Teenager Again?

It starts from mid thirties to late forties, when skin problems and body issues return with a vengeance. Obsessed with belly fat, dental issues, skin breakouts and greying hair, one feels overwhelmed with things that do not look right. Just like those scary teenage days, when a pimple would cause a meltdown …and when everything used to be a big ‘meh’😕

Do we experience a second teenage as we glide towards forties? Do you feel the same?🤔

And then there are mood swings and dangerous outbursts that could make a devil out of us in a moment😈. Gone are the days of self assured gentleness of twenties, when metabolism was superb and one could handle anything… come what may!💃

Circle of moms become new teen gang where everyone gets judged and slandered ( Mean Moms…eh?). And then there is the social media…dear, bitter sweet social media… which feels like school campus of high school days. One cannot afford to look worn out or subtle comments might get us – you are looking different now!😒

Selfies with the perfect pout do not come easily. It takes close to hundred pictures to get it right just like in the past. It does feels so much like those teen days…doesn’t it?🤓

…probably because we are transitioning again. And it is always a little rough. But there is hope because after every teenage comes swinging, self assured, acceptable twenties. Yay! Hope to get the twenties back soon…! If teenage is here can the twenties be far behind!❤️

(Image courtesy Google)

Just A Thought – You Are The Address!

I asked – Where is the best place to be?

You said – In the core.

I asked – How do I commute?

You said – Alight on your breath and travel in.

I asked – How is the journey? Rough?

You said – No, full of joyful surprises if you’re on the right path but a lot of illusions if you deviate.

I asked –  What is the address?

You said – ‘You’ are the address! 

I went still and the journey began…

Images courtesy Google

Small Thing#3 – Memories

I was on a cleaning spree, ruthlessly discarding whatever stuff had not been used since the past six months. I had a huge pile of things around me which others would have found useful. But a useless little plastic bag made me stop. 

Printed on it was the name of my beloved home town and my country (India)….thousands and thousands of miles from here! I tried to put it away but just couldn’t. Finally, I folded it neatly and put it safely in a drawer. 

Why, I still ask myself? Have you felt like this…lately?

Image: Google

In search of a story idea!

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Not far from where we live, there is a patch in the sky that holds ‘Thought’ clouds. You can call it the Thoughtland!

Whatever thoughts you’ve had today or in the past, travels to this place and sticks there. To be frank, it is quite a confusing world comprising of jet black, white, grey, orange and blue clouds.

Dark clouds comprise of sad or wicked thoughts while white clouds are inspirational. Grey clouds are filled with tragi-comic thoughts pertaining to ups and downs in our mundane lives. Orange clouds hold thoughts by people from the past while blue clouds, which happen to be my favourite, hold brightest ideas.

That day, like most thinkers, I unwittingly entered the ‘Thoughtland’ while looking for a story idea. I got carried away, flew and flew, and reached the cloud patch. It was totally chaotic there…as thought clouds flew past me whispering of bitter sweet things.

I found myself amongst the grey clouds first and read a few thoughts of a teenager – “Why do my parents keep finding faults with me? I will grow up and take up a job and live far away from them!” Then, there was a housewife’s thoughts – “Thankless job I have been doing! Since morning till night, I am working. Cooking meals, washing, taking care of kids. But no respect, no joy! I will have to do something about it!”

I steered myself towards white clouds and read a few happy ones. A girl was going on a date with the guy of her dreams and she was thinking – “May the fairytale I am living today never ends.” And then there were thoughts of a little boy who was going to Disneyland and he was dreaming – “Tomorrow is going to be the best day of my life”.

I read a few black thoughts too and felt revolted. Stopping myself from reading further, I attempted to catch one of the blue clouds because I intuitively knew they held the story idea I was looking for.

But the blue clouds were the naughtiest ones! The moment I tried to get near them, they vanished, and my own dark and grey clouds, blocked way. Some of the dark clouds screamed, “It is useless to look for ideas and inspiration. Get used to your mundane existence. It is stupid, tiring and hard to try. You are born unlucky. Just give up!”

It was difficult to breathe when the dark clouds started bombarding me with negative thoughts. The naughty blue cloud had floated away. I felt like being trapped in an ocean of depressive thoughts.

Somehow, a lone Orange cloud appeared out of nowhere and whispered – “All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark. Never think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest heresy to think so. If there is sin, this is the only sin; to say that you are weak, or others are weak.”

I remembered reading this quote somewhere. I guess it was by the great spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda! His lofty thought had stayed in the universe to inspire people like me. I chanted the thought like a drowning person holds on to a branch.

After a short while , I felt something wriggling in my hand. The tiny blue thought cloud was resting calmly on my palm. It had come to me on its own! I understood! The idea got pulled to me when I was chanting a positive thought. A bright frame of mind attracts great ideas!

I came out of the ‘Thoughtland’ holding the precious tiny blue cloud. An interesting story idea was already taking shape in my mind. I resolved to work upon it as soon as possible…because guess you know, great ideas often vanish quickly without a trace.