We all make them - errors of judgement, mistakes - inconsequential, small, big or catastrophic. An old adage credits the wiser among us with the genius of learning from others'. Most of the rest of us, stub our own toes in the dark to discover immovable objects. A select few inverse geniuses commit them and fail or refuse to see any lessons hidden therein.
If such mistakes are committed in our dealings with others, they basically amount to trying the noble approach of 'turn the other cheek' in a boxing ring. Even a newbie pugilist can recognize an opportunity presented thus on a platter.
Recently, I added a rather big one, to my running total of significant mistakes, the total numbers of which compete robustly with the national debt clock. Without embarassing myself further by divulging specific details, I would like to share some observations of the various stages I underwent.
Blissful Ignorance: The mistake, henceforth referred to as the act had been committed, yet I remained unaware of it and its implications.
Outward Denial + Inward foreboding: "I couldn't possibly have done THAT!!!" (... or could I?)
Hollow Bravado: "So what if I DID do it!! It's immaterial and bears a minuscule fraction of extremely tiny consequence. It's ludicrous to the point of hilarity. Ha Ha!! I shall recover from it effortlessly and laugh about it someday."
Realization: "I actually went ahead and did it!!" As the realization dawns, it brings with it a sinking feeling that those to whom I laid my flanks bare would have to have been even more benign incarnates of Mother Teresa to not have taken advantage of the situation presented to them.
Self-flagellation: "How could I be such a flea-brained, bumbling nincompoop's apprentice to have managed to land myself in such a finely detailed mess. I mean really! I didn't leave even the minutest details of stupidity to chance on this one, and managed all this, single-handedly. Bravo!!"
Followed by a slew of unprintable mutterings let loose in a rich barrage.
Self-pity+ Auto-Sainthood: "Now how was I to know that the world was so cynical and people so cold and calculating. Who would have thought that people did such things to each other? It's truly beneath me to even consider the prospect of people stooping to such low levels, let alone stoop to their level and fight."
A few depressing iterations between the previous two states.
Struggle: Just to salvage my tattered reputation in my own eyes, I know that I need to give it my best to try and fight my way out of a seemingly doomed situation. Lord Krishna need not lecture me from the Gita. I am well and truly aware of this timeless quote that is very apt to the situation: "To act (perform our karma) is within our rights. Reward from the action is not our concern."
I fumed and fulminated using all available media of communication, over the course of a day trying to recover lost ground. And then, as if by coincidence, I came across this random quote on a website: "Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause."
It helped me transition to the next and final stage :-)
Resignation: "Ah! Fuggedaboudit!!" For future ruminations we shall file it away under the Hard-Luck section, and hope that when the next time such a situation arises, the appropriate lesson surfaces before the moment spurs us into yet another shoot-thy-own-foot.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Lavender scented dreams
Lights grow dimmer and day fades out
umbral night envelopes me pervading the senses.
She fills darkness in pupils wide open,
I hear rolling music of her serene silence
and lay still as her breezes brush over me,
nudging the conscious to lower its guard.
Slowly surrendering to her advances,
I catch a wisp of lavender fragrance,
just a hint- maybe even imagined,
it intoxicates the senses as sweet wine.
The mind lights up with a film of images,
and plays melodies of forgotten songs.
Now real enough that I almost touch her,
and feel her sensual smile,
she leads me to dreams,
and a promise of chimerical days.
umbral night envelopes me pervading the senses.
She fills darkness in pupils wide open,
I hear rolling music of her serene silence
and lay still as her breezes brush over me,
nudging the conscious to lower its guard.
Slowly surrendering to her advances,
I catch a wisp of lavender fragrance,
just a hint- maybe even imagined,
it intoxicates the senses as sweet wine.
The mind lights up with a film of images,
and plays melodies of forgotten songs.
Now real enough that I almost touch her,
and feel her sensual smile,
she leads me to dreams,
and a promise of chimerical days.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Paradise visits our town
After an impatient wait spanning almost a month, we finally went out in our quest for the show that in the views of most observers has been described as the most colorful and mesmerising. And it's in town only for a few short weeks.
The day was perfect to venture out - warm temps and a gentle breeze. But uncertainty remained about the precise location. This show could be going on anywhere around town - moving into places tentatively but moving out quite resolutely for the season.
This apparent shortcoming though is largely offset by the fact that there is not limit on the number of audience attending it - no tickets required either. Its absolutely free - you only pay with your time and interest in it.
So, off we went in the direction where chances of catching it were most promising and lucked out.
Our favorite show was on - in all its majestic splendor. The artistes - matured and seasoned over years of spontaneous performances - never rehearsed into mundane and predictable sequences. The entire ensemble glittered and shone with the brilliance of individual acts.
We enjoyed every moment of the ongoing tireless spectacle and then noticed the souvenirs - a veritable bounty of them practically littered the venue. In yet another gesture of their never ending generosity, the artists provided the souvenirs for free. We grabbed handfuls of them and also tried to capture some of the most vivid imagery in pictures, but with the humble realization that no image can ever do justice to the live show we witnessed.
