A Child's angst. 236

Bystander decided to revisit his old haunt and took a seat on a vacant bench in the park.  Searching around for a familiar face or two, he spotted the child, with a far-off look and a bulging school bag keeping company, in solitude. He was unable to place the child in the twilight zone of 'tweens or a teenager. Conflicting thoughts out of curiosity and concern taking a whirlwind tour in the mind, for the child disturbed him. At this point he could not decide whether to approach the child and talk it out or allow the child’s own thinking to run its course.

He managed to get a glimpse of the face and it was devoid of any telltale sign revealing the child’s inner turmoil. A little later the child left the park, leaving Bystander thinking, “Here goes out my anticipated serenity”. With a sigh, Bystander got up and left thinking about the face that would keep haunting him till the issue and a solution get worked out. No doubt, this could take many attempts to bring the child on to a friendship platform.

Not to spare any effort, he visited the park, Monday to Friday, to watch and be seen by the child. He reflected on many scenarios to decide on the best approach with the child and reason out without raising any alarm. Slowly a plan gelled in his mind. Unwilling to prolong the impasse, much longer, he decided to get into action. During the next visit, he moved over and sat on the vacant seat, beside the child. Taken aback by this sudden intrusion, confusion and consternation took the center stage on the child’s face. 

Bystander sat quietly, sporting an endearing smile, admiring the facial expressions on display. He thought, if empathy cannot break the ice, what else could do it? Unable to hold it any longer, the bottled-up emotions of the child gushed out in a torrent of anguish, breaching the mental barriers. “The alarm never fails to do its thankless job of announcing yet another morning, opening a flood gate of parental instructions. From 'get up to hurry up or you will be late', they spew instructions and reminders like a machine gun. Don't they ever get tired of repeating the same things every day? Instead, why not tack few stick-it-up notes on the fridge door, to save vocal energy? Whom shall I blame, obviously not the alarm?

A different set of instructions and reminders are delivered in the classrooms - read chapter 3 and do the sums under 3.2.1; draw parts of a flower and label them; complete the project work on ‘The flower and honeybee ’prepare a chart on ‘Agents of environmental pollution’; note down homeworks for the week.... The saving grace is PT periods, provided the coach is not on leave or does not loan it to another teacher for completing pending lessons. Is there fun in my academic life?

Back at home, the grandparents take over, for change with conciliatory tones- change your dress; finish your snacks and homework; keep school bag ready for tomorrow; keep your I D handy and shine your shoes, etc. - the morning ritual gets repeated in another chaotic order. When both the grandparents are present one plays cool and the other blows hot. Somehow, they alternate their roles and leave me guessing which one would support me on that particular day. Both have been schooled by their parents and have schooled their children. Why can’t they give the grandchildren some space? 

A little T V play, and time eases the stressed-out mind into relative calmness. But like a good run coming to an end, parents come home with their pending works and unspent irritations from workspaces. They take turns to bombard me with questions and happenings. Can they not wait till the end of programme.? They don’t tolerate interruptions, yet they do not mind doing it, why? When heated exchanges start, the grandparents perform a vanishing act, choosing to go for a walk in the park! I can also ‘chat back’ and if this happens will it be pleasant to hear? 

A moment of introspection will show them the mirror – the parents of my grandparents would not have goaded them like this; the parents of my parents would not have driven them on in this scale. And why now they all gang up and pressurise me? If any of them are really concerned about my mental health, they should go easy and allow me to have a good night’s rest everyday” 

At last, the monologue came to an end. Bystander understood the peer pressure and regimental approach as the root cause for the child’s anguish and agitation. The moving narrative made him feel like a witness watching an extra-long goods train hurtling through a sleepy town. He could well imagine this child being the guard on the train, unable to do anything but to wait for the arrival at a marshalling yard.

A child’s mind can take only so much and no more of the same, day in and day out. And has its consequence - like the paper, on which a word is repeatedly underlined, finally ends up torn. The constant reminders and exhortations from parents, teachers, and grandparents left his mind wondering, "Is childhood so painful; a student’s life devoid of fun and individuality?” The scales the parents, teachers, and grandparents use to compare are outdated and nonstandard.  Why do they not want to recalibrate them? Is it fair the grownups conveniently ignore the mismatch, in the guise of experience? Delicate matters like this should it not be handled like a bomb squad trying to deactivate an explosive device? 

