Thank You Again!

Just a short note to wish you all a Happy Independence Day and you get time to share the weekend finds you with good friends, family, and in good spirits, even if you're not celebrating anything or are celebrating something else.

I wanted to add my share of appreciation for many of you out there, who have helped me stay sane and smiling after the accident, that happened 15 years before on this very day, and my life took a complete turn. Over the last 12 years,

I am glad to inform you all with great pleasure that I have seen some success, some failures in this competition to survive… I guess, I’ve emerged a winner thanks to many of you. The first few names that come to my mind are: Bhaskar Bhai Dave a good Samaritan, who took it upon himself and rushed me to the hospital at Ahmedabad. Srinivasan and Kumar my brothers who encouraged me to survive and pulled me up from whatever state I was in. My wife Sangeetha and Son Suraj have turned me positive and look up to more life ahead.

My doctors, Dr. Ramesh Viradia, the Ortho and Dr. Yashwant Doshi who extended a helping hand more than just as a doctor….

A million and more thanks are due to several of my Friends. My special gratitude to Sunil, Meena, Shanmugam, The Khannas, Manimozhi and her kids Suganthi and Revathi, Greena, Thomas & Fen (TG), Ambika, Hema and Kirtida who went way beyond to put a smile back on my face and lent their shoulders to cry, weep and wail… Meena and Mamata thanks for having faith in me through the most insane period of my life. These days I am able to put the training I’ve had from you and have become able to put into practice in line with my responsibilities. Without your guidance, I would not have made it. Thank you again

Many a young children (who are in their prime youth these days) Suzianna, Sanjana, Chaithri, Saakshi, Fen, Revathi, Suganthi, Vikram… the endless list, whose cheerful smile and high spirit smiles and greetings have cheered me all along. Now my son, Suraj has taken that responsibility all upon him and does it with amicable ease.

I cannot also forget to remember the cheerful lunching moments in office with Gopal, Sarala, Ambika, Hema, Kalyani, Takorayan, Minaxi, Priya, Manisha Bhana, Radha, Kamlesh, who cheered me many times through the Pain-O-Therapy days...

Then finally, I would like to thank my Physiotherapists Padmashri whose high spirit of hardwork helped me ease out of those harder days of “bucling-legs”with ease.

Thank you all once again!

எச்சங்கள்

Remembering Shontal

We got her as a gift from a friend of ours as a 2 week baby. As she remained silent the entire day, we named her Shontal after the French word chanteuse—meaning “sweet voiced girl”. She has been an integral part of my life for a good number of years.

She was a Labrador retriever. She remained my constant companion and loyal friend until I met with a near fatal accident on August 15, 1997. I raised her almost as my daughter and she was a part of many a happy incidents in my life.

If you are thinking of getting a dog into your home, as a family member, remember you are making a commitment to that dog for its lifetime, probably even more than your own children.

I'm not such an expert, but I did try my hands at training Shontal for a number of years and had (accidentally?) used some of the friendly methods recommended by the a renowned, dog trainer—Mr. Ian Dunbar does in the video below.

I remember times when I started. I had no idea on dog training or education in general. My first dog was very patient, he taught me a lot. The simple rule that we followed was to teach obedience through simple play and award. Basically, I learned to appreciate every little thing that she did and said “good girl” and “thank you”.

It’s very important for us to see the world through the eyes of our beloved dogs. By knowing our pets' perspective, we can build their love and trust. It's a message that resonates well beyond the animal world.

As a result, I almost always had a happy, healthy and obedient dog. It's lovely to find out that some of my simple, easy and fun dog training methods belong to a wider philosophy on the subject!

It is essential that our dog needs to know that they can trust us and that we will never deliberately hurt or be unkind to them. All I ever had to do was call/ whistle and my dog immediately returned and were rewarded with hugs and pats.

An Ode to a Friend...

An ode to that friend....

I don't have many people
But I do have you
Not often do I open up
But you know all that is true

You have stuck through it all
Seen me at my worst
Saw me fall in love
With zack, and also with my first

You never judge me
Or even let me down
Always reassured me the best
Picking me up off the ground

But things have changed
And I worry for this route
If things get any worse
I will have some serious doubt

You are my all time best friend
always one I can go to
But we are drifting apart
In life, I have to have you

You are closer than a sister
And nicer than a saint
I couldnt change a thing
Or give you a complaint

I just dont want to loose you
Because we are drifting apart
I would be so lost in this world
You are a part of my heart

Know I am always here for you
Even during this rough patch
If you ever want to fall
Ill be there ready to catch

So lets put more effort forth
And try to re-patch our mistakes
Because id hate to loose years of joy
And this friendship to break

This is a small effort from me to patch up with a friend, who was worth the Earth! Someone, who promised to stand by me, decided to fall out for some lousy spam mail [(am not aware what it exactly was...;-)] that went in my name... Alas, I wasn't even given a chance to explain my position...
ramjee

Bats...!

One was flying around my condominium's dim-lit neem tree last night.

…Catching mosquitoes.

I just hoped he didn't mistake me for one!

It was about 10:30 pm and I had just returned after an evening dinner with a friend of mine and looking out my third floor balcony, the neem tree whistling in the darkness looked too inviting to pass up.

But as I got down to the tree, there was this darn bat . . . skimming the tree in zig-zag circles.