Our eyes frequently met those of fellow admirers. Knowing glances and smiles were exchanged. Without a word spoken, one gets the feeling of a strong bond shared by our mutual love of the show in all its forms.
The show leaves town soon, but the artists - all locals will stay behind, even though there is a foreboding of gloomy and cold times to come. They know their creativity and imagery will suffer a chilling effect, but being diehard optimists, they stay on, for a revival to spring forth - which it will, in due time. But probably the biggest reason they dont leave, stems from the deep roots they have in this community, from which they draw their creative juices.
We hope that our Maples, Birches, Oaks et al put on such beautiful shows every Autumn.
p.s. Please pardon the puns when you go back and read the last paragraph :-)
The day was perfect to venture out - warm temps and a gentle breeze. But uncertainty remained about the precise location. This show could be going on anywhere around town - moving into places tentatively but moving out quite resolutely for the season.
This apparent shortcoming though is largely offset by the fact that there is not limit on the number of audience attending it - no tickets required either. Its absolutely free - you only pay with your time and interest in it.
So, off we went in the direction where chances of catching it were most promising and lucked out.
Our favorite show was on - in all its majestic splendor. The artistes - matured and seasoned over years of spontaneous performances - never rehearsed into mundane and predictable sequences. The entire ensemble glittered and shone with the brilliance of individual acts.
We enjoyed every moment of the ongoing tireless spectacle and then noticed the souvenirs - a veritable bounty of them practically littered the venue. In yet another gesture of their never ending generosity, the artists provided the souvenirs for free. We grabbed handfuls of them and also tried to capture some of the most vivid imagery in pictures, but with the humble realization that no image can ever do justice to the live show we witnessed.
Our eyes frequently met those of fellow admirers. Knowing glances and smiles were exchanged. Without a word spoken, one gets the feeling of a strong bond shared by our mutual love of the show in all its forms.
The show leaves town soon, but the artists - all locals will stay behind, even though there is a foreboding of gloomy and cold times to come. They know their creativity and imagery will suffer a chilling effect, but being diehard optimists, they stay on, for a revival to spring forth - which it will, in due time. But probably the biggest reason they dont leave, stems from the deep roots they have in this community, from which they draw their creative juices.
We hope that our Maples, Birches, Oaks et al put on such beautiful shows every Autumn.
p.s. Please pardon the puns when you go back and read the last paragraph :-)
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Sunday Night Syndrome - heard of it?
There is a serious affliction on the loose - the Sunday Night syndrome. It causes seriously sleep deprived Monday mornings, leading to a general feeling of malaise and moroseness on an already dull and moribund day of the week - the dreaded Monday.
We are all aware of the happier days of the week - namely Friday and Saturday. These are days when most of us work averse beings - also known as "workers" (wonder why!) are not enduring daytime incarceration in exchange for a few pennies. On one of these days, we are dreaming of real life and on the other, we are actually living it.
But eventually Sunday arrives, and brings with it the doom and gloom of a Monday in it's tow. Up until Saturday night, we had been pretending that Monday is like one of those closet monsters that scares children, but in fact doesnt exist. On Sunday, however, we are forced to reckon with its impossible to ignore imminence and by evening of the day we are resigned to our fates and climb into our beds early to get some rest, to put up our bravest (not necessarily best) faces before the coming onslaught.
But then the cosmic chaos of a Sunday night takes over and all kinds of odd things begin to happen making sleep nothing short of a distant dream (no pun intended). The kids wake up one after the other - sometimes needing comfort from nightmares, other times, just announcing the happy absence of any nightmares .. at 1:12 AM. You receive international phone calls at 2:37 AM from complete strangers who insist on talking to you in foreign tongues, and refuse to realize after 3 calls that they might have the wrong number. After a couple of such assaults on your beauty sleep, the drip-drip of leaky faucets, whirring of the fan and ticking of the clock are enough to prevent a smooth reversion into dreamland. You lay awake counting sheep, counting backwards from 1 million, the hair remaining on your head - anything, but the Z's elude you. By 4 AM you are anxious that if you don't get any sleep, how in heaven or hell will you even drive to work, let alone display any productivity worth a few cents. The anxiety by the way adds to the overall fun. Sometime before dawn, as you teeter on the edge of sanity, slumber lets you back to paradise. But other sinister cosmic forces - time for one, have that covered as well - the alarm goes off, yanking you back to the Monday morning.
With bloodshot eyes, aching limbs, muddled mind and no sense of balance or direction, you amble off to the bathroom and begin fervently to pray for the day to be over.
This, my friends is what is being referred these days as the Sunday Night syndrome. But beware, it also occurs on last nights of vacations and long weekends. No known cures till date.
