Sarcasm is a Social Phenomenon

Time and again, sarcasm has been mankind’s behavioral predisposition as his tyranny on nature to unjustly abuse the powers of mind.  Such faculties have brutally pillaged us of fellow feelings to be our navigators in a social setup. A society is far deeper than just the evolution of humanity or a group of communities. As a structured system of human organization and communal conjugation, society means sustaining camaraderie to penetrate hearts with feelings like empathy and not cynicism or mockery. However, the amplitude of our mind like a magnet attracts the atrocious sooner than the admirable in any situation, which makes us susceptible to social impediments. 

As a spectacle of our identity and the jurisdiction of our mind, sarcasm is a parasite for co-existence that hurts most of us in the wrong place. It starts within families, extends to communities and wobbles societies. As a stubborn child, it is mulish on downgrading others through remarks, bitterness and derision to preserve the egotistic us. Sarcasm, as a habit grows on us and slowly separates us from our conscience. It routes us to a state where we find pleasure in criticizing, backbiting, fabricating truth, perjury and defaming others. Such infiltration of emotions and crossing over relationship territories disturbs alignments in kinship, co-worker efficacy, parent-child associations and familial accord, thereon pushing us to greater social imbalances like racism, gender discrimination and non-egalitarianism.

I remember somebody once invited me and my family over and while we were having lunch, the hostess ambushed me sarcastically. For a moment I let silence fill in. However, later on I could sense that somebody else’s nastiness as a motive to defame me was the basis for the hostess’s sarcasm. As a minute illustration therefore of how sarcasm works shows the ways we betray each other knowingly or unknowingly to scroll over pride and prejudices. Imagine our little children picking such damaging demeanor from us that could clog their positive personality development. Sometimes the whole idea behind sarcasm perturbs me for who knows that this may be the seed sown in young minds to instigate one’s fanatical character for terror and turmoil for humanity. As an anomaly from our inner identity, sarcasm secretly creates antagonistic pattern in a society to birth a phenomenon incurable for an ethical, impartial and equitable society. The decision to scion a new beginning hence is on us, now or never.

Copyright (c) 2009-2010 Dharbarkha.blogspot 
Photo Courtesy: Deviantart.com

Rise and Shine in 2010

 

As the clock strikes midnight and the famous ball drops down the Times Square in New York, love shall be ubiquitous and pervasive. This moment shall be euphoric across continents and oceans, beyond destiny and design, in destitution and opulence and in sickness and health. This amazing eternal flash would count us all one in a motley, a divine state where grace is shared and realized. Ushering into New Year this time, once again would be enthralling to live life brand new and an opportunity to shed the old us just like a soul that changes garbs through past lives.

A fresh day and a fresh year would be a beam of inner light and beacon of a dream where each of us connects within to connect with others. This envisage of a communion is what we need for brotherhood, peace and global unanimity. This dream today is a desire tomorrow and a predilection thereafter to cast away enmity, impartiality and injustice. Such propensity to preserving integrity and the entirety in humanity shall awaken us to mind, body and soul as one, an idiosyncratic of nature and mankind.

A new year is to rise with time and shine in its bout to see love as a foreknowledge to wholeness and a synergy of five elements that we are made of.  Such clasp of ourselves shall save us from chaos and calamities of man and machine that haggle with nature. A new date today should be worth virtues, kindness, Sacraments (Samskars) of truth and justice, abandoning treacherous ideas and practices, and giving up violence and abuse. Acceptance of such route in life does not mean renunciation of temporal pleasures of time. It instead is an avowal of supreme happiness, which is the hidden heaven in our hearts. Such beatitude is omnipresent, in the young and the old, in able and disabled, in man and woman and in you and me, the power of one heart, one mind and one soul. So let’s make this New Year horizon of the cosmos in reach of our hands the moment we place them on our heart to say a prayer to ourselves. This omen of triumph in our hearts is rise and shine of humanity and the birth of solemnity and sanctity in 2010. As T.S. Eliot, the famous poet and literary critic of the 20th Century once said, “For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice.”

Copyright (c) 2009-2010 Dharbarkha.blogspot 
Photo Courtesy: about.com

A Christmas By The Sidewalk

Every year the Christmas bells rhyme like the wind chimes to announce the breeze of a new beginning and a gust of light. White crystals of the yuletide bring along the bustle of life to swing in the nativity of grace. In this holiness, a drum roll to cheer, gaiety and jubilee is our jazz for the season. Amid this pizzazz and panache we loose sight of life’s grey colors, the ones that dwell by the sidewalk. Such achromatic state is a hue of suffering and despondency. A   nest without a shelter as the sad face of humanity nestles glory into gloom. As a cliché of lost hope, such sadness raises churning questions. The thought of an open air Christmas in the chills of the weather and without the warmth of a family or the sparkle of companionship, makes fervor a faceoff with survival.

As a jolt of life, loosing one’s abode is like bereaving a mansion of sentiments and emotions. Being homeless is neither crime nor bad karma. It also isn’t a social sarcasm but indeed our devoir to share opportunity to fill dearth. As a social reciprocal, it opens our eyes to vivacity in humanity and its many prodigious colors under the sun, the stars and the moon. Shiela McKechnie once quoted, “People who are homeless are not social inadequates. They are people without homes.” Such depression of spirits from crippled events of life makes one wandering for care and hope.  

