The Brave Pedestrian

July 28, 2009:  Some years ago, an uncle of mine who was in the business of producing TV serials told me and my wife — young couple with stars in our eyes — “If you want to do something in the world  of television, just ask!  Aawaz do, hum saath hain!”  Taking his word at face value. we made a couple of trips to his office at Filmcity, and were quite disappointed to see that he didn’t really mean to help us at all.  Which brings me to the question of what family ties are all about. I believe that being family means that we all have an unspoken contract of  aawaz do hum saath hain!  By this, I mean that we have a confidence that our father, mother, brother, sister, husband, wife, son, daughter will “be there for us when we need them,” whatever that means.  Everybody interprets the when-we-need-them clause in whatever way it suits them. I think very few interpret it honestly and deeply. Most people mean it as, “If you are ill, I will definitel...

Like I said in an earlier post, a crucial thing that they don’t teach you at school is that being a winner in life isn’t about winning in all that you do, but about building a good relationship of give-and-take with the world around you. How do you do that? Well, mostly by trusting and being trustworthy. You set out every morning trusting that the world and its creatures will treat you right, and play fair by you. You make a habit of casting a generally benign eye at everything and everyone. Without necessarily setting out to be a do-gooder, you must generally cultivate the feeling that if the call to serve comes (whatever that may mean in that particular context), you will serve honestly without holding back for any reason. That’s the sort of vague but firm belief that we have in our key relationships — with our parents, siblings, spouses, children and close friends. In the absence of this promise to the world, your relationship with the world and all that lives in it,  including...

Preface: This is what I wrote a couple of hours after Gattu showed no interest in gazing with me at a spectacular thunderstorm during sunset at Kausani (a town in Uttaranchal that affords a marvelous view of the Himalayas). Gattu was more interested in watching some cartoons on television... and this made me anxious about his future. This poem was written back in 2007, when my son was really small, and didn't show much interest in the outside world, sports etc. But since then, my son has shaped up wonderfully, and made me proud. My prayers as a father have indeed been answered! ———- You inherit a world full of bright lights and colours And more pleasures and comfort than your forefathers have ever known: High-speed travel 24×7 entertainment and connectivity Information on google or ask-dad.com Sometimes it seems as though We, your elders, exist merely to educate and entertain you. But tell me, my son, Why is it that you cannot stand still and appreciate A gloriou...