Bystander’s felt helpless. He was stunned by the way the child expressed anguish and frustration, the manner and language belying age. The child appeared intelligent and full of vitality and this disillusionment troubled him deeply. Careful thinking gave him an idea. Selecting an approach that would easily appeal to the child, he decided to address all the points, instead of rushing with advice or pep talk. "Elder's advice /reminders are like good things that come attached with some strings. The strings are not to tie you in knots but to guide. The teachers have no other mission other than to impart education with the sole aim is to prepare you to step into the world and manage on your own! They are only discharging that duty, though you might feel otherwise. 

Ask yourself this question, "What are they gaining in this process"? Parents exert themselves to feed, clothe and shelter everyone in the house. It is their anxiety and missed opportunities that make them repeat the list of do’s and don'ts and nothing else. Like you, they too must want a good night's sleep. 

Think about It! Grandparents are doing the same, by volunteering to take over monitoring duties and make you to feel at home after school hours. Is it not helping you and your parents? Is it right to say that they go away from the scene as you mentioned earlier. In reality, are they not trying to help your parents to have alone time with you? Just think like this. You are determined and have the will to do everything they keep on reminding you with. 

A little bit of understanding from you will be the key. You will be surprised and will find it so easy to make everyone pleased. In the end all of you will benefit from a good night's sleep!”

At the end Bystander asked, “Think about this. Would a novelist abandon a principal character midway through the narrative?”

Brahma stunned 235

Whenever Chitragupta appeared in person, alarm bells definitely started to ring with bad vibes. And as the Creator, he is the de facto receiver of bad tidings. 

Brahma could not believe any of his eight ears. All were hearing the same unbelievable news just delivered by Chitragupta. The cryptic message was about servers in Dev Lok crashing frequently. Chitragupta hinted that the source of the trouble lay centered in the " Portal of Boons" a highly recommended and vigorously popularized gateway to send appeals seeking clemency, boons or a little luck.

He mentally commended Chitragupta for understanding the import of the message and choosing to directly whisper it into his ears. Brahma hoped and believed that Chitragupta did not harbour any evil design to bite off his earlobes and sat still till transmission was completed. He pitied Chitragupta. The poor fellow had to do it eight times to ensure total secrecy. When Chitragupta withdrew to a safe distance, he heaved a sigh of relief, after ascertaining the health of his earlobes.  

One’s misery is another’s opportunity. The Earthlings, never to miss out on a chance to bring home a cash cow, took to this heavenly gateway like fish to water. The enterprising ones started dedicated e-way cafes to exploit the boom. The fickle and feeble minded public willingly became fodder for the cash cows. As a result, the terabytes traffic jumped all the way to yottabytes, heavily overloading the system. The Dev Lok servers simply quit and went kaput. After deciphering Chitragupta’s cryptic message, Brahma could only agree with this assessment.

At this point a messenger from the Grand Council rushed in to inform Brahma about the volcanic eruption currently spewing out in the meeting hall, requiring urgent presence. Now with the ticking bomb shoved into his ears and the messenger's battleground update, he let his mind race to work out the best way to deal with the message of the 'far reached' consequence. 

He wanted to hit the roof in anger but the gentle smile on the face of Chitragupta brought home the truth that he will be endangering not one but four of his own heads in one go. Who else but the devoted Chitragupta would be suitable to get to the root of the problem? As if reading his thoughts Chitragupta silently handed over a bunch of documents into his hands. 

Then he started to worry about ways to convince the Grand Council of gods? Again, Chitragupta pulled out another dossier with hints for managing the current crisis and quietly withdrew from the scene. Brahma hurried down the corridors, all the while churning out and rejecting the opening remarks that will sit well with the Grand Council.

He recollected, with misgivings, a past incidence when the Council Members became so agitated and vented their frustrations on decorative artifacts. He mused, when humans could have godly nature why not the gods show some of human nature? He only hoped that a better decorum would prevail when confronted with this current crisis.

