorded history.

Whatever dreams are they are worth seeing. And if you would like to know more ‘bout dreams & their mysteries you better take Oneirology.


So, what do you think who is the author of your dreams? Is it your wild-yet-philosophical-though-sometimes-worried-sometimes-excited-mind or is it God talking to you in his language? And what do you dream 'bout?

Happy Dreaming, yeasty yeasty!