Pet Learning!

When I was growing up, we had a pet, her name was 'Whitey'. She was snow white in color (Tibetan Terrier). My relative in India used to have a few of them, and they gave us 'Whitey' when it was a few weeks old. My relative invited over to take a puppy. Whitey's mom had a litter of 2 puppies. The moment I saw Whitey, it was love at first sight! I loved it so much. It'd run around shaking it's tiny tail, roll over like a ball, it'd pee all over the place and I just was in awe of it. It's a love story that has lasted a life time. My mom was a little hesitant in taking it to our home. She raised concerns of who would look after it, where would it stay etc. I had a solution for it; I just told her 'you get me Whitey & I'll get you A+ grades in school! She too liked Whitey, and when she heard about me committing to studies, (which I rarely ever did!) She agreed.

I literally grew up with Whitey, it'd make me run around, it'd sleep with me in my bed, it'd even bark at me if I ever fought with my sister or mom. It was such an intelligent Animal, you won't believe! It only barked at people that were dubious..dodgy. or all others, it was a playful friend. Occasionally though, my mother would discover a stolen pen, potato and even some toys in Whitey's den. My dad those days used to work really hard. Not that he doesn't now, but he hardly ever had time for us. We all appreciated his hard work, as it was his hard work that got us all the comforts we were living in. Often he would return really late in the night from his work. My mom and all of us would be fast asleep by then. Although my mom did wake up for him as much as she could, majority of the times, she kept the food for him on the table. My dad would often say sarcastically to us 'Even my own children don't care about me as much as whitey does'! We(me and my sister) would be get mad at him and ask him how could he say that? To which he'd reply 'poor whitey wakes up in the middle of night every single day when I come..and it would shake it tail till it gets my attention. It also would sit right by me while I'm having my dinner. It goes to bed when I do so, is what he said'

Me and my Sister realized how true that is. Agreed it's an animal, it can't talk like us, or convey it's messages in a greeting crd, or even an email. But it does what ever it has in it reach. It never gave us any problem, never did it bite us, nor did it ever bark at us for silly reasons. I often wondered what is it, that makes it so full of affection for us, I mean is it our food that we give her? is it the care that we take of her? We do take care of so many humans too, I mean buying stuff for friends, helping relatives, some other times helping strangers, doing things for loved ones. Why don't we see such conditional love among humans as we see in Animals? I see love in parents, friends, strangers in humans too..but it kinda is conditional it feels to me. My mother made food for us a life long, and still does.. but if one day she put too much salt, we crib about it and often we say 'well we've had too much of your food..let's go out and eat' but does an animal say that? Whitey was so bona fide that it never once not eat the food we gave it. Please remember, it always was so happy to get what it got.

Ages ago, we too were animals (at least if were to believe Darwin's theory of evolution). The olden days, families, marriages, society used to be so much more peaceful. I agree, even then there were occasional conflicts, invasion etc.. but relatively way much less right? Marriages were simpler..going over to a different country was too (immigration, I mean), people didn't pay for water and there was no sales tax. I agree we have fast cars now, we can cover continents in no time, we have nuclear power, medicines etc.. but back then people lived, there were diseases, natural disasters back then too. My question is..in achieving all these, have we long lost something ?

Something so basic that we can learn easily. We don't have to go to schools and universities for it. Look at plants, they too have life..but they give us food, fruits, timber and so much more unconditionally, Our animal folk around, they too do their business with out mingling into ours. We are the ones who are day by day making their lives extinct one after the other species, and yet we claim, ''one fox strayed into a farm land, and that goodness it's dangerous for us'. What a load of crap is that? You go kill generations of animals and plants.. and if one of them comes looking for some food, we go crazy. We say we have a just society, yeah right! If we were to look at our pets, plants and the life forms around us, we could learn one thing very easily that is so lacking today; LOVE.

I read some where ''Love is to give and to forgive, self is to get and to forget''

What is right & What is wrong?

When a child is born it doesn't have the liberty to decide it's gender, parents, it's face features or for that matter weather or not it wants a life. It's just given birth. He/She then has to grow up the way his/her parents want them. Society also plays a role in this. Society has it's own rules of what a person can or can't do, What is right or wrong. What is confusing though is 'society' and it's rules are made again by the people right?

To make the matter even more confusing there are religions, some made by Prophets and some others made by Messengers of God and Others by God's incarnations (PS all religions, who ever they are founded by, were all born in Human form right? Coming to religions, some say drinking alcohol is okay eating non vegetarian is permitted and some others are totally against it. Very similarly societies too differ. For example what is considered right in Indian society might not be so for American society and the society in Finland may totally be clueless about that issue for all we know.

We all are driven by what our mind/heart/brain tell us. For some people theirs might tell them to go on dating till they find the right person and for few others it will say go for an arranged marriage. Here is a solid difference of opinion. Beauty pageant winners and politicians mostly tell us do what your heart/brain says with in the boundaries of law of the country that you live in and respect that of the other and it'll all be good & the world will turn into a beautiful place to live in etc..right? (Not that I have anything against politicians or Pageant winners..lol)
But, how is it possible? When a developed country invades a weaker, under developed country citing blah blah reasons and the former's people feel that is absolutely okay while latter's people don't think the same.. we have a clash, right? How do we solve these issues? Where's standardized system for right wrong? And who is the final authority? Any answers?

