Category: Life

RIP Dolly Parton 🙏

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/dolly-parton-county-music-icon-dies-80-rcna236277

Dolly, Dolly, Dolly, Dolly!
There never was anyone like you,
There never will be anyone like you,
You were one of a kind,
You were very kind,
Bringing joy to fans and many alike,
There was so much to love and like,
Dolly, Dolly, Dolly, Dolly!

Little lady, Big pipes, Country music legend, Big heart, Great stature, Universally loved: RIP Dolly Parton 🙏 A life well lived. 👏

Flipped the script! 😊

Many monsoons ago it was a cloudy day. The sky was overcast and the Sun was trying to peep through the clouds. It was summer holidays time and just before the onset of the monsoon season. With time to kill and desire to get some fresh air I set out for a walk. My path took me through a wooded area. Saw couple of shadowy figures in the distance. It was the SiRash combo. Si a sicko 👎 and Rash his rash sidekick 👎. Both of them bullies, meaning they were insecure and cowardly, up to no good and always craving for attention. Known for imposing their views on anything and everything and acting like they were God’s gift to humankind. 👎 Anger, hatred and jealousy were their driving forces. 😡 They were always on the lookout to pick on someone. Generally picking on anyone who they thought wouldn’t respond or object to anything offensive said by SiRash. On occasions I would ask them to back off if I felt they were unfairly targeting a person they thought was vulnerable and too meek to respond. Let’s put it this way: We weren’t exactly close friends. I always wondered why folks who could drill some sense into them chose to remain silent. 🤔 Either they wanted to avoid trouble or were just glad not to be picked on. Whatever it is, if bullies are not confronted, they take it as a license and approval to carry on with their bullying ways. This day I was just interested in enjoying the weather, the cool breeze and natural surroundings. Was hoping that SiRash combo were also out for the same reason. No such luck, true to nature they started taunting me hoping to get me riled up. Soon we were in a wooded area where the canopy of the trees covered the entire road in shade. I was determined not to play into their hands by responding back. I walked briskly ahead of them even as the taunting continued. I think they were disappointed to not hear me say anything. A little further ahead of the wooded area the road forked. Just as I was about to take the right road I turned around. They were looking very expectantly for me to say something. Instead, I smiled and flipped the script by flipping a finger. 🖕 Message sent without a word said! 😂 I walked on the right road, and it was bright and sunny as if to indicate a small battle won. Disappointment writ on their faces they took the left road, which was still dark, covered by cloud. Groping in the dark and looking for their next target probably. I couldn’t care less!
Acknowledgements: Image for the story created using Google Gemini Nano Banana 2 using prompts

Generosity + Goodness > Greed + Grift + Graft!

Just when you are resigned to hearing and reading more news about greed, grift and graft 😡 comes a heartwarming story about generosity and goodness 👌that restores the belief
Generosity + Goodness > Greed + Grift + Graft!
You just feel like reaching out and giving a warm hug to the 88-year-old gentleman still working 8 hours/day, 5 days a week and applauding 👏 the efforts of the social media influencer and all the folks for their kindness and generosity to ensure that the nice, grandfatherly person can enjoy retirement 👍🙏

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ed-bambas-army-veteran-working-grocery-store/