We are all aware of the happier days of the week - namely Friday and Saturday. These are days when most of us work averse beings - also known as "workers" (wonder why!) are not enduring daytime incarceration in exchange for a few pennies. On one of these days, we are dreaming of real life and on the other, we are actually living it.
But eventually Sunday arrives, and brings with it the doom and gloom of a Monday in it's tow. Up until Saturday night, we had been pretending that Monday is like one of those closet monsters that scares children, but in fact doesnt exist. On Sunday, however, we are forced to reckon with its impossible to ignore imminence and by evening of the day we are resigned to our fates and climb into our beds early to get some rest, to put up our bravest (not necessarily best) faces before the coming onslaught.
But then the cosmic chaos of a Sunday night takes over and all kinds of odd things begin to happen making sleep nothing short of a distant dream (no pun intended). The kids wake up one after the other - sometimes needing comfort from nightmares, other times, just announcing the happy absence of any nightmares .. at 1:12 AM. You receive international phone calls at 2:37 AM from complete strangers who insist on talking to you in foreign tongues, and refuse to realize after 3 calls that they might have the wrong number. After a couple of such assaults on your beauty sleep, the drip-drip of leaky faucets, whirring of the fan and ticking of the clock are enough to prevent a smooth reversion into dreamland. You lay awake counting sheep, counting backwards from 1 million, the hair remaining on your head - anything, but the Z's elude you. By 4 AM you are anxious that if you don't get any sleep, how in heaven or hell will you even drive to work, let alone display any productivity worth a few cents. The anxiety by the way adds to the overall fun. Sometime before dawn, as you teeter on the edge of sanity, slumber lets you back to paradise. But other sinister cosmic forces - time for one, have that covered as well - the alarm goes off, yanking you back to the Monday morning.
With bloodshot eyes, aching limbs, muddled mind and no sense of balance or direction, you amble off to the bathroom and begin fervently to pray for the day to be over.
This, my friends is what is being referred these days as the Sunday Night syndrome. But beware, it also occurs on last nights of vacations and long weekends. No known cures till date.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Minnesota - contd from previous post..
Lesser known facts about MN - contd.
- 'Minnesota nice' is not mandated by some draconian law enacted by the state, as some outsiders might think, but is actually because of a genuinely and sincerely nice and pleasant people.
- Smiling at and greeting friends, neighbors and even rank strangers is not compulsory, but is generally observed as such.
- Rest of Small-town-Minnesota is even more charming than our largest small-town - Minneapolis. If you wanted to visit an actual city, Chicago is about 7 hours to the South-East of us. But be warned- Minnesota-nice ceases to exist East of the St. Croix river.
- Unlike it's neighbor state- Wisconsin, Minnesota's main source of revenue is NOT speeding ticket charges. That honor goes to Parking violation tickets downtown Minneapolis.
- All Minnesotans are proud Norsemen and Vikings. In fact most of the Nordic minded people from far away places like China, India, Vietnam, Somalia, Mexico etc. move to Minnesota to discover/invent their Nordic roots and feel at home in this frigid tundra.
- Minnesota is viewed variously as a Red, Blue or purple state - depending on the viewer's predisposition, but an unchangeable fact is that Minnesotans firmly believe that the word 'polite' is an integral part of the word 'politics'.
- It is true that the local TV and Radio stations eagerly talk about the possibility of it snowing, leading up to Christmas. You see, without that white stuff there would be no white Christmas. The rest of the year they are anxiously reporting oncoming blizzards with gloom and doom written on their faces.
If you have any (lesser-known) facts to contribute, please leave comments.
Minnesotans like their winters cold and snowy. "Keeps the riff-raff away!" being the common refrain. But those hardy (or devoid of choices) enough to stay a full cycle of all seasons learn to appreciate the wondrous and sudden changes in landscape, as the seasons pass the baton. Come spring and in a couple of weeks, the barren land turns on the switch of lush greenery and blossoming trees. Before you know it, the weather is so hot and humid that you can actually complain about the heat also. Before conceding to a frigid winter, the scenery changes again and the land dons the brightest and most varied colors during Autumn. Dozens of varieties of Apples load the trees and pumpkin patches are rolling with orange orbs. People keep going on with their lives as before, but come winter and nature slowly recedes into a deep slumber for the next few months as grass turns yellow and trees look dead - devoid of all foliage. But even that starkness has a beauty of its own.
Most of those who stay long enough to view the entire spectacle, involuntarily become naturalists. That, usually is the beginning of a long lasting (mostly) love (but sometimes) hate relationship with Minnesota.
- 'Minnesota nice' is not mandated by some draconian law enacted by the state, as some outsiders might think, but is actually because of a genuinely and sincerely nice and pleasant people.
- Smiling at and greeting friends, neighbors and even rank strangers is not compulsory, but is generally observed as such.
- Rest of Small-town-Minnesota is even more charming than our largest small-town - Minneapolis. If you wanted to visit an actual city, Chicago is about 7 hours to the South-East of us. But be warned- Minnesota-nice ceases to exist East of the St. Croix river.
