The Way we were

I have not been blogging the last week, due to the California wildfire., No I am not anywhere near one, but my sinus were clogged with the air being so bad, that I couldn’t get through typing one word without tearing up or sneezin.
So apologize to all my regular reads, I will be surely around to post my comments this week.

This week was hectic to say the least, but a trip to Napa seemed to blow the spider webs away and this week I’m nearly back to my cheerful (ahemm! ) opinionated self.

A pal of mine had her interview published in the paper and I am so kicked for her. I remember the time in school when we all used to sit around and wonder what each one would be. She would always be the optimist, and everything had a fairy tale ring to her view of things. To my utter delight, I noticed not much had changed. She still managed to stick to reality but made the article seem to be so filled with happiness. Congrats Sheets, and best wishes again for an amazing future

Discussing school with a couple of friends, this week really had me wondering about the paths we choose. I know a lot of people say that we grow into adults when we face reality. But is reality a pair of glasses we put on to see the world in a harsher light ? . I know personally, that in my school girl dreams, I wanted to change the world for the better by the time I was twenty five and meet my charming prince by the time I was 26. Though the second happened (K is reading this :) ), the first dream now I realize requires time, money and lot of dedication However I also know that I need to handle family first, before changing what lies outside. Donating to a charity or working for voluntary organizations does go a little way towards eradicating illiteracy or poverty, but the head filled with ideas seems to now look onto the obstacles facing those same ideas. I know for a fact that I didn’t dream of sitting attached to a laptop 12 hours a day, but in reality I know that work will help me get to a better place in the end. And I don’t mean monetary, but that definitely has a part to play. Its because Bill Gates is financially secure (understatement, I know!!) that he is able to quit and work with his foundation. How many men and woman can do that? Its not merely a requirement to gather wealth but also a need to be responsible to the people who depend on you. And as you grow that responsibility seems to grow not only towards family but towards yourself . A pal of mine said it would be a non stop cycle that we take on - family, kids , retirement and finally death. That sounded so bleak to me!It's like to we keep earning only to survive till the day we die.

When I did my Masters, there was always a thought in my head ,that after I get sufficient experience I would quit to join a voluntary organization .We at school, were so filled with ideas and notions, it seemed to be easy to do our jobs, but yet commit to a higher cause. I know that some of my friends do both and are super beings in their own right. But most of us get sucked into the daily mechanisms of meetings, calls and emails.With barely enough time of rest and quiet, let alone cleaning up the world or even for a game of chess.

This story on PBS however gave me a much needed boost. Purnima McCutcheon seems to encompass, all things that I would like to do. To leave a high paying job, to help people in need , captures the essence of our humanity. It takes courage and a good heart. Also it takes a minute to step back and let go of all the adult requirements we have.

I know each person wants to go back to their childhood dreams, be it as simple as flying a plane or as grandiose as changing the world. And if we reach deep inside and look for that place, which we imagined as a child ,I’m sure that the letting go of our current problems would be a much easier task to do

Now for the smile

Area 51
You've heard of the Air Force's ultra-high-security, super-secret base in Nevada, known simply as "Area 51?"

Well, late one afternoon, the Air Force folks out at Area 51 were surprised to see a Cessna landing at their "secret" base. They immediately impounded the aircraft and hauled the pilot into an interrogation room.

The pilot's story was that he took off from Vegas, got lost, and spotted the Base just as he was about to run out of fuel. The Air Force started a full FBI background check on the pilot and held him overnight during the investigation.

By the next day, they were finally convinced that the pilot really was lost and wasn't a spy. They gassed up his airplane, gave him a terrifying "you-did-not-see-a-base" briefing, complete with threats of spending the rest of his life in prison, told him Vegas was that-a-way on such-and-such a heading, and sent him on his way.

The next day, to the total disbelief of the Air Force, the same Cessna showed up again. Once again, the MP's surrounded the plane... only this time there were two people in the plane.

The same pilot jumped out and said, "Do anything you want to me, but my wife is in the plane and you have to tell her where I was last night!"

Keep Smiling ppl

Anu