An Incident that changed me.. Part 2

To read Part 1, click here


I understood and felt that I was truly blessed in every way, when compared to the people I met during the next couple of days. Later, I even chided myself for being critical of the accommodation provided to us.

When I now reflect on how and why my attitude towards life changed so much, I realized that there was one particular incident affected me deeply. It was when I met a poor widow of a farmer...

During the week long trip,my classmates and I met several deprived people, with  problems ranging from  lack of access to education, improper health and sanitation to caste issues and domestic violence. Women trafficking and farmer suicides were the major problems in the area. All the villages that we visited comprised a majority of illiterate people, mainly artisans and farmers. While artisans were plagued with the issue of their dying art forms and did not know any other form of work, farmer suicides abounded due to the huge agricultural losses incurred in the barren lands that had scarce rainfall.

Amongst the scores of people whom I met, the story of a middle-aged widow called Lakshminarasamma, touched my heart. This quote sums it up:

"...the misery is there inside her, like a stone, and there’s no room for any other thoughts.." 
–Henry Miller, Tropic of Cancer
  
She was neck-deep in debt and struggled to make both ends meet. Her husband, a farmer, had committed suicide when faced with loss of crop yield, unable to pay his debts. These people led a life that was consumed by debt. They were born in debt, lived in debt and died in debt!

An Incident that changed me.. Part 1

“Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Each one of us, at some point of time, experience certain situations that change our attitude towards life. For me, there was one such incident that totally changed me from the inside out...

While pursuing a post graduate diploma in journalism, I was required to undertake a week-long trip to 'cover deprivation'. All of us students were divided into several groups and sent to various parts of India that were socially and economically backward or faced some troubling issues. Upon our return, we were all expected to file news reports or feature stories based on what we witnessed during our field trip.

I was part of the group that was sent to Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh. The trip was a life-changing experience for me. My sheltered upbringing did not prepare me for the harsh realities of life that I faced during those seven days.

Top Ten Books that I love

You would be aware of the book list challenge that was recently doing the rounds on Facebook.  For those of you who aren't aware, the challenge is simply this: In a few minutes, without thinking, you have to list the top 10 books that stayed with you in some way, those which you love :) After that you have to tag ten of your friends to continue the chain.

I got a chance to make my list, thanks to my friend Olympia who tagged me. And I decided to blog about the same, just because I want to share it with a wider audience.

Before I list the books, I would like to mention that these books may not be literary masterpieces or impressive books. But they are all personal favourites that have touched my heart and stayed with me in some way. After each book in the list, I have included a description too! Here goes:

1. Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling
Simply the best books I've ever read so far in my life! No description needed. Enough said :)

2. The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho
A thought provoking book that showcases the personality of a woman as described by the perceptions of different people. Loved it.

3. Idle Hours by R.K Laxman
Simple yet heartwarming writing makes this one delightful to read. It is a collection of short stories, anecdotes, travelogues and essays.

4. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
A touching and compelling tale that tugs at my heartstrings for the tragedy of it all.

5. Message in a bottle by Nicholas Sparks
A story that speaks of love and loss, and of fate. I like it because I'm a romantic at heart!

Coffee: the powerful beverage

Someone asked me why I love coffee?? Well, the answer is quite simple. Every time I drink a cup of coffee, I feel super-charged. It makes me active and helps me out of energy slumps. I just love the beverage. Here are a few reasons-

• When I wake up in the morning, all it takes is just a teeny-weeny cup of coffee to rev up my internal engine. I go from groggy-eyed to bright-eyed in a matter of minutes!
• When I'm working and my mind feels heavy, I just take a few sips of coffee and there I go- my brain goes to fast forward mode and I start afresh with renewed energy.
• A steaming cup of coffee acts as a great companion when I curl up with a book and some snacks during rainy evenings.

Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_production_in_India

• Drinking coffee makes me feel good. Yes, it really does. When I'm feeling low or down in the dumps, I just make myself a cup of coffee. I sit in a comfy chair, just close my eyes and relish the beverage, focusing only on drinking it and soon I become oblivious to everything around me. It is a sensory journey that I undertake-I deeply inhale the aroma of coffee and imagine coffee beans in my mind's eye..Well, its a kind of meditation that I do. But the point is, at the end of my coffee-drinking, I feel much better- sadness vanquished.

My first 55 fiction

I have read many 55 fiction stories and wanted to try my hand at writing one. But  I was somehow hesitant for a long time. Today, I finally decided to give it a shot. Here goes:

They exchanged rings as a mark of marital union. Her face glowed with happiness as she cherished the moment. Stretching  out her hands to reach his, she touched something cold and hard. She opened her eyes to find her hands on the bedside alarm clock. Becoming his wife would always remain a dream for her.

Note: 55 fiction is basically a short story with exactly 55 words or less. Many people use surprise endings since the story is so short. For more info, check this link