This Christmas like each year is about sharing fervent with family, friends and all our loved ones. It’s about feast and festivities, radiance and wisdom, poise and prosperity. Most of all, it’s about giving back by feeding the hungry, clothing the needy and serving the ill. As the Bible quotes, “It’s more blessed to give than to receive.” Veiling the sorrow from Wall Street to Main Street through sharing uncountable blessings shall make Christmas a wreath of our existence. So let’s jingle with the bells in merriment of today and pray that tomorrow the world is a better place to jive, tomorrow we connect with each other as our cosmic brothers and sisters and tomorrow giving glee is grasping the serendipity of our soul. With discovering the many faces of Christmas and the uniqueness of it’s traditions in each heart at home or homeless, shall make this Christmas and every other a destination of joy, triumph and fulfillment.

Copyright (c) 2009-2010 Dharbarkha.blogspot
Photo Courtsey: edgeboston.com

A Pledge of Hope

The fingers of my hand dissimilar yet alike in their force to conjugate; leave me at ease when I join them with others to hold the light of hope. As cheer of joy, gloom of sorrow, pace of time and symphony of emotions, my fingers behold the calligraphy of my silence. Together as one, my hands share my right to truth and justice, opinion and action, respect and dignity that concoct change, spread peace and conformity to human race as single entity under diversity. My hands as the connection between fundamental thoughts and feelings synergize and energize me to us, a state of fervencies and sanguine. Together with these hands, I withhold courage and care, indulge in adventures, set free abhorrence and endorse the privileges of mankind to liberate ourselves from the epidemics of genocide and violation of Human Rights.  On this date of 10th December as World Human Rights day, my hands consort with the globe to protect this realm of its moral, ethical, social and cultural village. As the torch bearers of my conscience, my hands design a bout against torture and turbulence to protect humanity and preserve the sanctity of amity in our society. With this will and pledge, I support the strength of Aung San Suu Kyi (Myanmar), Rita Mahato(Nepal), Women of Atenco(Mexico), Birtukan Mideksa(Ethiopia) and many others known and unknown as fighters of rights since the universal declaration of Human Rights in 1950.
Copyright (c) 2009-2010 Dharbarkha.blogspot 

Photo Courtsey: Dryicons.com

Soul Search

My latest article Soul Search has been published in the Inner Voice section of The Hindustan Times,India's leading Newspaper.
Alternative link to the article Soul Search

Copyright (c) 2009-2010 Dharbarkha.blogspot

Kids Learn to Give Back

Walt Disney, the man behind the magical kingdoms believed that ‘our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children’ perhaps foundation to catch them young. Our children have innocent emotions that are often exhibited in their tranquil love, laughter and smiles and soulful hugs. They have tiny yet bountiful hands and bright eyes that illuminate our habitat. Children celebrate life through their propensity to compassion. Their imagination and spontaneity often expresses giving through sharing; be it snuggling with pets or feeding birds or even sharing their toys with friends. Lunchtime at school often deepens such emotion.

Encouraging this art of bestowing in our children at young age evolves a chance and not a choice to service. It helps them reach out to the under privileged and oppressed. An education to relinquish or service before self makes them independent and responsible adults worthy of capacity and character. Giving as the first lesson to philanthropy binds children in the cause for humanity. As soul’s comfort, giving promotes nobility in thoughts and actions and carves a route to mindfulness and contentment. Such lessons of life can shape our children as empathetic leaders tomorrow. It can integrate community kinship with better citizenship. As social cheerleaders, learning to give also keeps children away from pride and prejudices. It matures them to distinguish between real and fake, truth or false and needs and wants.

Our children are tomorrow’s time and their today should orient them to life’s roller coaster rides. Nurturing their giving aptitude today helps them learn that life is beautiful, as also deep. This can be learned looking at the homeless or orphans struggling to love and be loved or the starved in the slums and the ones abused and battered. This lesson of life by the sidewalk helps our children to understand the essence of balance and encourages them to share abundance to fill dearth. Such change at a nascent age would be a gratification with life tomorrow; a lesson difficult to adopt at older ages. 

 Our children as the seeds of hope for prosperity in humanity are vital links in the invisible chain that unites us all under the eternal roof. The holiday season is an occasion for all of us to knit together such emotions in our children so that enthusiasm and excitement of childhood is a right equally enjoyed by all kids. An initiative of the holidays can slowly be molded as a regular habit in children to confer at charities of their choice. Giving can nest in toddlers too by reiterating words like help, share, joy and bless. With giving and not just getting, our children shall see this world much bigger than just the love for their mommy and daddy in it.