He never had to fight for a seat; it was kept reserved for him. Other Council Members envied it as a perk, but Brahma knew it as a peril. His quick glance revealed long faces of seated Council Members staring at him, presenting a ghostly sight. 

Brahma had already decided to go on offensive and blame the Council Members, one by one, for inviting the elephants and camels into the room. His question, hit all of them where he intended it to? He followed it up with a sharp comment - for what else but to project your individual image as clear-all, close-all and be-all beings to double the pain of hurt.

Then he proceeded to distribute a compilation of cause and effect specific to each Council Member. Those who have been used only for exposure to limelight, suddenly found themselves under intense scrutiny of searchlight. He watched their already ghostly faces turning more ghostlier with understanding.  In the meanwhile, he glanced through the second dossier noting the bullet points:

1 Embed circuitous routes to access and log in the appeal.

2.At the end before activating SEND button, make the applicant to fill the displayed format a number of times (applicant or the cafe' operator will lose patience and quit).

3.Infest with a bug that routinely reverts the appeal, a few times, back to the originating system itself.

4.Install a wicket gate, as another bug, for the portal to filter out repeated appeals from the same person or cafe' as rejects.

5. Shut down the Portal on New Moon, Full Moon, Solar and Lunar eclipse.

6.If all else fails, announce a moratorium and prescribe that boons should be granted by gods only after rigorous due diligence.

At the end of reading, he had nothing but admiration for Chitragupta’s grasp and clarity. Second time within a short interval, he mentally thanked Chitragupta, for this explosive idea, outlined in the dossier. But a feeling of unease crept in as he perused the dossier, whether Chitragupta would outsmart him one day. 

Nothing of that sort of thinking lingering in his mind, Chitragupta fervently hoped that his Boss would hammer home these action points. He did not pause to think whether these suggestions will be considered and any of them will be accepted and hoped that these action points, if taken together, would lead to a permanent solution. Piloting these action points, from now on, will be Brahma’s headache.

For once, Brahma had the Council Members squirming in their seats. Moments coalesced and grew and kept on growing. The Council Members, struggling to bury their egos and hatchets, silently exchanged glances gathering support for whatever solution Brahma proposed. Sensing imminent unanimity, Brahma seized the opportunity and navigated them through these action points. He was not surprised when he heard a chorus of affirmative shouts. 

If Chitragupta brought forward a problem, he had solutions to deal with it unlike Yamadharmaraj who was synonymous with only problems. He had no qualms in giving Chitragupta a little leeway as long as it did not embolden him to become loose cannon.  Though it would be a third mental thanks, in a short time, he felt Chitragupta's acumen and foresight deserved it. 

Complex in the Q 234

 Human nature is a fascinating subject, and the behaviour depends on the condition whether the individual is alone or part of a crowd. Bystander did not understand the science and the scientists behind this phenomenon. This did not deter him from trying to do his bit of study, notwithstanding his doubts whether he could be a judge of such predispositions. Not the one to stand aside, he decided to undertake a fieldtrip to glean some perspective, even if it turned out to be lopsided or biased.

He readied a list of possible locations to observe the behaviour of an individual in a crowded environment. Making the list was easy but choosing from among them proved daunting but decided on two, as most promising, locations for his maiden sample survey. As luck would have it, these locations had seamless connection between train ticket booking counter and a temple city. He was sure that in both the locations, people would be standing in queues and presenting ample opportunities to observe the behaviour of an individual in such an environment.

Got the ticket or not?

The Railway ticket booking counter never fails to present an opportunity to observe the behavior of an individual in a trying situation. Like an ornithologist patiently waiting to spot a rare species of bird, Bystander took position, leaning on to a support column at the entrance, with a clear view of queues and booking counters. Within minutes, his eyes started recording the frantic movements of a gentleman.

After entering the ticketing area, this gentleman stopped in his tracks as he found a long serpentine queue, in front of every counter. He spent a few seconds, in each line to find out the Q which moved faster than others. A peek at the counter dismayed him no less. Some of the passengers thought that the counter operated on single window mode, as like in banks, started seeking details about train timings, fares or similar such information. Some others tendered higher denomination currencies for the negligible fare amount or tried to search in various pockets to come up with assorted coins to top up the exact fare.

