Hostel

Growing up in a small town has its own charm. It has some limitations too. When I was growing up, we had only one school affiliated to the CBSE board. My parents sent me Vikas Vidyalaya, Ranchi. (The school still exists)

I was 11 years old then. I was on my own. Sometimes I cried and wanted to go back home. The Longing got bigger whenever seniors ragged me or was hit by hostel warden.

There was no smartphone or internet in that era. We had one phone number for the entire school. If papa got lucky, my name would be announced on the loudspeaker and I would run for receiving the call. Most of the timeline would go off, it was a different era.

I was non-vegetarian and my school was complete veg. I was forced to eat paneer and drink milk. It was a pain in the ass. Some seniors would sit next to me on Thursday lunch so that they pick all paneer from my plate.

The only silver lining was the visit of Nanaji and Mamaji. They would take me out on gate pass and I would eat as much non-veg I could the entire day.

Our hostel was an army camp. We had to wake up by 5 and sleep by 9 pm. I had to change my attire multiple times in a day. We had all the co-curricular amenities: yoga, gymnastics, hockey, football, handball. We had it all.

I get a feeling I got lucky that I was sent to the hostel at such an early age. The experience I gained there has made me more resilient. The grit to survive and zeal to learn has come a long way.

We had our classmates from many different states, they were of different race and color. The myopic view I had on religion, the race was cleared very early.

Later on in life when I moved again to Delhi for my senior secondary, it helped me in making a friend circle and enjoying my stay.

Looking back in the past, it makes me realize my parents did a great job by sending me to the hostel. It opened me for the entire world.

Food

Modern life has one key ingredient: food. We are surrounded by a variety of food items. They modified to fit our taste buds. The beverage industry spends billions in research.

Early days we eat less because of the limited availability. We were more active. As society progressed and food became plenty via mass production. It gave rise to modern-day disease from obesity, heart attack to diabetes.

Our modern life has more space for container packed foods, canned juices. Food deserts are in our vicinity serving carb, sugar and fat loaded food for cheap.

This modern lifestyle of ours is making us sicker. Gone are the days when we had a local butcher or vegetable vendors. The concept of eating from own farm sounds alien.

How?

I keep getting asked about the secrets of running a successful community. After spending a decade in this field I still have no answer.

Past few years living on my own has been humbling. It has taught me many new things. The topmost being: there is no one fit for all path.

We are all different so is our way of building anything. The journey we take also differs.

I understand the emergence of social media has amplified the creation of many gurus. Many books are written every year of how to be happy, run a successful company and what not.

Read them but in the end, the journey is yours. You have to run on its own.

Propaganda

It is time for the parliamentary election in India. Every political party and politicians have started working on their vote banks.A vast country like India with varied ethnicity and races winning requires a lot of work. To woo the voters, these politicians are using all the tricks and even hatching propaganda.

  • Creating a divide on account of caste, religion and polarizing vote bank.
  • Spreading rumors, sharing wrong facts.

Propaganda is not a new phenomenon, marketers have been using it since ages. Edward Barneys sold cigarettes to females as an account of independence.

That reminds me sharing a link of this YouTube series on Edward Barneys and his propaganda tricks. After watching it, you will be able to relate how in every realm of our life we are being screwed.

Empathy

Practicing virtue of empathy is a double-edged sword. While your approach will make the world better in most cases, there will be a time when you will be ridiculed or considered weak. Some will take you for granted.

So be ready to be ridiculed, called out weak or emotional. As long as your faculty of consciousness is at peace with nature, continue practicing the virtue of empathy.

Bucket List

Every year we make a bucket list. It can vary from people to people. Thanks to our individuality. While some of us strive for achieving these action items, most forget about it.

There should not be guilt in failing to achieve these milestones. We should neither kill yourself in the journey.

It is good to be an optimist and taking all sorts of unachievable challenges. But we should also be aware of our limitations and not buy every advice from self-help books.

Tough

There comes a time in our life when everything looks tough. These are the times of our life which helps in shaping us. Life is a rollercoaster ride with everything unpredictable.

Taking everything for granted or worrying for future only makes us weak. These tough time of our lives are an absolute test for us.

That which does not kill us makes us stronger.
— Friedrich Nietzsche

Hospital

Hospital is one hell of a place. One place where one can experience all the emotions. A place where every minute defines life’s frugality. A place where doctors are the savior.

I have spent past few days in a hospital and it has put a real test on myself. All the learnings, philosophy and principles were put on a test. I am still here.

What makes this place unique is the flow of emotions; the dying human getting life after a major operation; a crying wife and a son worried about the payment of hospital bills.

I also see doctors as modern-day stoics; day after day; giving hope to patients.

My faculty of consciousness has taken a great hit. I consider myself lucky who can afford the expensive procedure, unlike million others.

I would also like to see a utopian future where every one of us gets free healthcare, irrespective of his financial background.

Test

Many times in our life we are put on a test. It can be a test of our honesty, principle or philosophy.

These time of life brings out the real you. Reading philosophy or writing principles is one thing but putting it on a test is another.

These moments of life are like a real test. Everything else is just fluff.

Nanaji

My Nanaji passed away this morning. He lived for more than 90 years. Off late he was suffering from series of illness.

He was a world to me. He was one of the few persons in my life who believed in me. I sucked at my studies, be it during secondary school or at engineering. He was there to cheer me up. Always smiling and talking positive.

Last time I met, he told me about some of his life regrets. He also advised me why I should not rush for getting married or falling in any relationship because everyone else is in it.

I wish I had more time to spend with him. RIP