- Unlike it's neighbor state- Wisconsin, Minnesota's main source of revenue is NOT speeding ticket charges. That honor goes to Parking violation tickets downtown Minneapolis.
- All Minnesotans are proud Norsemen and Vikings. In fact most of the Nordic minded people from far away places like China, India, Vietnam, Somalia, Mexico etc. move to Minnesota to discover/invent their Nordic roots and feel at home in this frigid tundra.
- Minnesota is viewed variously as a Red, Blue or purple state - depending on the viewer's predisposition, but an unchangeable fact is that Minnesotans firmly believe that the word 'polite' is an integral part of the word 'politics'.
- It is true that the local TV and Radio stations eagerly talk about the possibility of it snowing, leading up to Christmas. You see, without that white stuff there would be no white Christmas. The rest of the year they are anxiously reporting oncoming blizzards with gloom and doom written on their faces.
If you have any (lesser-known) facts to contribute, please leave comments.
Minnesotans like their winters cold and snowy. "Keeps the riff-raff away!" being the common refrain. But those hardy (or devoid of choices) enough to stay a full cycle of all seasons learn to appreciate the wondrous and sudden changes in landscape, as the seasons pass the baton. Come spring and in a couple of weeks, the barren land turns on the switch of lush greenery and blossoming trees. Before you know it, the weather is so hot and humid that you can actually complain about the heat also. Before conceding to a frigid winter, the scenery changes again and the land dons the brightest and most varied colors during Autumn. Dozens of varieties of Apples load the trees and pumpkin patches are rolling with orange orbs. People keep going on with their lives as before, but come winter and nature slowly recedes into a deep slumber for the next few months as grass turns yellow and trees look dead - devoid of all foliage. But even that starkness has a beauty of its own.
Most of those who stay long enough to view the entire spectacle, involuntarily become naturalists. That, usually is the beginning of a long lasting (mostly) love (but sometimes) hate relationship with Minnesota.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Summer in Minnesota
Minnesota is not one of the most terribly exciting or happening places in the U.S. of A. And I mean it as a compliment :-)
When I first heard of Minnesota, I had to dust-off my old school atlas and look it up in the 'USA political map'. Had never heard of it. Had had no reason to, I suppose. The only thing connected (physically) to Minnesota that I had heard of was the Lake Superior.
After landing at the old Humphrey terminal, as I was being driven out to my apartment, the orneriness of sprawling suburbia struck me as out of place. Where were the modern, towering skyscrapers and glitzy glamorous malls that I had seen in Hollywood movies. Gradually it began to sink into me that this place must be the true backwaters of America. The real America of course being mostly like the Big Apple - New York and Los Angeles. I promised to myself that sooner than later I would leave this place for the REAL AMERICA!!
But that was then....
Having braved several hundred feet of snow, peppered with a few momentary interludes of sunlight and warmth I can safely claim that I love the place.
Some lesser known facts about Minnesota:
- The MN license plate claims that it's the land of 10,000 lakes. Actually there are 11,842 lakes (10 acres or larger). Just in case 10,000 didn't make you happy enough.
- The official state bird of Minnesota is NOT the mosquito, as any native will swear over his life, but actually the loon. Although, if visibility and ubiquitousness were considered as factors in deciding the symbol, the result might have been different.
A factoid related to the above-mentioned fact: A MN mosquitoe isn't really a bird, but seems almost as large.
- Dislike of cheese-curds is NOT officially a crime in the MN penal code, but don't get too vocal with your opinions. People take their cheese-curds seriously!!
- Minnesotans don't talk only about the weather. They also talk about fishing and football. Though weather is still the number one ice-breaker (no pun intended) among strangers - based on unofficial and unscientific surveys.
- Pick-up trucks DON'T outnumber people in Minnesota - It's an even match.
- Minnesota DOES have outdoor drive-in movie theaters that operate in summer and very often an entire movie can be seen without any snow (gasp!!) and sometimes you can even roll your windows down.
- Mall of America is MOST CERTAINLY NOT the only monument in the twin-cities. We now also have our very own IKEA store much closer to home than the one in Schaumburg IL.
contd..
When I first heard of Minnesota, I had to dust-off my old school atlas and look it up in the 'USA political map'. Had never heard of it. Had had no reason to, I suppose. The only thing connected (physically) to Minnesota that I had heard of was the Lake Superior.
After landing at the old Humphrey terminal, as I was being driven out to my apartment, the orneriness of sprawling suburbia struck me as out of place. Where were the modern, towering skyscrapers and glitzy glamorous malls that I had seen in Hollywood movies. Gradually it began to sink into me that this place must be the true backwaters of America. The real America of course being mostly like the Big Apple - New York and Los Angeles. I promised to myself that sooner than later I would leave this place for the REAL AMERICA!!
But that was then....
