actuallytales

Recently, I had been to a watch shop to get a watch of mine repaired.  I was asked to wait for some time while my watch is being repaired.  There are two watchmakers doing their job meticulously.  One of them is a young man while the other is an old man.  The young man asks for suggestions and guidance from the old man time to time.  It seems he is learning the art while the old gentleman is a master of it.  Experience is the greatest teacher.  The walls of the shop are full of different clocks.  Different sizes, different designs but finally doing the work of showing time.  Whatever shape or size they come in they are known for the work they do - showing accurate time.  Sitting on the bench provided to wait, I was just observing how there was pin drop silence in the shop with only ticking of the watches which was so prominent due to the silence in the shop that is sometimes broken by a customer walking in.  Otherwise everyone is en...

The Creators of anything are always respected, remembered, appreciated and most of all acknowledged.  We all believe there must have been some creator who created this large universe with all the smallest details, processes and functioning beyond our imagination. We respect that power.  We look up to that invisible presence for help and guidance. It is like a silent support that keeps us going. But do we ever think of the creators we have around us in bones and flesh?  Our creators on earth- our parents, whom we love, we admire, we depend till we do not become independent.  Our teachers, who hold our hand and teach us to write the first letter.  The reflection of God themselves as they guide you to the path of knowledge.  Till we are in school, we respect them or at least show respect but once out - hardly few who acknowledge the importance of them in their lives. It is important for everyone to remember the contribution the slightest one these people have ...

Stress- the word itself has so much stress in it when you just pronounce or write with so many 's' in it.  Everyone in their life at some point or other has stressed. It is not uncommon to have experienced stress in life; however, the problem arises when we do not know how to deal with it. The problem is actually not the problem at all but not finding a solution to it is. If we work, if we compete, if we dream or just actually think - there will be stress at some point.  There is  no need to run away from it or get scared by it.  The only thing required is to find a way out of this stress.  At no point in time, should it overpower us. Stress has been there since the existence of mankind but it has gathered more strength now due to the way the world is changing at a jet speed. Stress to kill stress- as the heading says would be something like this S- Sympathize yourself in a difficult situation. Show concern and love to YOURSELF. T- Trust yourself like you would ...

Today's world has changed a lot.  If we compare it with the life many of us lived in our childhood or ask our parents or grandparents, they would have stories to tell that do not match anywhere with our living style today.  Apart from many other things, one major change that I have noticed is the lack of PATIENCE.  We have become like the Two-Minutes Noodles.  Everything has to be cooked up in 2 minutes and has to be tasty and presentable.  But does it really work that way?  Are human beings designed to function in the way we are now?  Some questions really need answers. First of all, Life is not 2 minutes noodles.  We have evolved from the kheers and biryanis to the fast food world.  I give the examples of kheers and biryanis because they are few of the many dishes that take hours to get ready but when ready are incomparable.  Now we do not have the patience to wait for hours.  We would rather have a ready-to eat roll, noodles, or ...

Plants have been everywhere around us.  Small, big, flowering, nonflowering, ornamental, fruit-bearing, wood-giving, and the list is never to end.  They are always soothing to the eyes and soul.  Always relaxing and refreshing. Everyone loves plants though not everyone may like gardening, but the beauty of these little saplings cannot go unnoticed. On one occasion, while returning after completing some task for the day, I noticed a sapling-vendor with lots of saplings in big crate (probably the one which is used for storing apples or fruits) kept on the cycle that he was drawing.  Sweating in the hot sun as it is past mid noon and probably having not had much sales for the day as it was the time when Covid-19 had hit all of us and this poor soul was not spared either.  Not only for the great love I have for plants but also thinking may be my humble purchase could give him some relief at least for that day, I decided to buy few plants from him.  Having ...

      Clothes - the more one has the less one perceives it to be.  Usually, it might have been observed that though wardrobes may be overflowing with collections of choice but on special occasions always the deficit is experienced.  It is true for most of us - we have all seen this in our households.  However, the more challenging period is when you buy expensive clothes for the tiny members of our family - our kids, our grandchildren and they wear it hardly on selected occasion and then one fine day it is discovered that it no longer fits the little one.  The clothes have become short - no, our little one has grown up. Now the dilemma starts.  What to do with the old clothes - actually the clothes that are not old or worn out, (otherwise it does give a sense of satisfaction that we have used it enough to the worth of the money!!!) There are several options like giving to a relative of ours who has a child of the same age or someone who is expecti...

Gym - the word itself has a class to it as most people feel.  It is considered by some as an unwanted luxury or just the outcome of a lazy lifestyle that most of us have today.  Gym as many believe is a result of our laid-back attitude, poor eating habits and the lack of enthusiasm to work. But I happened to visit the Gym and what I experienced was totally different.  When we talk about a positive space, it is usually a devotional place or place of meditation.  But my experience says we could include Gym in the list of positive spaces.  It sounds weird but yes, the place is truly positive.  You would find people happy there.  Going to Gym and continuing to go to Gym will require lot of patience, perseverance, hard work, goal-oriented efforts and dedication.  See already the list of positive virtues is down there.  I mentioned that I found the people happy there - probably because each one of them is there by their choice.  No one has bee...

On my way to work every day, I see a lot of things.  Being quite early in the morning, it is a time when you can observe slightly more without the hustle and bustle as the day proceeds.  I happen to see an old woman with ragged clothes sitting on the divider that is supposed to divide the roads.  It seems the day has just begun for her. It can be made out from her clothes and appearance that she would depend on the passersby for food and money to drag through her day.  Her belongings are scarce, a jute sack (one which is used to store rice, wheat, etc) that probably works as her mattress during the night, a small cloth bag which contains what is a mystery, a small aluminum  plate that has lost its shape and a dog for her company.  This is a scene I see every day on my way to work.  The both of them sitting and probably waiting for the day to proceed. On one occasion, I happened to see that she held a packet of biscuits in her hand.  Impo...

          This is my first post not only on this blog but also the first of my life. On my first post, I wish to let the readers know that why did I decide to write this blog.  I have always been an optimist by nature.  We have advanced like never before because as the historians say this ours is the civilization that has got the longest span to survive and hence we got the opportunity to discover, rediscover, improvise and integrate it into our lives. However, as the world is advancing at a never before speed, I do feel that we do not have time for little things in our lives and probably they are the ones that feed the qualities of hope and optimism and that which would keep us going. I almost on a daily basis do see something that makes me thank God for the things I have rather than complain for what I do not have.  So thought why not share these small stories I witness usually with my readers and make their day when I make my own. I sincere...