Just thoughts

I opened another can of soda one day And you won’t guess what popped out- Dressed in green, yellow, ochre and gray Jumped out a pixie- round and stout I’ve never seen a frickin’ pixie before, Much less one that is obese But tell me- which pixie lineage from days of yore Could have been obsessed with Mac & Cheese? But this one was, somehow, and so she dove Right into my delicious supper With passion, zeal and gluttonous love She finished it all- that little suker… With the sauce dripping from her spherical body She noticed me- at last- and gave me her hand Her poise was royal, her face all lordy, Aiyoo!- that attitude! I just couldn’t stand! With a cunning smile and and icy heart I backhanded her off the table Destiny has dictated that this is how we part, Dear pixie- beauty of some nightmarish fable The critter wouldn’t give up- she stood up, hurt And saw me with eyes filled with hate I suppose she was gonna apologise, but By now, it was just too late. ...

I am not a spiritual person, and to be franker, I have kind of vowed to be a critic of religion at all costs. But a few days ago, I realized something- I was criticizing something that I didn't know about; for, only when I know about the underlying ideals of something can I form a solid conclusion about it. So, I decided to start with a classic, and after reading, I realized that 'The Alchemist' was just that- a classic about spirituality and philosophy.  I have read two books by Paulo Coelho before, so I thought I had a good idea about what to expect. But this work surpassed the others, in terms of how the intended message of the book was delivered. Each anecdote shared, and each message related is worth remembering. The ideas put forward by the author about destiny- the fact that we live only for our destiny, and wandering away makes a meaningless life- make one wonder what one's really doing. I now want to explore more about philosophy; it sounds fun, something that ...

  When writing hits home It’s a gaping gap between nonfiction- the world of boring words and self-help- and me- a person who is almost addicted to the juicy world of fiction. And I had been commanded to traverse this chasm, by sitting through a memoir with a minimalist cover, which carries the melodramatic name “When Breath Becomes Air”, written by Dr. Paul Kalanithi. And now I’m thankful I undertook this journey, for, this book surpassed anything I’ve ever read. I made no effort to sit through it. I was pulled into its vortex the moment I started reading.  The book has been written by a dying man- and nothing, in my opinion, can ever match his precious words. Dr. Paul seamlessly juggles with life and death, as if they were child’s play. He makes the process of getting diagnosed with a terminal illness sound sad - and not depressing. He repeatedly reiterates that that is what life is- it has to end someday. What I really loved about his book is that he very efficiently m...

            I am at a loss for words; the book was a whole new experience in itself. I have never seen the state of the German society during the tyrannical Nazi rule captured in such detail in a literary work. This is a must-read for those who want to live through the terror of Hitler’s time-the way the author narrates the story induces the characters’ fears in the reader’s heart directly. The story makes us wonder, at one point, what drives the antagonists to perform such vile acts against fellow humans. It wasn’t only the Jews- communists, workers, shirkers, commoners- virtually anyone who was not a party member.           It was a really insightful read, and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

  My experiences with money As a child, I never truly understood what money meant in the context of society or family. For me, money was something we bought things with- a ubiquitous resource, easily acquired. This basic understanding (or lack of understanding) stuck with me for quite some time.  My parents did attempt to make me understand that money was more than just that. The first face of money they wanted me to see is that it’s worth a day’s work and toil, and not something that grew on trees.  By being strong in their refusal to buy me the things I wanted, unless they felt that they were really necessary, my parents successfully instilled in me the quality to think twice before spending money on something. After a few years, I learnt to consider the available options myself, before asking my parents to buy them for me.  I have always felt that minimalism is the way to go for future citizens of the world- arguably a solution for, at least something which hind...