Compassion..wow!

Ever since I was a kid, I was always fascinated with flying. When I'd see a kite fly, a bird fly or even a plane fly..I'd become ecstatic! I decided to get myself a few licenses and started working on it. I flew in UK for quite some time but then had to move to the States. In few months time I decided to get myself American licenses too. I tasted success and finally got myself a license to fly in the States. Couple of months ago I had a situation, I was taking off from an airport the Aircraft's Engines failed. I had to declare an emergency and had to land on a golf course. This airport was in a Mountainous region and so was the golf course. I was trying to safely land the aircraft on the golf course but because of several reasons we nearly crashed. I broke my right wrist and right ankle in the process. Had two major surgeries and was in pretty bad shape.

Before the crash I never had any time, always doing something; going out, working, meeting friends, playing sports and so on.. but after this crash, I had to be on a wheel chair for almost three months. I had many difficulties performing bare minimum things, let alone things like driving or walking. In this period I started thinking so much (I had nothing much to do in the free time..lol) about life, friends blah blah. I'd get angry on friends who didn't call up to say get well soon or relatives who didn't come to see me etc.. I'd often think damn, these are the people who I helped in such and such time, and these guys can't even be bothered to show me some care? This feeling was making me quite bitter with in. I've always believed in 'there's some one up there' philosophy. Call it a Supernatural force, God, Jesus, Allah, Krishna, Buddha or what ever. So, when ever in life I'm puzzled, worried, have no clue, happy etc. I'd depend upon that supernatural force. Sometimes for questions, sometimes with gratefulness and some other times with wonder.


This time I had a question, I asked the supernatural force Why this indifference in human beings? Why didn't everybody come to see me and wish me well when I was down? I must admit, there were a few friends and relatives who did come to see me..huh! But I still wanted an answer. The boredom of sitting at home plus all the pain from fractures..boi it was though. I desperately wanted an answer. So desperate, that sometimes I couldn't get sleep in the night..my wait for the answer continued...

My dad came to help me out, he took a month off work to stay with me. He'd often push my wheel chair and take me to shops, gas stations nearby to keep me busy. As I'd go to these shops, the shopkeepers who saw me walking before were saddened to see my state, and they'd all wish me well. Some even gave me a chocolate, a hug, wishes etc. When such gestures came from strangers, it felt so nice. It felt good that unknown people too can be full of compassion. My mind though would sometimes tell me, may be these shopkeepers etc are being kind to me because I'm their customer, so they have some benefit from me!

After a couple of days I received a parcel from India which contained a letter for me and a Rosary (which had Jesus Christ's frame on a cross). The letter was full of blessings and wishes, it was sent to me by a Christian nun(Sr.Rosario) who is part of Missionaries Of Charity. My dad gives some donations for the orphans and medically ill people who get served by these Nuns for free. This is how that Sister(Nun) knows our family. To thank her for the parcel, I called her up in India, the call got answered by another Sister(Nun). Here's what we both spoke :

Me - Can I please speak to Sister Rosario?
Nun - I'm sorry, today you can't because she's praying the whole day today and fasting.
Me - Oh..okay. I didn't know you guys have to fast too..! but anyway I'll call back later.
Nun - No sir we don't fast usually. We know this very nice man who often lends his help for Orphans in our mission, and he has only one son. Recently that guy crashed his airplane and is very ill. That's why Sister Rosario is on a fast and is praying for him today.
Me - OMG, you mean she is praying for Shreyan from US?
Nun - Yes, you know about Shreyan..? you must be the doctor then right?
Me - Doctor.. erm..no I'm Shreyan myself..why would my doctor call you guys?
Nun - Oh dear..how are you.. God bless you. Sister Rosario has been kneeling on her knees for the whole day and she is praying. This is what she's been doing everyday since we came to know about your crash. That's why her knees are very sore. We don't get medical care for our selves, but this kind Doctor who also happens to treat our Orphan kids here gave her some Pain relief cream. He knows about your crash so I thought you were him. But please don't tell Sister Rosario that I have told you all this, she will be very upset.
Me - (Almost in tears by now) Okay I'll call tomorrow..thanks bye.


After this conversation I thought, here's a Nun who I not even know that well. I don't do anything for their charity, she doesn't have any profit in any of this..why is she doing this? Then I realized, some people just do things, they do those kind things because they have that compassion in them. She is a Nun, doesn't have any family, money etc.. but still she's doing what ever she can, with in her reach, for not just me..but for so many others too.

That supernatural force (or God) maintains his balance. For all those friends and relatives that didn't call me or give their wishes, he probably arranged me a stranger who does that with out having any connection with me. The same again with the shopkeepers near my house who still wished me. I just was over thinking about their profit etc....but it's possible that they could be kind to me because they too are compassionate human beings. Now I feel more broadly, may be my friends or relatives that didn't wish me were in some sort of chaos them selves, may be they just forgot.. I shouldn't be making assumptions here. This Sister Rosario motivated me so much, I have started believing in doing good for all..and not even worry if it doesn't come back, again in my life. I made a resolution in my life today that I'll be as kind and compassionate to everyone as I can..for life is short..and we should do our best ALWAYS.