Thinkingcap

Life's battles don't always go To the stronger or faster man, But soon or late the man who wins... Is the man who thinks HE CAN!!!

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

BLAME GAME



Sandhya was thrilled. Finally she had met the man of her dreams! Ramesh was the knight she was waiting for. His talk was so mature. He seemed very sensitive & understanding. His SMILE- charming. She was on cloud nine. Life was giving her a second chance & how!

Ramesh too was happy. Sandhya was very simple. A gold medallist and she had no airs about herself! His requirement was a companion & she agreed. Life couldn't have been kinder he thought.

Ramesh and Sandhya were to get married soon. Sandhya's parents were thrilled because it was over 4 years that Sandhya was out of a torture called marriage & they had given up hopes of getting her married again. Ramesh was God sent is all they kept saying. Ramesh had even told them the wedding needs to be very simple & in a temple.

The day of the marriage arrived. Sandhya blushed & was glowing like a typical bride, while Ramesh was all smiles & happy. In fact he gifted the bride a diamond set & it made Sandhya dazzle. Everyone was happy.

After marriage Sandhya went to Delhi where Ramesh had set up his home. There was a cook who got everything ready for them & all Sandhya did was RELAX & visit relatives.

A few months later, Sandhya visited the house of a friend of Ramesh. It was a dinner hosted by the friend for the newly weds. Sandhya looked beautiful. She met up the daughter of the host- Valli & the two got along very well. Valli and Sandhya were of the same age. After talking to Sandhya there was only one thing, which puzzled Valli. She was curious to know how and why Sandhya had agreed to marry Ramesh. Ramesh and Sandhya had an age gap of over 19 years. Wasn't that too much? For someone educated and mature like Sandhya wasn't this a folly? That too when it was a second marriage for both! Valli however did not venture to ask the question.

Through the course of the conversation though Valli got the reply to her question when Sandhya remarked, "You know life is a lot different when the age gap between the husband and wife is more than 19years. Valli did not want to be judgmental, as she did not understand the undertone of the statement. The dinner however was the bonding point between Sandhya & Valli. They continued to keep in touch.

Soon Ramesh was also subject of discussion. Sandhya once burst into tears saying that she regretted her decision to marry Ramesh. He is so different from the Ramesh who met her at least four times before marriage. She said her mother thought so too. Ramesh was a disciplined man and had a routine of going for golf. Sandhya was always a late riser.

He wanted her to change. When Sandhya wanted to hold his hand in public he thought that it was being childish.

When Sandhya was visiting her relatives he sent her the car & the driver, promising to pick her up in the evening but always the driver was sent. Ramesh would be at home when Sandhya reached. He could have gone but just didn't want to. He somehow did not want to bond with her people. This seemed odd to Sandhya. She tried to tell him many a time but he never listened.

The cook had been sent off & Sandhya had started cooking. On days like this however Sandhya would be too upset to cook. This irritated Ramesh. They argued many a time about small things. When Sandhya visited her native place, Ramesh felt her visits were getting too frequent. The last straw however was a family get together in Sandhya's ancestral home. Sandhya was excited. It was a special occasion too for an old temple of their family deity was being renovated & the whole family close & distant had all decided to meet. Sandhya was all set when Ramesh said he wouldn't go along. Sandhya spoke to Valli for the last time that day as Valli was going back to Mumbai. Valli had called up to say bye to Sandhya & casually while talking Sandhya said that she would be going to her native place. Valli asked her when she would return, when Sandhya said, "I'm coming back only if Ramesh comes to pick me up." A few months later, Valli heard that Sandhya & Ramesh had filed for a divorce!

It was hardly three months since their marriage. Who is to blame? Mature individuals they knew what they were getting into. Was this wedding necessary at all? Ironically though, Sandhya was a gold medallist in psychology! Life after marriage calls for a lot of understanding. Age is not the only factor that determines the success of a marriage. Adjustments, understanding, mutual trust, respect and little compromises go a long way in helping to keep a marriage intact. The effort however should be on both sides. Otherwise it only ends up as a blame game with no one ready to own responsibility.

IS IT WORTH THE MENTAL TRAUMA? DEFINITELY NO!

Sunday, November 27, 2005

Each one of us has a Unique Flaw



A water bearer in China had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the House, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of it's own imperfection. And miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you. I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw. So I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house?

Moral: Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.

Remember to appreciate all the different people in your life. Each one of them can leave an impact if we are able to see their uniqueness

Each one of us has a unique flaw.

Thursday, November 24, 2005

GUESS!!



A little old couple walked slowly into a McDonalds one cold winter evening. They looked out of place amid the young families and young couples eating there that night. Some of the customers looked admiringly at them.

