Author: Shivaram Kumar
What happened to Jack?
There are many “good old days” that I do not miss. Like sitting in a class in primary (elementary and middle) and secondary school (9th & 10th grade). I can count the classes I enjoyed with one hand – 9th & 10th grade English, Math and Physics. Only because the teachers seemed to care and knew how to mix some fun into the process. I have never particularly cared for a daily repetitive routine that feels like a rut, be it school or a job. I was christened “junglee” on the first day of pre-school (nursery) by the teacher in response to my ferocious protests to being carried into a class by force by a concerned mother and aunt. As a side note, the English word jungle comes from the Hindi word jangal which has a Sanskrit origin. A junglee would be an anglicized Hindi version of belonging to the jungle as in Tarzan,… Continue Reading →
Early Serendipity
In 1971, India was at war with Pakistan. Ours was a simple community of middle class South Indians. Generally it is said that South Indians make good tenants even in the other parts of India because they are generally bovine, and had the reputation of paying their rents on time. One night the armed forces of India sent out tracers into the sky- bright bursts of light to detect enemy aircraft. “Black out” had been mandated in our area- no lights were allowed and all windows had been sealed with thick paper to prevent any light from escaping. Someone in our community decided that the tracers were bombs, even though they were clearly traveling in the opposite direction. Basically controlled frenzy set in, and everyone started to pray in loud whispers, simultaneously an expression of panic and a reassurance to one another that God had us covered. Whoever made the effort to sound confident owned the credibility of the moment…. Continue Reading →
There is always a Silver Lining
I grew up in a building named “Tilakwadi” in Chembur, Mumbai. There was a huge quadrangle with a building on each of three sides, and the fourth was open to the street. This was the the heart of the community, cricket and soccer ground, community theater at night (Chakyar Koothu), cultural activities, seven stones (Lagori) venue, Diwali & Holi celebration space and a hot spot for a score of other activities.
I missed a lot of the late afternoon action during the week because I was the only one on the afternoon school shift in the building. The rest of them went to OLPS, Saraswathi Vidyalaya and SIES. I was the only one in GEA- the only school that let me start 1st grade a year early. As I reached home in the evening, dragging my school bag and water bottle,… Continue Reading →
Attitude, Gratitude and other freebies
“Free Stuff” usually has a cheap connotation. However, the most important things in life do not cost any money. Like love, forgiveness, gratitude, positive attitude, dreams.
Waking up grateful each day with a happy attitude does not cost anything. I believe that gratitude is a perfect foundation for great expectations. We are grateful about – Health (emotional, spiritual, relational, physical, financial), Peace of mind, family & friends, joy & laughter, dreams and goals). Then we find specific things to be grateful for each day. For instance, today I am grateful to Shekar Raman, who suggested a name for this website- “My Words My Life”. The “.com” url was unavailable, and this led me into a quest for names, and I ended up with “My Words My World” and I quite like the alliteration. Very grateful for that…. Continue Reading →