Having braved several hundred feet of snow, peppered with a few momentary interludes of sunlight and warmth I can safely claim that I love the place.
Some lesser known facts about Minnesota:
- The MN license plate claims that it's the land of 10,000 lakes. Actually there are 11,842 lakes (10 acres or larger). Just in case 10,000 didn't make you happy enough.
- The official state bird of Minnesota is NOT the mosquito, as any native will swear over his life, but actually the loon. Although, if visibility and ubiquitousness were considered as factors in deciding the symbol, the result might have been different.
A factoid related to the above-mentioned fact: A MN mosquitoe isn't really a bird, but seems almost as large.
- Dislike of cheese-curds is NOT officially a crime in the MN penal code, but don't get too vocal with your opinions. People take their cheese-curds seriously!!
- Minnesotans don't talk only about the weather. They also talk about fishing and football. Though weather is still the number one ice-breaker (no pun intended) among strangers - based on unofficial and unscientific surveys.
- Pick-up trucks DON'T outnumber people in Minnesota - It's an even match.
- Minnesota DOES have outdoor drive-in movie theaters that operate in summer and very often an entire movie can be seen without any snow (gasp!!) and sometimes you can even roll your windows down.
- Mall of America is MOST CERTAINLY NOT the only monument in the twin-cities. We now also have our very own IKEA store much closer to home than the one in Schaumburg IL.
contd..
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Memorial Day
Yesterday was observed all over USA as Memorial Day - a day set aside to honor and pay homage to soldiers who died fighting wars for their country.
In previous years, the only reason this day was significant for me used to be that this was the first Holiday and possibly a long weekend in close to five months since the start of the year, and that for most recreational places, this day marked the opening for summer season. This year would have been no different but for a dame who goes by the first name of Barbara.
While looking for a book in our local library, I came across a copy of The Guns of August written by Barbara W. Tuchman. An absorbing and detailed account of the events leading up to the start of the First World War and the first month of it. As I read that book, I became painfully aware of two facts - one that my knowledge of European History is, to put it mildly, only minimal; and two that how a small spark can quickly escalate into a conflagration of full scale war.
One can argue about the pros and cons of going to war or blame one belligerent or another, but the saddest, most poignant fact of any war remains that young soldiers die. In the World wars - they died by the millions - wiping out a significant chunk of an entire generation. Many of them may not have really understood the reasons they were firing or being fired upon - yet were duty-bound to lay down their lives when commanded to do so.
Young people, usually being the most curious and open-minded, many of the combatants would likely have socialized with or even formed friendships with their counterparts from the enemy side, had it been an exchange student program or a tourist visit, instead of a campaign of war.
Reading the account of the battles and the high casualties of that war and subsequent ones, one cannot fail to recognize the lethal potential of human ingenuity and innovation - when applied to destruction. But even more lethal is the ego and political ambition of a few people - whose decisions and actions affects vast swathes of population - thereby changing the course of world history.
This memorial Day, I offer my personal salute to every soldier of any nationality, who made the supreme sacrifice fighting honorably in a war.
I hope that at some point in the unfolding history of humanity, we find a way to settle differences without wars. Actually this may be a near impossible wish, given the way nation states have formed and with the multitude of ways people find to include some and exclude others from their world view.
So, while we are wishing the impossible, let us try a grander vision -
We hope that someday humankind as a whole is composed of truly independently thinking, responsible individuals who do not need the crutches of assumed identities and who can look beyond the histories of collectives past to a future where there is only one group encompassing all living beings.
In previous years, the only reason this day was significant for me used to be that this was the first Holiday and possibly a long weekend in close to five months since the start of the year, and that for most recreational places, this day marked the opening for summer season. This year would have been no different but for a dame who goes by the first name of Barbara.
While looking for a book in our local library, I came across a copy of The Guns of August written by Barbara W. Tuchman. An absorbing and detailed account of the events leading up to the start of the First World War and the first month of it. As I read that book, I became painfully aware of two facts - one that my knowledge of European History is, to put it mildly, only minimal; and two that how a small spark can quickly escalate into a conflagration of full scale war.
One can argue about the pros and cons of going to war or blame one belligerent or another, but the saddest, most poignant fact of any war remains that young soldiers die. In the World wars - they died by the millions - wiping out a significant chunk of an entire generation. Many of them may not have really understood the reasons they were firing or being fired upon - yet were duty-bound to lay down their lives when commanded to do so.
Young people, usually being the most curious and open-minded, many of the combatants would likely have socialized with or even formed friendships with their counterparts from the enemy side, had it been an exchange student program or a tourist visit, instead of a campaign of war.
Reading the account of the battles and the high casualties of that war and subsequent ones, one cannot fail to recognize the lethal potential of human ingenuity and innovation - when applied to destruction. But even more lethal is the ego and political ambition of a few people - whose decisions and actions affects vast swathes of population - thereby changing the course of world history.
