In the era of Xbox and PlayStation,
He wanted to play football for recreation.
.
In the era of Amazon Prime and Netflix,
She loved watching a magician perform his twisted
tricks.
.
In the era of Tinder and Bumble,
She craved a love story where they face each other,
stumble and fumble.
.
In the era of going to movies and coffee shops,
He preferred a walk with her around the block.
.
In the era of visiting exotic places like Paris and
Rome,
She eagerly waited to visit her Grandma’s home.
“Success is having money, power and fame,”
The brain exclaimed!
The heart, however, proclaimed,
“It is an altogether different ballgame.”
.
The brain asked in a confused and angry manner,
“What else is success apart from being rich and
having glamour?”
The heart replied with a stammer,
“Success is flourishing in doing what you like – be it
a nurse or a rapper.”
.
The heart continued, “Doing what leaves you
depressed
Causes you to obsess
Over money, and leaves you suppressed
Is definitely not success.”
.
The brain understood its folly,
Learning that success is more about being jolly,
Having a sound and healthy body.
Finding the utmost joy in happy occasions like
Christmas and Diwali!
But not about owning a Ferrari or a Bugatti!
All these stars,
They seem so far.
Yet the distance doesn’t bar them
From shining to the place where you are,
Bringing joy like someone playing a guitar!
.
So, why do you think
That you can’t create an impact
Through your small kind acts?
Leaving people enraptured
Even those with whom you have minimal contact
Giving your life a meaning so apt, so apt…
Spread love, not hate.
Don’t judge people for their height or weight,
Do not manipulate people at any rate,
And that’s how you become great!
.
Make others smile,
Every time you are with someone, make it worth their while.
Go the extra mile,
For those who, for you, would swim the Nile!
.
Filling people with delight,
Motivating them to take flight,
And being a guiding light
Such actions truly show your might.
Getting another slice of pizza,
Suddenly thinking of a beautiful story idea,
Finding out that the information you require is on Wikipedia,
All of these scream, “Eureka”!
.
Dancing along to your favourite song,
Talking to your best friends all night long,
And when you know that someone is lying but you play along,
These little things give joy, lifelong.
.
Going on a vacation after a tiresome few weeks,
Listening to your new sneakers squeak,
Learning new skills and techniques,
All of these give happiness in heaps.
.
Completing a long project,
Watching a movie with special effects,
Secretly enjoying when your loved ones over-protect,
All of these give beautiful memories to reflect!
.
They are the very source of enjoyment,
Making up life’s vital components,
So savour every one of these little moments!
Going through the photographs,
Sometimes inducing tears, sometimes a laugh.
Recording all memories, from the time he first boarded an aircraft
To the first time he saw a giraffe.
.
The vacations
To different locations
Be it beaches or hill stations,
Can be found in this image which reminds him of that place’s vibrations and sensations.
.
The nostalgia, the emotions
Leave him frozen.
Just look at his eyes, swollen,
Such were the moments, so golden.
Isn’t it beautiful listening to the sound of the rain?
Isn’t it fascinating thinking how the moon wanes?
Isn’t it lovely seeing the mountains covered with white snow?
Isn’t it pleasing to feel the wind blow?
.
Seeing the birds fly,
Having your dog come and sit nearby,
Looking at clouds in a clear blue sky,
All lifting your mood up high!
.
Who says beauty is found in material things?
Are gold and silver really needed to experience the joy life brings?
The athlete you look up to
Doesn’t earn your admiration because he is a Muslim, Christian, Sikh or Hindu.
.
The author you love to read
Doesn’t enthrall you because he belongs to a particular caste or creed.
.
The actor of whom you always keep track
Doesn’t charm you because he is white, brown or black.
.
The comedian whom you always find funny
Isn’t brilliant because he belongs to a particular country.
.
The song which gives you the most joy
Isn’t better because it is composed by a girl or boy.
.
When you have the same heart, skull and bones
Why do you regard people of other regions, religions and colours as unknowns?
If someone a few months ago had said that the whole world would come to a standstill and we would all be forced to practice social distancing, no one would believe it. No one would have fathomed the damage that a virus would end up causing in the coming months. The effect that the virus has had on humankind psychologically, economically and socially is probably unprecedented.
Economically, it is expected that the world’s GDP could shrink by as much as 8%. Millions of people have already lost their jobs and are finding it difficult to make ends meet. The demand for most businesses has gone down as people are only spending money on essential commodities. Consumer businesses have suffered a lot due to the lockdown with their earnings practically being nil during this period. Hardly anyone can be seen in malls, hotels and restaurants. Most employees in companies have had to take a cut in their salaries and wages. The stock markets in India posted some of its worst losses in history during the lockdown period with SENSEX falling by 4000 points and NIFTY falling by 1150 points in 1 day.
The poor had to and are enduring the worst during this period. Millions of migrant workers have lost their jobs and with no means of transport available to take them back home, they’ve had to walk hundreds of kilometres with their families to their respective villages and towns. Listening to such stories of hardships certainly breaks one’s heart! Added to that, governments of some states have revised labour laws to attract investment to revive the economy further adding to migrant labourers’ miseries.
Students have had to study through online means and those who do not have access to smartphones and the internet have lagged in their studies without any fault of theirs. They also have had to go through the stress of uncertainties of when and how their exams will be conducted with the virus showing no signs of stopping any time soon. On the positive side, many teachers have become tech-savvy and many ways have been devised to teach in effective ways.
Psychologically, the lockdown caused by the virus has affected each and everyone to at least some extent. Social distancing has induced loneliness in many and has led to more serious problems like depression and suicide. People, in general, seem to have become more frustrated and anxious because of their inability to meet friends and to visit public places with freedom. This has counter-actively led people to become socially-disobedient and irresponsible. Many have become obsessive and compulsive about sterilization and checking their body temperature. Again, the poor have suffered the most in this aspect because of financial uncertainties.
Not only humans but animals have also had to go through a lot of anguish. Humans have neglected their pets in the fear that they might spread the virus. Thousands of pets have no place to go due to this reason.
Hundreds of thousands of people have died already due to this virus not taking into account the deaths that went unreported. The virus has pointed out major loopholes in our healthcare systems. They have been unable to deal with the rising cases properly. As a result, people have died because they couldn’t get access to proper health facilities.
There have been some silver linings though. The air and noise pollution levels have come down quite significantly. Stars have once again become visible in the night sky. People have started interacting with their families more due to ample time that is available in their hands and thus developing stronger bonds. People have started trying new things like cooking and writing. It has made us appreciate our freedom more and has underlined the importance of our friends and families in our lives.
Let’s hope that the pandemic ends soon and we can all return to our normal lives once again!
Getting out of one’s comfort zone,
Trying out travelling alone,
Making decisions that are risk-prone,
Is no doubt difficult – like trying to live without a phone!
.
Often leads to breakdowns,
Often makes one look like a clown
And often makes one frown.
.
But then if one doesn’t live for these things,
They are just like a bird without wings.
Even if their day-to-day life doesn’t sting,
They miss out on life and all that it brings.