A Walk Down Memory Lane

It was a chilly Saturday morning yet cars were driving into an elementary school parking lot. I saw men, women, children and even babies in their strollers ready for the countdown. It sure wasn’t a PTA meeting or a book fair or any event on the school’s calendar but obviously something so significant that people were gathered in strong numbers dressed in heavy jackets and rain boots for a cause. Perhaps this was a cue to their emotions and sentiments, as also to their mighty strength that led them stand upright in a crazy whether. As I walked towards the venue, I saw canopies with volunteers signing up people while few others offering hot coffee and refreshments. There were teenagers selling raffle tickets and a local radio station trying to jiggle up the crowd with some good music. The venue even had a kid’s zone and a man masked as a giant Red bird happily taking pictures with toddlers. This place resembled a fair where people gather for fun and good time but the event indeed was deeper than what it appeared to the naked sight. The badge that the attendees proudly wore said, ‘Be the voice of Change’ and nothing could have been a stronger advocacy for a cause than these people themselves as an intervention to change.

In this heap of energy there stood a banner that said, ‘We are on the move to end Alzheimer’s, not just an informational display but a gush of high spirits. It undoubtedly reflected Alzheimer’s Association’s perpetual combat with a human cause in order to keep hope alive and evolving. As I was moving ahead in the crowd, I got the opportunity to intermingle. I saw families and long term caregivers showing their unified courage and posterity for an Alzheimer free world. My mind suddenly experienced an inertia of thoughts to hear the somber sufferings of these care givers who underwent an emotional roller coaster while loosing their loved ones’ to an austere test of time and not just a disease. This event on the day of October 3rd marked no ordinary day in their calendars but a reminiscence of the past to convey that Alzheimer’s is not a parasite of the mind but a continued conflict of emotions.

It was undoubtedly a first hand experience for me to hear some heart-pinching cases of countenance to pain, depression and stress as these care givers remembered how mom/dad or a spouse underwent cognitive and emotional transitions after the onset of dementia. Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s is a disease commonly characterized as memory loss. It not only is a slow transformation in the patient’s memory, routine activities, physical and emotional health but also an alarm of an overwhelming remorse for their caregivers as well. This event on the day of October 3rd was an occasion when people from different walks of life came together not just to walk a mile or more on the constitutional trail but to release their fears and show a zest for life. Most families participating in the event had been care giving in the past and some were still fighting all odds to materialize resources and help for their loved ones. I could fairly sense past trembles in some of the voices and see the gloomy expressions on their faces as they tried to calm their yesterday. Most of them feared Alzheimer’s as it is genetic. Some of them even wish for a brighter tomorrow with a hope for its cure just like there is for cancer now.

In this ride through time I apparently forgot the chills from the blowing winds and the drizzle from the pouring clouds as care giver stories were wounding enough to encapsulate my mind. Hard to believe initially yet fatally true in this journey down memory lane, these people who shared their concerns on Alzheimer’s had experienced a sea of anguish. How could one imagine a daughter unfailingly trying to soothe a parent’s behavioral triggers not caring about her own vulnerability to stress? Or a wife losing her social life and companionship to a wave of demented life? My comprehension of these befalling accounts could possibly have been no way near comparison to these caregivers as ‘one who suffers knows it the most’. However as a human I have the right to share my compassion and empathize with intensity of pain named Alzheimer’s, a disease that grossly impacts somebody’s will to a dense and hearty life. I imagined had some of these loved one’s (mom/dad or spouse) been alive and active today, they would have enjoyed the joy of grand parenting or even seeking the charm of growing old with their spouse’s love.

With mixed emotions bundling up in my heart and a mind more inquisitive than ever, I spoke to some caregivers to feel in the stress that wears them out night and day while serving an Alzheimer’s patient. My discussions revealed that care giving for a disease like Alzheimer’s is an emotional toll that affects and influences the mind constantly through stress. It also drains out positive energy and sometimes may even build pent up feelings. However fortunately an event like Alzheimer’s Association’s Memory walk seemed just an appropriate outlet for calming emotions and renewing energy for caregivers to get back to action. It also facilitates expanding care-giving network between patient families and long-term care units. The event is a socialization medium and also a support group for like-minded people. Moreover Memory Walk also helps promote community kinship in a mission against a cause that seems indomitable in the present time. With an opportunity to contribute back to the society, it evolves volunteerism in young children and teenagers as they see their families’ struggle to shell out of the so-called Alzheimer’s cocoon. This event is also a tribute to the indelible loss that our community has suffered over the past years. Most importantly Memory walk conveys fellow feelings for the one’s who in this moment are lying tight fisted, immobile, unable to put their thoughts into words either on nursing home beds or as wander guards in their wheel chairs as if they were nomadic in their own community and country.

Truth remains that our mind is the habitat to our thoughts, emotions and actions. Any disease that takes away this right should not be a cause but a consequence that needs concurrence now. For Alzheimer’s Long term care or rehabilitation should be an option and not just the conclusion. This battle against Alzheimer’s is now two folds, generating hope to release patients/ families/caregivers from surmounted anxieties, as also finding a cure to keep the baby boomers away from the onset of a disintegrated life. The thought of nestling into a stage in life where one contends with their will to survive seems like an unjustified end. As I now try to close the chapter of 3rd October in my life, my mind would still toss with some unanswered questions. I shall try my best to move on, yet traces of this day and this event shall be a part of my memory for a long time.
Copyright (c) 2009-2010 Dharbarkha.blogspot