This memorial Day, I offer my personal salute to every soldier of any nationality, who made the supreme sacrifice fighting honorably in a war.
I hope that at some point in the unfolding history of humanity, we find a way to settle differences without wars. Actually this may be a near impossible wish, given the way nation states have formed and with the multitude of ways people find to include some and exclude others from their world view.
So, while we are wishing the impossible, let us try a grander vision -
We hope that someday humankind as a whole is composed of truly independently thinking, responsible individuals who do not need the crutches of assumed identities and who can look beyond the histories of collectives past to a future where there is only one group encompassing all living beings.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Lessons for budding CEOs from Barack Obama
A year ago, nobody would have even imagined that a colored guy with a name like Barack Obama, middle name Hussein, would defy all laws of Political physics and perform a feat equivalent to climbing the Mount Everest in the Democratic Party.
Though, he had his advantages - a fawning media and a party establishment that quickly resorted to the PC course to avoid being branded racist, there is no denying the fact that Obama possessed certain qualities that were fundamental to his "brand".
Of course there are those that swear by his nearly divine political abilities of unifying, healing and performing other miracles that would involve bending the wills of opponents numbering almost half the population of US.
For the rest of us mere mortals, there are some lessons to be learned from the Obama phenomenon. Especially those who seek power in any organization can learn a few tricks. Here are some of my observations.
1. Never wait your turn to lead.
No matter how rigid the existing hierarchies, there is a fair chance they will yield if you boldly sieze the initiative.
2. Build a strong coterie of supporters.
Your case for leadershis is only as strong as the Organization you have built that turns on your commands. Foster loyalties among capable people for this.
Corollary: Don't just keep people around for loyalty or old times' sake.
3. Always appear above the fray.
Never get embroiled in gritty, down and dirty political fights. Always let your underlings handle such hatchet jobs.
4. Always appear nice.
Even when you sting an opponent like a crazed bee, appear cool and charming like a floating butterfly (a la Mohammad Ali).
5. Never be too specific on details.
The less details you provide of your plans and positions, the less you expose your flank to criticism and attack on vulnerabilities. Vague ideas expressed in few feel-good words and phrases will always work. ("Hope", "Change"...)
6. Be ready to smartly adopt and co-opt others' ideas.
This will be of immense help when people start looking closer.
7. Never jump in and volunteer answers to problems and questions.
Watch and wait for eager know-it-alls to jump in and spend their charges. Let them fizzle before you take over. Waiting too long risks belying indecision or inertia.
8. Get noticed.
Quiet and capable people who are too nice to talk about it usually make excellent also-rans. Talk about your achievements and attempts loud enough for people to take notice of you.
If you have noticed other things as well, please contribute.
(I would have posted a picture of Obama, but two dark and handsome dudes on the same page would be too much ;-)
Though, he had his advantages - a fawning media and a party establishment that quickly resorted to the PC course to avoid being branded racist, there is no denying the fact that Obama possessed certain qualities that were fundamental to his "brand".
Of course there are those that swear by his nearly divine political abilities of unifying, healing and performing other miracles that would involve bending the wills of opponents numbering almost half the population of US.
For the rest of us mere mortals, there are some lessons to be learned from the Obama phenomenon. Especially those who seek power in any organization can learn a few tricks. Here are some of my observations.
1. Never wait your turn to lead.
No matter how rigid the existing hierarchies, there is a fair chance they will yield if you boldly sieze the initiative.
2. Build a strong coterie of supporters.
Your case for leadershis is only as strong as the Organization you have built that turns on your commands. Foster loyalties among capable people for this.
Corollary: Don't just keep people around for loyalty or old times' sake.
3. Always appear above the fray.
Never get embroiled in gritty, down and dirty political fights. Always let your underlings handle such hatchet jobs.
4. Always appear nice.
Even when you sting an opponent like a crazed bee, appear cool and charming like a floating butterfly (a la Mohammad Ali).
5. Never be too specific on details.
The less details you provide of your plans and positions, the less you expose your flank to criticism and attack on vulnerabilities. Vague ideas expressed in few feel-good words and phrases will always work. ("Hope", "Change"...)
6. Be ready to smartly adopt and co-opt others' ideas.
This will be of immense help when people start looking closer.
7. Never jump in and volunteer answers to problems and questions.
Watch and wait for eager know-it-alls to jump in and spend their charges. Let them fizzle before you take over. Waiting too long risks belying indecision or inertia.
8. Get noticed.
Quiet and capable people who are too nice to talk about it usually make excellent also-rans. Talk about your achievements and attempts loud enough for people to take notice of you.
If you have noticed other things as well, please contribute.
(I would have posted a picture of Obama, but two dark and handsome dudes on the same page would be too much ;-)
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Happy Birthday - Dear "Acquaintance" :-)
It's the birthday of someone I know - a casual aqauaintance. Well! I suppose it is more than casual, because I have known him for as long as I can remember. Still, either of us would be hard pressed to refer to the other as a friend.
