I have always seen parents teach very young kids two lines about God (and also make them say it to show off in social gatherings!). The two lines they are first taught is “ummachi kapaathu!” (God save me!) And “Ummachi kanna kutthidum ” ( God will poke our eye). Basically, a toddler is being induced with fear of God with the two sentences that God has to save her/ him and if they make mistake their eyes will be poked or some punishment is going to be meted out. It might seem to be a very simple thing for people and you could question why waste a whole post on such a trivial thing. But think about it..just by those two sentences you are drilling a complex issue of a higher being without even giving a chance for the child to think. It’s like an experimental monkey who jumps every time it sees a banana. Every time the child sees a picture or figurine of God he/she joins their palms without knowing why and if they make a mistake they are made to assume that their eyes are going to be poked. Don’t you think the child will lose the trust or fear when they come to know that really doesn’t happen?
For believers who really want their children to grow up as a believer and who want to make an impact.. maybe children should be introduced about the whole system when they start understanding things instead of making them experimental monkeys (or robots!).
Month: April 2015
Why I ended up doing a Jigsaw puzzle for a week!
Have you ever had moments when you suddenly question your utility? What am I doing in life ? Why this? Why that? Everything feels worthless and a waste of time. Well.. if you had gone through it you know what I am talking about. If not, then wait for it! If you think you would never experience it.. I am sorry for you. So I had one of those moments, after binge watching Gilmore Girls, Sherlock and House of Cards on Netflix ( I know..I ought to have felt it just after the first one!). A pang of emotion when you need to prove to yourself your worth in some way. I felt I had lost my sense of focusing on things. Just sitting and reading a book for hours or learn something without any screens in front of you. We have become so accustomed to moving pictures, flipping through everything on our screens that we have lost the ability to concentrate on one single thing at a time. Be it listening to the person talking next to you or cooking or even folding clothes. Do not confuse this with multitasking. Scrolling through your Facebook feed when a person in front of you is talking is NOT multitasking. It’s pure evil and shows lack of respect. Anyways .. that’s my story for doing the 500 piece Jigsaw puzzle. That was my solution to prove to myself that I can focus and do something. It took me less than a week and a couple of hours of undivided attention everyday. Trust me you will feel really good when you fix the last piece.
That was not the end of the thought process but actually the beginning.. That week made me realize it would basically cost a lot of money to do a puzzle every week ;). So I do have some ideas to do something better and worthwhile. Feel free to drop in your ideas as well. I am always happy to try new things.
About the puzzle: It’s a representation of Lombard Street , San Francisco one of the most crookedest streets in the world ( or not! But beautiful whatsoever). It’s by Dowdle, extremely good quality and easy to fix pieces. I would recommend to anyone who wants to try puzzling.
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Looking through the window
That’s the Dinky I take to work everyday. It is a five-minute ride(though it feels much longer!). I used to spend that time to check my mails and agenda for the day during my initial months. Hardly looking up..until I forgot my phone once. I realized what I had missed all those months. The view through the window.. The early morning sun and the clear skies or even the snow storms and cloudy skies. The trees on both sides, turning green now. The frozen river, melting and glistening through the rays. The gush of peace just looking through the window from the moving train. We often forget that there is nature around. We don’t have to plan elaborate vacations to enjoy them. All we need to do is look up! It was my zen .. when I can focus those five minutes looking out and forgetting the rest of the world, then I am sure it’s going to be a great day! So, what is your mantra for a great day?
Jan's doodles 