A Few Words of Thanks Everyone for Sticking Around!

So, brought in new year with hope, love and peace. 

Came home after visiting sister and parents (respectively) - braving the late evening freeze. Had tons of tea with people who dropped in at my place all day (rarity) and decided to spend some quality time by watching a nice film to bring the new year in. Zeroed in on 'Pride and Prejudice' (continuation of my Jane Austen marathon from last night) and 'Jodha Akbar'.

Reflected that I wanted a secular and strong leader, in the very near future, who cared for his people as much as he cared to turn his arranged marriage into a love story and was glued to the telly for three straight hours as the semi-fictitious account of a royal love story unfolded. In the end, I wished for an Akbar to come to our rescue with his kind heart, secular spirit, just attitude and steer us out of the mess our spineless leaders have helped create. I know I'll be called a heretic at this point but, I'm OK for paying this small price for peace and prosperity that I wish to you all in the new year. It can only come true in a stable political scenario.

Finally, ushered in the new year by praying for peace and happiness for friends, family and those loved ones who are now with God in heaven. Meditated for 15 minutes - bliss!

Ma literally rang in the new year to wish and bless and I decided to finally sign off by thanking everyone of you for being around, supporting and smiling indulgently at all my mad declarations and secular/inspirational rants.

Though I lost two 'freinds' this year who 'un-friend-ed' me after some very public fights on Facebook walls and decided to stop being my 'friends' even in the real world but, that only makes me believe that social networking has finally allowed me to get rid of people from my life who were my 'friends' for some highly misplaced reasons (no idea what they are and don't care!)

The year (2012) itself has been immensely inspiring and cathartic. Have made many friends in both the real and virtual world and each one has brought in fresh perspectives, support and happiness with them. This was also an year of self-analysis and I learnt a lot about myself.

Finally, I wish the national solidarity that we saw in the last fortnight had been for reasons that were not so tragic and I also wish that now that the candles have been lit and parties given a go-by we are able to together make the world a happier, safer place for each other and for our children.

Love and peace everyone. Have a great and happy new 2013!

PS: And finally, on a very Happy note - Mr Honey Singh with his dirty lyrics and shitty music has been cowered into submission by a very irritated and angry mob and was forced to flee. Long live this spirit of righteousness - Power to People!

Looking forward to a Grand Finale

As the year draws towards a grand finale I realized that it has been almost an year that I have been working on my own from home. There were enough skeptics to the idea and I was and still am the greatest of them all. But, it helped me achieve two very important goals in life.

The first and one that was always the greatest dream for me, to tell stories - I wrote - almost like a woman possessed.  Today, I am on the verge of finishing my very first novel amid lots of doubts, speculations and yes many, many, many writer's blocks. I also wrote several short stories and got back in touch with the poet in me. I may not have entered anything for competition nor did I sign the contract that was offered by a publishing house for the book (since I was stuck with a block and also full of foolish doubts) but, I know it has been a great achievement (with a lot of egging by family and friends who have tried everything from being nice and encouraging to being downright rude when I stopped work on the novel) but, what a feat it has been!

The second achievement that this year bestowed upon me was something I never thought myself capable of because I have a mind that wanders all over the place refusing to sit still. So, when today I realize that I CAN sit still in one place and meditate for more than one hour everyday. I feel like I'm the champion of this world.

So, as the year draws to a close I think I am better off in comparison to what I was this time last year, because, I am much more relaxed, I smile lots and have time for all those who need me. I also listen to a lot of good music, read books by known as well as unknown writers, watch movies that I would never have had time to watch earlier, appreciate good art, go for walks and have great discussions with my ma and loads of fun with my dad like I would when we were both young - me a kid and he a youth.

Technically, I may not be rich in terms of a bank balance but, I realized that what I got back is something that I never thought I'd get back ever - my innocence in appreciating whatever is around me, the morning Sun, the dew drops on leaves, the smile of children and strangers and most of all a strong faith that tells me that everything will be all right!
I hope and wish fervently that everyone else gets it too. In my series of realizations, here's something that I realized yesterday. Take some time out and think about it without allowing cynicism pollute your thoughts after all, this is a theory backed by science.

"E = mc2 says mass cannot be either created or destroyed only changed into energy. In that case, I am a part of the same mass that started off the universe and so are you. Which means you and I are interchangeable with the billions of others (known and unknown, living or non-living) who are a part of the universe. Which means all of us contain the same atoms that was once a part of the Gods and messiahs who roamed Earth. Which means I have the same power that built the universe. Then, why does this knowledge make me feel humble not proud?"

Love and light,
Shoma

An old sadhu does Surya Namaskar at the Pushkar Lake unpreturbed by the fact that I was clicking his picture. Mark of a Yogi?