Winner eats all? 🤔

No, I am not talking of Joey Chestnut even though I understand he again won the hot dog eating contest today (July 4, 2025) 😊. I am referring to the kings of eating, squirrels! This year I got a new bird feeder to replace the older one in our backyard. On day one I filled the bird feeder fully with seeds. Immediately, the squirrels and their smaller siblings, the chipmunks, started making merry and helping themselves to the seeds by jumping straight from the rocky ledge on to the bird feeder. 😀Within a day or two all the seeds were gone, nary a bird in sight. 😢To make it tougher for the squirrels I decided to move the bird feeder pole about couple of feet away from the ledge. To make it more difficult I also turned the hook for the bird feeder, pointing it towards the house and away from the ledge. Pretty soon, to my delight, the bird feeder attracted cardinals, finches and sparrows. 👏 For squirrels and chipmunks, access to the bird feeder required climbing up the pole and landing on the bird feeder. Couple of times I saw chipmunks climbing up the pole halfway to the top and then climbing back down as they were unsure of their ability to land safely on the bird feeder. Wow! I think the feeder is serving its purpose better, the birds are getting their fair share! 👍Alas, my celebration was premature. 😭 After some initial hesitation the bigger squirrels managed to gather enough confidence to climb all the way up the bird feeder pole, land confidently on the feeder and have a go at the seeds with gusto. As if to show off their acrobatic skills they started hanging upside down from the feeder base, like bats. 😂Those critters are a smart lot too! They realized that swinging the bird feeder releases the seeds from inside and spraying the seeds down on the lawn for a more leisurely meal later. Having mastered the art they finished off the seeds within a day or two. I was tempted to make it more difficult for the squirrels but then there are times when one has to applaud the winner and accept defeat gracefully. 🙏The squirrels had accepted my challenge and showed me what they are capable of to earn their reward! 👍So, I decided against moving the bird feeder again. Also thought the end result is probably a fair representation of the times we live in: The greedy grab all they can, leaving the needy staring in disbelief 😢🙏

Remembering Father: Requiem for a great man 🙏

Sad to inform that my father passed away early morning on March 3, 2025. He passed away peacefully at home with mother and me by his side after a brief stay in the hospital. He had been unwell for couple of months. He was 90. After a restless sleep overnight, his breathing was labored. To soothe him I offered a prayer of his favorite Hindu God, Lord Hanuman. By the time I had finished the prayer his life had either ebbed out of him or was very close to ebbing out. His eyes were open and had a glazed, distant look. When breath became air, his face looked calm and he was in a better place, free of pain, and ready to meet His Maker after living a long, happy and good life 🙏

An unassuming and helpful man, dad departed the earthly life just as he had lived: in a quiet, dignified manner. To me how much power a person has is not as important as using the power in a positive way. Dad used his power in many ways to effect a positive outcome. Whether helping out pensioners with their queries or help clear obstacles to help them get their money, using his power as a school committee member to make learning a better experience for students, helping deserving students get admission, helping qualified teachers get an opportunity to teach, or using the power vested in him, as a gazette officer recognized by the Government, numerous were the ways he helped out others quietly, without expecting any gain in return👍 A devoted family man, he made sure he always had time for us. Towards the end of his long and fruitful career he even removed himself from consideration for promotion as that would have meant staying away from the family. I can’t dream of doing even a fraction of the good deeds that dad has done. He was very active till about couple of months ago, leading a very simple and disciplined life. His routine involved visiting couple of temples early morning in the community where he lived, followed by prayers at home, for the welfare of family and peace and prosperity for all. As news of his passing away reached members of the community, relatives, family friends and even acquaintances the first reaction was one of disbelief. Many were saying the sight of him return from temples’ visit in the morning, greeting them warmly with a smile, while they were on their way to work was such a familiar sight it was taken a sign all is well and normal in the world.😊 Many were unanimous in praising dad for his humility, knowledge and wisdom, love for reading and writing, knowledge and love of South Indian classical music, his keenness to share and help, and support and encouraging words for all. It was wonderful to see the love, affection and respect so many people had for dad expressed so sincerely. Left me wondering if I ever thanked him enough for all the kindness he showered on me, if I ever said sorry enough times when I might have sounded unintentionally harsh (of course he was always magnanimous and forgiving as he understood the intent), if I ever said I loved him enough times for all the unconditional love I received. Those regrets will remain with me. 😭 I posted on FB and my blog knowing about his love for reading and writing and his eyes always brightened with delight seeing my posts as he read my posts and commented with words of praise and encouragement 😊I will miss that too 😭

