A Pair of Red Shoes

While I was working on a report today I came across a picture of a beautiful pair of Celine Shoes on the web. It took me back through time. In all the years of our lives, there are certain moments that never fail to put a smile on our face. Like a pair of Red Shoes for instance; it was possibly one of the most wonderful gifts I ever received in my life.

Now what makes a gift so memorable? It definitely depends on the person who gives it along with the situational factors entwined with it. What is important is not exactly the gift itself but the purpose behind it. One would say “it’s the thought behind it that counts”. A survey conducted by Barlow T. Mann under the auspices of the National Committee on Planned Giving (NCPG) in 2000 revealed that the desire to create a lasting memorial for oneself or a loved one motivates almost anyone human. From a graph compiled from the survey, it can be seen that a desire to give to support charity is about 97%, compared to 33% for creating a memorial for loved one and a mere 13% as a desire to give to friends and family. It thus makes me wonder that if a person can spend so much, giving wonderful gifts to known people on occasions, that person is also capable of giving a lot to charity. This country certainly needs more people like that. Philosopher Ann Rand, states that philanthropic giving does not exist. She feels that we give gifts to others to satisfy one basic need in ourselves." The need to feel personal gratification about the physical art of giving and the emotional art of being remembered"! I believe that we should all enjoy the art of giving! It doesn't really have to be restricted to monetary endowments, it could be as simple as a flash of smile. There might be someone out there who might always remember you for your simple generosity, perhaps throughout their life !

Winter And Butterflies

I have had a few butterflies land on me and even follow me lately. Actually, it probably means we both like the same color. Butterflies are attracted to blues, lavenders, pinks and some yellows. In butterfly museums they suggest you wear those colors. Then when you go into the butterfly enclosure, they land on you and it’s quite a wonderful experience.

My sister, a notable student of entomology stated the obvious. Winter is almost here. I can feel the chill already and its not even December. According to my erudite sister, butterflies apparently portray a chilly winter just around the corner as they tend to migrate to winter regions in search of suitable habitats.

I was amused to read what Rick Mukila, a web naturalist had to say about his butterfly cultivation. In the excerpt of his article where he talks about how butterflies are hidden in envelopes and flowers and are released at weddings painted a paradise vision. He began his article with an American Indian legend on butterflies which was cute. If I was younger, I would have believed it:

“To have a wish come true you must capture a butterfly. Whisper your wish to it and set it free. The winged messenger will then take your message to the Great Spirit and it will be granted."

For more, check: http://butterflywebsite.com/Articles/wedding.htm

The only way I can attach superstition to seeing butterflies has been similar to some myths stating that butterflies signify changes. Its mere coincidence that whenever I saw butterflies starting Dec 2005 it had some effect on my career and even I must say thrice could be quite a coincidence.

But people out there, if you believe in superstition and butterflies symbolizing marriage, don’t fret. There is nothing wrong in a little fantasy and belief in fairytales.

Dealing with Morning Traffic

Anger is a destructive element. This morning’s traffic threw me off balance. A friend was supposed to pick me up for work and I had to wait over 30 minutes before the vehicle had the opportunity to cross the road to reach my destination. I even wondered why I had to go with someone to the office in the first place.

One thing about this place you just have to know about is how things are done in groups; there is a social annotation to everything. For me, going to work with a friend has nothing to do with philosophies, its a simple excuse for enjoying the most mundane task of going to work each day and turning it into a social pleasure.

Today, a simple story told by Rajan De Silva, a personality development trainer who I have been fortunate enough to meet saved my anger. He had pointed out a wonderful way of dealing with unfortunate situations by stating that when situations are beyond our control and there are no shortcuts to solving it, we could redirect our energy to more productive avenues that gives us pleasure.

So, I thanked my friend for being there, discussed the day ahead, rearranged my busy schedule unconsciously, made a few phone calls and planned out my next vacation out of town. By the time I was in office, albeit late, I smiled my way right through the door!

Quote for the day: “In order to be happy, identify a thing that you love to do and throw yourself at it wholeheartedly”

Friends and New Beginnings

Do we ever walk down the road and than realize we have forgotten where we were meant to go? Every time a new direction in life surprises us with its spontaneity, a whole new aura to our life takes place. For me, changes are always welcome. It's strange that I am writing this now, because I remember sending a sms to a person less than a month ago saying "changes make me squirm". I guess both statements are correct depending on the time and situation.

I truly believe by now that things happen to us for a reason. A wise man had once said, “When you look back ten or maybe five years from now you will know why things happened the way they did, and everything will eventually make sense”. Similarly, every person come into our life for a purpose other than just mere companionship. You just have to realise their worth for what it is. So, changes and doing more in life entitles us more time span of living and enjoying. Today I have started this blogger with a flash of inspiration from my friend Imti. I have learnt that there is always someone there for you to make you feel good just at the right time if you have the right person around you.

There is no hard and fast rule as to where you will find such people. There are some we grow up with, and than some at University too. But friends can be made under the most surprising circumstances. Rica and Farhana were people I met through a voluntary organization about a few years ago, ever since than we have been quite close.

Meeting Imti was a stroke of luck and a New Year's blessing. So here I am, sharing my blogspot first with three special people shown above. Hurrah to friends and new beginnings.

So genau.....I am finally going online with my thoughts!