Tag from facebook

Place an X by all the things you've done and remove the X from the ones you have not, then send it to your friends (including me).

Things you have done during your lifetime:
(X) Gone on a blind date
(X) Skipped school (or college)
(X) Watched someone die
() Been to Canada
() Been to Mexico
() Been to Florida
() Been to Hawaii
() Been to Australia or New Zealand
() Been to Europe
(X) Been on a plane
() Been on a helicopter
() Been lost
() Gone to Washington, DC
() Swam in the ocean(floated:))
() Seen the Sequoias and/or Redwoods
() Cried yourself to sleep
(X) Played cops and robbers
() Recently colored with crayons
() Sang Karaoke
(X) Hiked up a mountain
() Paid for a meal with coins only
() Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
(X) Made prank phone calls
() Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
() Caught a snowflake on your tongue
() Danced in the rain-naked
() Been skinny dipping in a pool or a hot tub (Creek)
() Written a letter to Santa Claus
() Been kissed under the mistletoe
() Watched the sunrise with someone
(X) Blown bubbles
() Gone ice-skating
(X) Gone to the movies
() Been deep sea fishing
() Driven across the United States
() Been in a hot air balloon
() Been sky diving
() Gone snowmobiling
() Lived in more than one country
(X) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
() Seen a falling star and made a wish
() Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
() Seen the Statue of Liberty
() Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
() Camped in the Mountains
() Camped on the Beach
(X) Been on a cruise
(X) Traveled by train
(X)Traveled by motorcycle
(X) Been horse back riding
() Ridden on a San Francisco CABLE CAR
() Been to Disneyland OR Disney World
(X) Truly believe in the power of prayer
() Been in a rain forest
() Seen whales in the ocean
() Been to Niagara Falls
() Ridden on an elephant
() Swam with dolphins
() Been to the Olympics
() Walked on the Great Wall of China
() Saw and heard a glacier calf
() Been spinnaker flying
() Been para sailing
() Been snow-skiing
() Been to Westminster Abbey

Complaint Box

Disclaimer: This and quite a majority of my posts will be lengthy and may seem like without a point. Kindly feel free to not read and move on with your lives. I shall not be responsible for any disputes whatsoever.

We all, as civil animals, have to express our displeasure with either how the world is or how it is run or how people behave or why the decision taken by the next person was wrong. I believe that as human beings we take the liberty of thinking rationally and applying logic to all that happens, which I am more than happy that we are able to. But the thing that unceasingly amazes me is how we alter our perception according to our needs.

The funny thing is selective perception. We all know it exists as much as the air that we breathe and we all know how it works. One's understanding of anything, be it an event, incident, decision, anything at all is based on our knowledge about the subject matter as acquired independently and the background that may be specific to that particular situation. Then one takes all that data and makes information out of that which we can in crude terms call it one's understanding of the subject matter. This is where selective perception comes into play. The understanding can swing either way in all the possible 24 dimensions.

It must be fair and acceptable that every individual is to make out of it whatever suits the individual. Now, this may or may not have taken into consideration the point of view or the conditions that the other party or parties involved in that matter.

For the first part of my rant, let us go with the assumption that the conditions of the other party have not been considered. OK, may be that's a handicap that should be allowed when someone creates an opinion of this party or the event or decision and decides to criticize it. But then is that fair on the other party to be commented upon or looked at with an opinion without even giving the party the benefit of a fair trial of sorts? Just because one does not understand all the factors, does it make ignorance OK? Does the phrase "Ignorance is bliss" hold good for all?

For the second part of options, let us say that one does know the conditions or the factors that are behind the event or the situation. But then does one try to understand them and make what Edward de Bono calls a "Free Choice"? More often than not, it is the case.

What I am not able to come to terms fully with is not even the lack of investigation into any situation before forming an opinion about it. It is the the lack of intention even to find out why the situation is what it is in the first place.

Have we all forgotten the basic intention behind a Post Mortem? That it is to learn from and not to accuse and blame the cause? That it is to try and better the lives of everyone, though not directly related to the situation? That it is not to put someone on a pedastel and point fingers and award the decapitation sentence that is so full and final?

All this may sound as though someone has been wronged in the deepest sense. Quite possibly, even though I may be unaware of it. My, for the lack of anyother apt word, grouse, is with the small little things that people take and complain about not having the perfect life. Why can't we adapt ourselves to the situation and help make everyone's life a little peaceful? What gives us the right to complain about small little things when we ourselves do not do the right thing most of the times?

Is there any of us who will take a moment to consider things before reacting? I do not say that we accept the wrong being done to anyone. But can we not, with small things, think calmly and try and find out what really happened? We don't gain anything by either worrying, yelling, accusing or pointing fingers.

Yes, I sometimes get irritated and sometimes amused when I see this happening all around me. It is only sad that people let very small things affect their lives considerably. The sadder part is education does not seem to be helping out any in this either.

The words of a friend "Kya hoga iss desh ka?" said in a very casual tone comes to mind. Indeed!