Just a millimetre

Tuesday night, 19^th May, 2009, Akshitha lacerated her eyelid. Though her laceration cleaved me then, I now realize that, the Avatar must have worked out a major tragedy through a minor nick.

Just A millimetre

 

My baby injured herself last night,

She lacerated her right eye-lid;

Just a millimetre above her eye-lash,

A millimetre from destiny’s bid.

 

As the blood trickled down her cheek

And shrieks ran around the place;

I stood and stared, then rushed unfazed,

She had been saved by Divine Grace.

 

While the hospital doctors checked and tested,

And wondered at this incredible miss;

I realized her fate had no doubt been averted,

And the unseen hand was undoubtedly His.

 

As she sleeps soundly by me now,

Pristine, unattached and unaffected;

I look to Him in awe and wonder,

At the play that had just been enacted.

 

For, her design is in His very hands,

And though we are thankless to mention;

He steers her over life’s catastrophes,

With every timely nick and laceration.

 

For, I was there yesterday

And yet it mattered next to nothing;

She has her future to sojourn,

Where my prayer will remain but a farthing.

 

For, in spite of what we accomplish,

And how we gloriously enact our every whim;

We have to sustain the realization,

That we owe it all to Him.

 

Millimeters from appalling tragedy,

Seconds from eternal pain;

He guides and guards us throughout,

How do we repay our gain?

 

We live our lives in astonishing delusion,

Controlling little beyond ignorant actions;

While the unseen Hand sways throughout,

And makes all the decisions.

 

A different school of thought

Visited my alma mater, Indian High School yesterday, where I first set foot in 30 years back. Remembered the good old times, and mused on how difficult they make it current students to bunk classes. Earlier, we could just hop across wall to the Sindhi Club (formerly Indian Sports Club). Now, there is a whole building in between. Students need to be more creative now.

On a more serious note, it feel strange to see all these innocent and curious children being steadily worked on to have their pure open minds replaced with indoctrinated narrow ones, filled with a lot of information and very little learning. In retrospect, Moral Science classes used to be a formality (maybe they still do). Such is modern day education. Thank God there is Bal Vikas.

On another note, there was a declamation contest going on with students speaking in the national language wearing western costumes. Wearing western clothing will make us as westernised as speaking in Hindi will make us Indians. 

Inspired (In)action

Ramu seems to be forcing me to think too much, something that I am not much used to. He mentioned the other day about people setting examples for inspiration. 

Well, inspiration for inspiration's sake is like reading a book on swimming. Michael Phelps will only inspire you, the diving has to be come from you.  Inspiration leads you nowhere if it does not prompt action. On the other hand, action that is not inspired is like archery blindfolded. You will keep shooting till the cows come home, but you will never hit your target. 

To recount my statement during a meeting recently, if you haven't stretched yourself, you haven't been effective. Whatever we do that is only comfortable, will rarely be anything purposeful. Armchair effort is for government employees, and is not the hallmark of enterprise and enterprising individuals. 

Ramakant's words of nicedom

Had a philosophical discussion with Ram 'The Scorpio' Victo at 5 mins. past midnight last night,- obviously we don't have a life.

I mentioned to him in passing about one of my personal heroes in our network being Radha, who in many ways, is all that I am not. And the scoop of the night was his very interesting statement that good leaders can never become effective leaders. And he mentioned someone very respected as an example. 

On deeper thought, it could extend to the herculean difficulty in balancing principles with popularity, and rare has been the one to have achieved this balance. Principles may be popular, as long as they are explained, not so when they are enacted (and especially by others).