Our respective lives have run a fairly parallel course. We grew up in the same neighborhood, took the well-beaten path out of childhood to adolescence and before we knew it, we were staring at the adult versions of ourselves. We did our mandatory drafts in school and College with only intermittent interest in the goings on, took up jobs thereafter and continued on in life.
I saw him get in and fall out of friendships and relationships good and bad and then saw him fall head over heels in love. This would have fueled my interest some more, except that cupid's arrow got me too before long and who cares about others when in love? :-)
We see each other practically everyday, but meet infrequently. And then too, the conversation - if any - stays on casual stuff. Nothing too personal or meaningful.
So, why am I here talking about this fellow today?
Well! for one, it's his Birthday and for another, I have heard him refer to it as a sort of midpoint of life, by what calculation he reached the conclusion not having been specified. We are sticking to our policy of not meddling with the reasoning of others.
Anyway, here's wishing you a Happy Birthday dear acquaintance!
Hopefully, at the midpoint of your life, you look back and feel satisfied and happy on more counts than not. We hope also that looking ahead, you have high hopes and big plans towards the objective of achieving happiness. Last but not the least, we hope that in your ruminations over the past and plans for future, you don't forget about living in the present - which is nothing but the future unfolding itself in it's unending, continuing story.
Having known of and observed each other as long as we have, should we now, know more about each other? In other words- is it time, at mutual halfway points, to become friends?
Our respective lives have run a fairly parallel course. We grew up in the same neighborhood, took the well-beaten path out of childhood to adolescence and before we knew it, we were staring at the adult versions of ourselves. We did our mandatory drafts in school and College with only intermittent interest in the goings on, took up jobs thereafter and continued on in life.
I saw him get in and fall out of friendships and relationships good and bad and then saw him fall head over heels in love. This would have fueled my interest some more, except that cupid's arrow got me too before long and who cares about others when in love? :-)
We see each other practically everyday, but meet infrequently. And then too, the conversation - if any - stays on casual stuff. Nothing too personal or meaningful.
So, why am I here talking about this fellow today?
Well! for one, it's his Birthday and for another, I have heard him refer to it as a sort of midpoint of life, by what calculation he reached the conclusion not having been specified. We are sticking to our policy of not meddling with the reasoning of others.
Anyway, here's wishing you a Happy Birthday dear acquaintance!
Hopefully, at the midpoint of your life, you look back and feel satisfied and happy on more counts than not. We hope also that looking ahead, you have high hopes and big plans towards the objective of achieving happiness. Last but not the least, we hope that in your ruminations over the past and plans for future, you don't forget about living in the present - which is nothing but the future unfolding itself in it's unending, continuing story.
Having known of and observed each other as long as we have, should we now, know more about each other? In other words- is it time, at mutual halfway points, to become friends?
Monday, May 5, 2008
Thank Heavens for little girls...
How do you define the wonderful mystery that is a little girl?
Start with the ephemeral dew drops on rose petals, imagine the wonder of vast open skies with myriad shapes of clouds floating about, sprinkle the twinkle of your favorite star and catch the spirit of a butterfly flitting about the woods and you begin to get a glimpse into the little darlings that God bestowed upon us.
Look into the liquid eyes of one and without saying a word she will make you want to laugh and cry at the same time as the looks etch her endless stories on your heart. You come away believing in oases of innocence in a cynical world. Oases, inhabited by tender infectious smiles with guileless confidence of carrying the day - any day.
Listen to the sweet chatter of one and you can get lost in the music of wonderment and idyllic imagination. Stories are woven on the go, with fact and fiction melded effortlessly into a delectable aural dessert that swells nothing but the heart.
Little helpers of the angel of happiness, they soothe our minds and beckon our souls into a better and sweeter reality of life with nothing but caressing little fingers, sweet kisses, smiles and sometimes even pouts of indignant reproach.
From all appearances little girls do seem to grow up, but care to look just a little deeper in your hearts and little girls stay little everyday.... :-)
Start with the ephemeral dew drops on rose petals, imagine the wonder of vast open skies with myriad shapes of clouds floating about, sprinkle the twinkle of your favorite star and catch the spirit of a butterfly flitting about the woods and you begin to get a glimpse into the little darlings that God bestowed upon us.
Look into the liquid eyes of one and without saying a word she will make you want to laugh and cry at the same time as the looks etch her endless stories on your heart. You come away believing in oases of innocence in a cynical world. Oases, inhabited by tender infectious smiles with guileless confidence of carrying the day - any day.
Listen to the sweet chatter of one and you can get lost in the music of wonderment and idyllic imagination. Stories are woven on the go, with fact and fiction melded effortlessly into a delectable aural dessert that swells nothing but the heart.
Little helpers of the angel of happiness, they soothe our minds and beckon our souls into a better and sweeter reality of life with nothing but caressing little fingers, sweet kisses, smiles and sometimes even pouts of indignant reproach.