In the present tense while I am struggling to recover from the shock of dad not being around physically, it’s been a flood of emotions and memories that I am still processing through. The toughest thing has been to mention or even think about dad in the past tense. For a long time, I had not shed tears and the past few days I have been finding my eyes getting moist/watery with emotion frequently and I have even burst into tears a few times. I realize I must stay strong for my mom. Dad and mom were married in 1962 and stayed happily married for 62+ years till the time it was literally “till death do us part”. In addition to being blessed with the protective hand of both parents over my head until now, I was blessed to be near dad past few weeks and help out mom and dad just a wee bit. Both mom and dad were so grateful just for my presence. Even as his health was in decline dad was more worried about him being a burden, just for needing a bit of help. This despite my reminding him it was nothing compared to all he had done for me and our family and actually feeling blessed to be near him. Can’t help wondering if passing away was his last selfless act, in a life full of them, to avoid being a burden on anybody 😭
Dad – You may be gone physically, yet you will always remain in our hearts and continue blessing us from above 🙏

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! 🎄

In keeping with the spirit of the season many cities and towns celebrate by putting up lights show for public viewing. 👍 Last week visited one locally in Madison, WI. As I drove around, little did I know that I was in for Capitol gains! 👏 Look at the picture and you will see what I mean! 👌

Was able to Capitalize on the opportunity by lining up the Capitol in lights with the actual Capitol building, the serene waters of Lake Monona acting as a great setting for the picture! Two trees, on either side of the Capitols, provided perfect frame for the picture! 👏 Couldn’t have asked for more! Hope your face lights up into a smile on seeing the picture. It sure did for me! 😊

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! 🎄

A century of journey! 🙏

Life is a journey. My journey began more than a century ago! Read on, if interested!

What does one do after more than 100 years of existence? Document the story of the journey, of course! 😊 My exact date of birth is not known but The Creator ordained 1915 as the year I appear in my current form. 🙏 It has been an interesting journey ever since. Let’s start from the beginning. The aviation age had just begun at that time, but I had a Rocky start. Nah, rocky not as in a rough patch, my journey began in Denver, at the foothills of the Rockies. I could very well have come into being in any other city or town, let’s say San Francisco or Philadelphia for example, but Denver is the place it was destined to happen. Humanity has witnessed 2 world wars since that time 😢and hopefully another world war doesn’t happen anytime ever. I remember people of that time telling me I was round-faced, bright and shining in my younger days. Maybe they were just being nice and polite, but I preferred to believe them. 😀 Over the years I have travelled coast to coast in the USA and everywhere in between. I have had experiences both good👍and bad 👎. I was too young to remember the First World War, but The Great Depression left a lasting impression. It was so severe I was left to pinching myself in disbelief during that period of time. 😭During the Second World War resources for the likes of me were limited and it took some steel to get through an especially tough year. I have also witnessed many boom times when there were opportunities and growth aplenty.👍 I am what my experiences made me. 🙏Some have treated me as if I were of no value while others have treasured me. 👏Stoic by nature I have gone about my life quietly, whether shunted into a corner or looked at with pride. Folks have found me to be bankable and it delights me to think I provided value. 🙏Non-political I am, nevertheless, I have the great Abe Lincoln’s image carved on me. 👌I would like to meet peers from my younger days but not many are in circulation anymore. I guess some are quite wrapped up in their own world and some may no longer be around. I wonder whether the youth of today will show respect or simply not be interested in our 2 cents if they see me with a peer of mine. Dull and boring I may appear now but I have aged reasonably well. Whether it’s the stress of modern times or a sedentary lifestyle I do not know, it’s sad to see that some of the younger ones of my kind have not aged well. Maybe it’s my constitution or just plain good luck, whatever it is I accept it gratefully.🙏One can’t be in mint condition forever, right? 😂I am now taken well care of by a person who respects my age and values the experiences I have gone through. It’s been a century of journey for me and even now I am readily available for anyone looking for some change! 😉For those interested in knowing who I am, I have been dropping crumbs of bread, made from wheat stalks etched on my being, all along the way to help you guess.😊 If the penny has not already dropped, let me reveal my identity: I am a humble, wheat penny minted in 1915! 🙏

P.S. Above piece is dedicated to numismatists and to all those whose intrinsic worth is more than what some others may think! 👍🙏