It was my neighbour's sons first day of first standard. He was super excited about it and came dashing into the room to show off his new school uniform and school bag. After a short excited and animated conversation about minions and school buses he asks -

-| An Unschooling Reflection|- 

It was my neighbour's sons first day of first standard. He was super excited about it and came dashing into the room to show off his new school uniform and school bag. After a short excited and animated conversation about minions and school buses he asks - 

"What do you think I'm going to learn in school today?"

Without pause I answer, "You're going to learn how to sit still in a desk for long periods of time and watch the clock."

Months later I still find myself wondering if I should've or shouldn't have been so direct and honest.

-| Fooling |- 

"It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled."~ Mark Twain

-| Prayer |-

"The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays."

~ Soren Kierkegaard

-| Living Sincerely|- 

I recently was reading about  how Thoreau had changed his name from David Henry to Henry David. I wanted to find a passage where Bly talks about the name change but like usual I was sidetracked and read this passage instead. It is about what it means for a human being to 'live sincerely'. I hope we all remember it in times of need. 

"To live sincerely is to live your own life, not your father's life or your mother's life or your neighbors life; to spend soul on large concerns, not to waste your life on your neighbor's life; not to waste your life as a kind of human ant carrying around small burdens; and finally, to live sincerely is to 'live deep and suck out all the marrow of life,' as Thoreau declares in "Walden." (Pg.25)

I hope I remember it in times of need.

-| Two Monks Story |-

"In a famous Zen story two monks are walking together and come to a river. A beautiful woman is standing there trying to figure out how to get across. The older monk offers to help and picks her up and carries her. Later, as the two monks resume their stroll, the younger says, 'I thought we weren't supposed to have contact with women.' The older monk replies, 'I put the woman down long ago, but you're still carrying her.'

"The lesson usually drawn from this story is, do what you have to do and move on. From a typical spiritual point of view, the monk picks up the woman and then lets go. No attachments, no complications, no worries.

"But disturbing reflection can be a good thing. Even inner conflict and worry inspire the need to sort things out. In my interpretation of the story, the young monk who can't stop thinking about the woman would become the teacher. He's more human and has the capacity to carry his experiences for a long time and worry about them. In a way, the story contrasts spirit and soul, and I favor the soulful young man."Thomas Moore, Pg. 115

It was a refreshing and a relief to read this excerpt this morning. I've heard this story a few times and I've always looked at it from the spiritual point of view. I'm glad Thomas Moore gave us his perspective from the soul's point of view. I spent a lot of my childhood worrying and full of inner conflict, and to have a licensed psychologist acknowledge that this it isn't a genetice defect or something that needs to be fixed is a huge relief.

-| Hope |-

Lately, I've been thinking about a quote by the Alan Watts.
Here is the quote: "... modern civilization is in almost every respect a vicious circle. It is insatiably hungry because its way of life condemns it to perpetual frustration. ... the future is still not here, and cannot become part of experienced reality until it is present. Since what we know of the future is made up of purely abstract and logical elements -- inferences, guesses, deductions -- it cannot be eaten, felt, smelled, seen, heard, or otherwise enjoyed. To pursue it is to pursue a constantly retreating phantom, and the faster you chase it, the faster it runs agead. This is why all the affairs of civilization are rushed, why hardly anyone enjoys what they have, and is forever seeking more and more. Happiness, then, will consist not of solid and substantial realities, but of such abstract and superficial things as promises, hopes, and assurances." Alan Watts, in The Wisdom of Insecurity, 1951 

I've heard many people say they are happy because they have hope. But isn't hope as Watt's says some "abstract and superficial thing" we cling to get through our days? How can you be happy with something that is abstract and not real? 

-|Magic|-

I don’t think I can ever be a writer. You know like the ones who can conjure a superb story - weave it to create layers, length and transport you to an altogether different world.

My first favorite writer was Enid Blyton. I love her; still do – for her writing, for the magic and for helping me create my love for books. My parents have read me many books before I could start reading on my own – for they are avid readers as well. They inculcated and nurtured the habit of reading, referring and interpretation.

My first impression of a book is a hard bound copy of ‘The Famous Five’. I have read it innumerable times - imagined and lived that part of the group where we solved the mysteries. I never liked dogs back then but I used to pretend that I love them – well, the Famous Five wasn’t complete without the dog!

I used to impatiently wait for the library class every week where we weren’t allowed to borrow more than one book! I was utterly delighted when my parents enrolled me to another library which was in the neighbourhood– where I could borrow 3 books at a time  - and it’s added bonus – I could go to the market on my own! ( Now that was a big thing for a 7 year old !!! )

I have read many authors – both of Indian and foreign origins. Some were able to create that magic, some weren’t.