From all appearances little girls do seem to grow up, but care to look just a little deeper in your hearts and little girls stay little everyday.... :-)
Friday, February 29, 2008
Its Leap Friday!!!!
Since the time I woke up today and realized that it's the Leap Day (Feb 29th) of a Leap Year (2008) AND it's also a Friday, I figured there had to be something special and therefore rare about this day.
All of us fortunate enough to be gainfully employed, fancy ourselves as yet another Dilbert - martyred at the caprices and follies of supposedly evil Bosses, and are constantly praying for Friday to arrive just a little bit sooner than it did last week. Friday is our salvation and the raison d'etre in a gruelling work week.
So, a rare day, falling once every 4 years, falling on a day of the week that feels rarer than its nemesis - Monday (check your past bad memories - most would be on Mondays) has to be a rather rare and therefore precious combination. Still haven't gnawed your digits off? ;-)
Not being very fast with numbers, I set out with a calendar program looking at the day of the week that Feb 29th had occurred in the past:
2008 - Friday
2004 - Sunday
2000 - Tuesday
1996 - Thursday
1992 - Saturday
1988 - Monday
1984 - Wednesday
1980 - Friday
By this empirical analysis I figured out that this combination repeats itself every 28 years. A discovery, that when disclosed to my better half rather breathlessly, met with a cool "Yeah! Leap days occur every 4 years and Fridays once every 7 days. And 7x4 = 28". Probably a good reason wives are referred to as better halves.
So anyway, the length of the reasoning notwithstanding, it is still a special day, a combination that will occur next in 2036. So, enjoy yourselves :-)
All of us fortunate enough to be gainfully employed, fancy ourselves as yet another Dilbert - martyred at the caprices and follies of supposedly evil Bosses, and are constantly praying for Friday to arrive just a little bit sooner than it did last week. Friday is our salvation and the raison d'etre in a gruelling work week.
So, a rare day, falling once every 4 years, falling on a day of the week that feels rarer than its nemesis - Monday (check your past bad memories - most would be on Mondays) has to be a rather rare and therefore precious combination. Still haven't gnawed your digits off? ;-)
Not being very fast with numbers, I set out with a calendar program looking at the day of the week that Feb 29th had occurred in the past:
2008 - Friday
2004 - Sunday
2000 - Tuesday
1996 - Thursday
1992 - Saturday
1988 - Monday
1984 - Wednesday
1980 - Friday
By this empirical analysis I figured out that this combination repeats itself every 28 years. A discovery, that when disclosed to my better half rather breathlessly, met with a cool "Yeah! Leap days occur every 4 years and Fridays once every 7 days. And 7x4 = 28". Probably a good reason wives are referred to as better halves.
So anyway, the length of the reasoning notwithstanding, it is still a special day, a combination that will occur next in 2036. So, enjoy yourselves :-)
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Well into 2008....
The new year is well underway. It has been a while since my carpals showed an urge to suffer any typing not directly related to our mutual survival. The past several weeks have either been cold or colder. Below a point, the temperature becomes just an irrelevant statistic, having no bearing on how cold you feel. Of course! one can only wax philosophic about the temperatures and such, when one needs bear it only for a few minutes at most in any day.
A Minnesota winter does have its own stark beauty. With snowflakes of a million shapes and sizes sashaying down from their heavenly abodes. The landscape devoid of all but the dullest colors, is washed over in white snow - as if to prepare a canvas for the riot of colors and life that is spring. One can really appreciate the liveliness of spring after a dull, gloomy winter.
But when it gets to the mid of February, one kind of starts getting impatient for spring and the ongoing sojourn of the platinum blonde - Jane Frost, begins to seem like a mini ice-age.
One begins to get skeptical about the existence of global warming and then hopes fervently for it to make its presence felt.
I still aver my original love for Autumn, but right now a juicy ripe strawberry melting in the mouth, with all its promise of warm - even hot, long summer days is all that I can think of.
After all, why endure an unpleasant reality when you can conjure up utopia ... and then improve upon it :-)
A Minnesota winter does have its own stark beauty. With snowflakes of a million shapes and sizes sashaying down from their heavenly abodes. The landscape devoid of all but the dullest colors, is washed over in white snow - as if to prepare a canvas for the riot of colors and life that is spring. One can really appreciate the liveliness of spring after a dull, gloomy winter.
But when it gets to the mid of February, one kind of starts getting impatient for spring and the ongoing sojourn of the platinum blonde - Jane Frost, begins to seem like a mini ice-age.
One begins to get skeptical about the existence of global warming and then hopes fervently for it to make its presence felt.
I still aver my original love for Autumn, but right now a juicy ripe strawberry melting in the mouth, with all its promise of warm - even hot, long summer days is all that I can think of.
After all, why endure an unpleasant reality when you can conjure up utopia ... and then improve upon it :-)
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