You could tell what the admirers were thinking."Look, there is a couple who has been through a lot together, probably for 60 years or more!"

The little old man walked up to the cash register,placed his order with no hesitation and then paid for their meal. The couple took a table near the back wall and started taking food off of the tray. There was one hamburger, one order of
French fries and one drink.

The little old man unwrapped the plain hamburger and carefully cut it in half. He placed one half in front of his wife. Then he carefully counted out the French fries, divided them in two piles and neatly placed one pile in front of his wife.
He took a sip of the drink, and then his wife took a sip as the man began to eat his few bites. Again, you could tell what people around the old couple were thinking. "That poor old couple."

As the old man began eating his French fires, a young man stood up and walked to the old couples' table. He politely offeredto buy another meal. The old man replied that they were just fine. They were used to sharing everything.Then the crowd noticed that the little old lady still hadn't eaten a thing She just sat there watching her husband eat and occasionally sipped some of the drink.

Again, the young man came over and begged them to let him buy them another meal. This time, the lady explained that no, they were used to sharing.

As the little old man finished eating and was wiping his face neatly with a napkin, the young man could stand it no longer and asked again.After being politely refused again, he finally asked the little old lady, "Ma'am, why aren't you eating. You said that you share everything.What is it that you are waiting for?"

CAN YOU GUESS WHAT SHE WAS WAITING FOR?

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

TOO LATE!!??

A woman awakes during the night to find that her husband was not in bed.

She puts on her robe and goes downstairs to look for him. She finds him sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in front of him. He appears to be in deep thought, just staring at the wall. She watches as he wipes a tear from his eye and takes a sip of his coffee.

"What's the matter, dear?" she whispers as she steps into the room. "Why are you down here at this time of night?"

The husband looks up from his coffee, "Do you remember 20 years ago when we were dating, and you were only 18?" he asks solemnly.

"Yes I do" she replies The husband pauses; the words were not coming easily.

"Do you remember when your father caught us in the back seat of my car"

"Yes, I remember" said the wife, lowering herself into a chair beside him.

The husband continued.. "Do you remember ! when he shoved the shotgun in my face and said, 'Either you marry my daughter, or I'll send you to jail for 20 years?"

"I remember that too" she replied softly

He wiped another tear from his cheek and said, "I would have been released today".

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

TRUE LOVE??


Jeff Green is a 32 year old American, in Arizona, whose wife passed
away.Due to the grief he suffered at her death, he did something totally out
of character for a normal and sane person.

He said, "I could no longer take the pain that my wife's death caused me
and so I brought her back home." His wife, Lucy, was born with a heart condition that cut her life short at the young age of 29. Lucy's last words to Jeff were, "We will meet again in heaven.", but these words were of no consolation in Jeff's despair.

At the funeral, in an act of desperation, Jeff decided that he would not
let Lucy leave him."I called the cemetery caretaker and explained my feelings." he said later,"I spoke with the authorities and got special permission to take my wife
home with me. They thought it strange, but I was allowed to take her
with me. I'd rather have her at home than six feet under ground. Lucy had a
great sense of humour and I'm sure she would appreciate being my coffee
table."

Jeff ordered a special hermetically sealed glass case that eliminates
the decomposition of a dead body. "It cost me about $6,000.00, but it was
worth it."

Some of his friends and relatives, filled with fear, stopped visiting
him, but his true friends respected his decision and continue coming over.

"Some even comment that it makes a nice piece of furniture."

An after thought, in the process of wanting to show his love for her , has he reduced her to merely a piece of furniture?"

GUESS!




Any guesses who these kids are today?

Friday, November 18, 2005

LIFE'S BEST MOMENTS


To fall in love.

To laugh until it hurts your stomach.

To go to bed and to listen while it rains outside.

To clear your last exam.

To receive a call from someone, you don't see a lot, but you want to.

A good conversation with a sweet person.

To laugh at yourself looking at mirror, making faces.:)))

Calls at midnight that last for hours.:))

To laugh without a reason.

To accidentally hear somebody say something good about you.

To wake up and realize it is still possible to sleep for a couple of hours.

To hear a song that makes you remember a special! person.

The first kiss.

To watch the sunset from the hill top.

To pass time with your best friends.

To see people that you like, feeling happy.

To use a sweater of the person that you like and find that it still smells of their perfume.

To have somebody tell you that he/she loves you.

To laugh .......laugh........and laugh ...... remembering stupid things done with stupid friends.

EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there...to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson or help figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be but you lock eyes with them, you know that very moment that they will affect your life in some profound way.

And sometimes things happen to you at the time that may seem horrible, painful and unfair, but in reflection you realize that without overcoming those obstacles you would never realize your potential, strength, will power or heart.

Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of luck. Illness, love, lost moments of true greatness and sheer stupidity all occur to test limits of your soul.

Without these small tests, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere safe and comfortable but dull and utterly pointless. The people you meet affect your life. The successes and downfalls that you experience can create whom you are, and the bad experiences can be learned from.

In fact they are probably the most poignant and important ones. If someone hurts you, betrays you or breaks your heart, forgive them because they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart. If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but also because they are teaching you to love and open your heart and eyes to little things.

Make every day count. Appreciate everything that you possibly can, for you may never experience it again.

Talk to people whom you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Let yourself fall in love, break free and set your sights high. Hold you head up because you have every right to.

Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you. Create you own life and then go out and live it.

Smile is the best ornament a face can wear!
Love is the best feeling a person can have!

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Paisa Vasool



Wholesome entertainment is what we can call the latest flick from "Ilaya Dhalapati" Vijay.A neat package of comedy, sentiment & action all that goes to make a superhit.

Well narrated, there are no hiccups.The entry of Vijay is - he welds his way out in style. :)

Asin, as usual, is her charming best. Surely a Simran in the making.

Only thing we have a typical James bond film where the hero hits up a great number of goons but doesn't get a scratch on him. A typical "willing suspension of disbelief" is what is required when you go to watch "Sivakasi". Dappanguttu, typical hero advise to heroine on how girls should dress,item number with Nayantara, all you want when you go for entertainment. Its Vijay, Vijay, Vijay all through the film though. At least once in a while it makes it good to believe that life is a good mixture of Laughter, sorrow, fun & politics( pun intended!). Overall a total Paisa Vasool.

Monday, November 14, 2005

LAST WISH

Stop telling God how big your storm is. Instead tell your storm how big your GOD is!
In Phoenix, Arizona, a 26-year-old mother stared down at her 6-year-old son, who was dying of terminal leukemia. Although her heart was filled with sadness, she also had a strong feeling of determination. Like any parent, she wanted her son to grow up and fulfill all his dreams. Now that was no longer possible.. The leukemia would see to that. But she still wanted her son's dreams to come true. She took her son's hand and asked, "Billy, did you ever think about what you wanted to be once you grew up? Did you ever dream and wish what you would do with your life?" Mommy, "I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up." Mom smiled back and said, "Let's see if we can make your wish come true."

Later that day she went to her local fire department in Phoenix, Arizona, where she met Fireman Bob, who had a heart as big as Phoenix. She explained her son's final wish and asked if it might be possible to give her six-year-old son a ride around the block on a fire engine. Fireman Bob said, "Look, we can do better than that. If you'll have your son ready at seven o'clock Wednesday morning, we'll make him an
honorary fireman for the whole day. He can come down to the fire station, eat with us, go out on all the fire calls, the whole nine yards! And if you'll give us his sizes, we'll get a real fire uniform for him, with a real fire hat-not a toy one-with the emblem of the Phoenix Fire Department on it, a yellow slicker like we wear and rubber boots. They're all manufactured right here in Phoenix, so we can get them fast."

Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Billy, dressed him in his fire uniform and escorted him from his hospital bed to the waiting hook and ladder truck. Billy got to sit on the back of the truck and help steer it back to the fire station. He was in heaven. There were three fire calls in Phoenix that day and Billy got to go out on all three calls. He rode in the different fire engines, the paramedic's van, and even the fire chief's car. He was also videotaped for the local news program. Having his dream come true, with all the
love and attention that was lavished upon him, so deeply touched Billy that he lived three months longer than any doctor thought possible.

One night all of his vital signs began to drop dramatically and the head nurse, who believed in the hospice concept that no one should die alone, began to call the family members to the hospital. Then she remembered the day Billy had spent as a fireman, so she called the Fire Chief and asked if it would be possible to send a fireman in uniform to the hospital to be with Billy as he made his transition.

The chief replied, "We can do better than that. We'll be there in five minutes. Will you please do me a favor? When you hear the sirens screaming and see the lights flashing, will you announce over the PA
system that there is not a fire? It's just the fire department coming to see one of its finest members one more time. And will you open the window to his room?

About five minutes later a hook and ladder truck arrived at the hospital and extended its ladder up to Billy's third floor open window 16 firefighters climbed up the ladder into Billy's room. With his mother's permission, they hugged him and held him and told him how much they loved him.

With his dying breath, Billy looked up at the fire chief and said, "Chief, am I really a fireman now?"
"Billy, you are, and the Head Chief, Jesus, is holding your hand," the chief said.

With those words, Billy smiled and said, "I know, He's been holding my hand all day, and the angels have been singing.."

He closed his eyes one last time.