And as I stood vulnerable in my evening walking shorts, the bat would come swooping down in 10 second loops on a dive-bomb collision course right toward my face!

But just at the last second . . .

Just as it was inches of crashing into me . . . with the most extraordinary timing, that little winged gymnast would do a seemingly impossible aerial acrobatic and switch directions 180 degrees.

It was totally unnerving.

Do I 'really' want to go out for a walk? I asked myself.

Yeek! Do I want that little creature accidentally bopping me on the head???

We all seem to have an innate and instinctive fear of bats. It probably comes from the bad reputation they've been given on television and in the movies. My environmental science education tells me that in truth, the far majority of bats are completely harmless. In fact, they're great to have around as they clear the air of mosquitoes and other pesky creatures.

But, nevertheless, I still was very hesitant.

Could I trust this bat's radar?

Bats are blind, far crying out loud!

Then I rationalized to myself, well gosh, if its internal guidance system is good enough for it to detect and catch tiny lightening-fast mosquitoes even in complete darkness, it certainly shouldn't have a problem avoiding a 180 cm, 85 kg human being strolling at less than 5 km per hour in the road!

And just as I was thinking that, I was struck by a bolt of wisdom.

I remember reading an article recently about the technique to magnify our inner voice that is always present, but which we often can have a difficult time perceiving and utilizing to our maximum advantage.

Unfortunately thanks to our left-brain educational training, we are cultured from childhood to ignore that inner guidance system in favour of more logical thinking.
And yet, I was like everyone else in our society, often find myself going back and forth, trying to "logically figure out" the solution to my concerns! --

"Should I go in this direction, or should I go in that direction to find greater meaning in my life?"

"Should I trust this friend or colleague who is offering me something, or should I be more cautious before moving ahead?"

"Should I let this slide, or should I say something to someone who just did or said something I don't feel quite comfortable with?"

These questions fly continuously through our heads like a swarm of bats.

But if we don't have a way to get a clear answer, we can find our self going back and forth, wondering why we don't seem to be able to get ahead, improve our relationships, or develop a much higher level of self- esteem and abundance.

So the question is . . .

Are you able to clearly hear what your inner voice is saying to you?

Or do you like I am, oftentimes feel confused, unsure whether the signal we receive is coming from our more superficial logical mind . . . and perhaps some external influence or negative past history . . .

Or is it rising up from the deepest, clearest, most pristine part of our self that 100% of the time knows what's most right and appropriate for us in order for us to increasingly experience more joy, love, inner wealth and abundance?

Now here's the REAL question . . .

How is YOUR Internal Radar System?

Is it finely tuned like the radar of the bat I was witnessing at the tree, where we are able to pluck a perfect answer and solution out of obscure darkness the way that bat at night could pluck tiny mosquitoes out of mid-air?

Or do we find ourself over-thinking and torturing yourself everyday trying to make both big and little decisions that affect our life . . . and our loved ones lives . . . just never quite sure if we're making the right decision?

That's to say . . . how certain . . . or uncertain . . . are we of our own Internal Radar?

Our own Inner Guidance System?

And how much would our life improve if we were able to easily "pluck" from all the bewildering possibilities running endlessly through our mind the one clearest, most appropriate, unmistakable signal, answer and solution to each of our great and small relationship, money and personal challenges?

Personally, I've tried to rely on my own Internal Radar System most of my adult life.
It has on most occasions guided me safely and with extraordinary grace through some major life trials, as well as to living a beautiful life where every day I take both little steps and occasional major leaps to both my dreams and my God-given Vision of what that Inner Guidance System has clearly let me know I'm supposed to accomplish in my life.

My secret?

A lot of hard but joyful work . . .

Taking regular exercise and meditation breaks even when working long hour days.

And having a simple but profound system to obtain crystal clear answers and solutions to any challenge or question I may pose to myself.

What about you . . . my friend?

When Am Back On My Feet Again...

I've sung this song a thousand times or more after I had met with a near-fatal accident on the 15th of August 1997. After I was declared as 40 % permanently partially disabled and a pair of crutches were given to me to sport, I felt I had lost my independence and would remain forever crippled. There are many a soul whom I owe my life and everything to what I presently am.

I must express my heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Bhaskar Bhai, who rescued me and rushed me to the hospital and even went on to spend some money out of his pocket for medication...
My Amma, Appa, Paati (for every prayer they performed and every blessings they showered on me), brothers--Cheenu, Kumar, Kannan, and many others in the family... who have wished that I get back well soon.

A large number of kids, specially the ones of Anandalaya, where I served for 5 academic years, Revathi, Suganthi, Saakshi, Manish, Komal, Mehul, Monark, Niranjan, Vikram, Sai, and many others who ensured that the smile lasted on my face and helped me stay sane and going.

Couple of doctors in Bhavnagar, Dr. Yashwant Doshi, Dr. Viradiya, who are like Father Figures for me...

Several of my friends who helped me through some of the most difficult times that followed between 1997 and 1999. Sunil and his daughter Suzianna, SSG, the Khannas, Manimozhi and Family, Gopal, Shivani and Family, Meena, Mamata, the list is endless...

Today after 12 years when I got to listen to this song again, I am moved...
I dedicate this this song for all of them...