Sunday 31 August 2014

My dear poems, stories, travelogues and all the anecdotes that I kept bundled up for so long...    


                           Today, I set you free to fly     
                           sometimes to laugh and                
                           sometimes to cry.
                           Unlocking the doors of my mind
                           overcoming  fears
                           wiping my tears
                           together we'll go to unknown lands
                           yes, we can do it hand in hand.   



        
                                                                                          

           

Saturday 30 August 2014

Inspiration in many Avatars

        Last year, I was reading a book, "Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui" by Karen Kingston. I would recommend it to everyone, whether they clutter or not and even those who do not believe in Feng Shui. It is a small book, simply written.
        It inspired me to start de-cluttering my room. I decided to start with my desk. Removing books kept for reading later, along with papers kept for sorting, I came across a bundle that contained an assortment of diaries and some papers. They were my writings which Siddhant had reluctantly sent me, assuming I would again shelve them away. He was correct. I had once again shoved them out of sight and forgotten all about them. As I sunned and aired the yellowing musty papers and my room kept getting cleared of mounds and boxes full of stuff, I was ready to part with, something opened up in the rusted portion of my creative mind as well to let in the warmth and satisfaction of creative achievement.
        Writing about his own journey Siddhant had written , "When my mother gave me her blessings along with her writings, she inspired me to write. I read like I had never read before and I write like I'll never stop writing." His words touched and inspired me .
        As I started writing once again, out tumbled memories about family, friends, patients, spiritual teachers, acquaintances, even strangers who had touched my life with their magic wand. It had fired my imagination and I would peep into their minds and peek into their lives' spinning stories.
        Vidisha, my daughter, who has always encouraged me in my creativity, promptly bought me a laptop, giving me some lessons on operating it and kept cheering me on. Vishal, my eldest, helped me by sitting on the side-lines and liking whatever I did. His silence is eloquent.
        Creating space in my room had led to creating space in my mind as well. I was empowered and energised. My asset, was the immense store-house of experiences over a lifetime. I was prepared to launch on an exciting journey of realising long forgotten dreams. I was ready to be Reborn at 70.





Thursday 28 August 2014

Why Do I Want To Write

Ever since I can remember I enjoyed writing. In school it was essays, limericks, or letters to friends and family which would be interspersed with little drawings, verses or even cartoons. Some friends confess to keeping them for long. Yes, as Anais Nin says,  I do love to taste life twice- once in the 'now' and again while writing and reading it. But that is solely my own pleasure. I was too shy to share it with the world, thinking it was not good enough and also because I have been very reserved about my emotions which do get exposed to the reader.
Since childhood I was like an emotional sponge soaking up whatever was happening to others around me and the empathy led to a heightened emotional receptivity. I would get into the minds and lives of others, conjuring up stories about them. But all this I kept closeted, afraid of ridicule. I have lost many writings this way. When my younger son, Siddhant left for Mumbai to make a career in music I gave him whatever I could find and gave it to him to use it as and how he pleased. A year ago I asked for them back so I could compile them all for him. That was a new beginning for me. More on what followed tomorrow.