To his bad luck, whichever counter he selected to join, he remained at the end of the Q. The combined effect on the Q affected its forward movement like that of a goods train sidelined for a superfast express to pass. Frustration slowly building up, this gentleman started to move slowly ahead in the line, towards the counter. This journey did not last long as murmurs and protests made him to backtrack.  He started the search for a kindhearted person to help him out to get a ticket. He even offered the exact fare for the ticket, to bring around that person assuring a hassle-free transaction.

Irritated standees, in the Q, started to shout and threatened a fracas. This only aided to redouble his efforts to quickly conclude the deal. As there are con artists, there are suckers too. Falling prey, a person standing second near the counter obliged. This gentleman, ticket in hand then turned around and surveyed the long Q with a “You all saw how I managed it” look!

Bystander watched this with disdain and decided to end the episode with the following multiple-choice endings, for the reader to choose from-

(1) When the helping hand approached the counter, the ticketing clerk unceremoniously downed the shutter and declared a break. (2) The commotion in the Q, brought security personnel to the spot and pushed the helping hand and the gentleman back into the Q. (3) The helping hand by mistake interchanged the ticket and boarded his train with a ticket for a wrong destination, leaving this Q avoider to curse himself.

Faith and fruitless:

Bystander’s second choice was a busy tourist cum pilgrimage destination. He was eager to observe how disciplined the visitors would be inside the temples. The tourists cum devotees had different perspective and, in a hurry, to take it in an orderly fashion. Either because of deep faith or due its location in a popular tourist spot, this temple had become famous. Probably this led the tourists to visit temples as pilgrims.  The word to mouth that the presiding deity here ranked more benevolent than other deities residing in less popular temples. Residents and floating population made a beeline to this temple on auspicious days. As a result, this pilgrim found a large crowd converging at the entrance, creating a near stampede.

The fast-paced life left them with little or no time or patience to wait in a Q. Temple management, never failed to seize such opportunities to earn more revenue, arranged   for ordinary to very special Dharshan (dynamic rates - more crowd, higher admission fee) and promptly organised maze-like queues. After looking at the thronging crowd, the presiding deity started to wonder how to grade the boons bestowed to be? Cyclic, just like the phases of moon; full of grace on auspicious days and average to low on other days!

Once in the Q, this pilgrim’s fingers itched to get in touch with people on cell phone. Mind fully occupied with worries about the safety of footwear left outside the temple premises or availability and quality of food in a crowded restaurant or the scheduled time of departure, he looked at the Q in front of him. The Q that was either moving at snail’s pace or not at all, urged him to do something, to find a way forward. The inspired pilgrim took the tentative first steps by sliding forward overtaking a few standees and waited for them to protest. With none resisting this tactical maneuver, he boldly tries to sneak in to the adjacent rows, one at a time. He ignores a few low-key murmuring voices, all the while plotting his next move. 

After jumping the Q by two or three rows, without any compunction, he managed to gain some seniority. Realising that it might be the last transgression the other devotees might permit, the pilgrim desists from further attempts. When he reached the sanctum sanctorum, the temple staff singled him out and did not allow him to linger long in front of the deity. It was a photo finish even before the flash bulb could go ‘pop’! The deity chuckled at the devotee who the other day was so angered when someone else superseded him for a promotion! The deity then glanced at the moon’s phase, before deciding to bestow - a full or half or nil boon on this devotee! 

Bystander felt ashamed that he too had to move along with the errant devotee, but he silenced his conscience with the reason that it was the only option to capture the movement and triumph of the queue breaker. He felt relieved, as if he had evaded an ambush all intact, when finally, they exited from the temple complex. The devotee, satisfied with this accomplishment, hurried out looking for an opportunity to repeat the jump – manoeuver in another Q line in another temple.

Though Bystander admired the audacity of the queue breaker, he decided to make him to pay for his act with not so happy endings-

(1) The temple is just getting closed for the scheduled break as the devotee nears the entrance (2) Special security arrangement are in place and the devotee had no chance for intrusion (3) He runs out of time to reach the boarding point and he forgets to collect his footwear (4) Waits for his train at the wrong platform as he missed to pay attention to the announcement regarding change in platform.

Not satisfied with the O Henry type twists he had added, Bystander thought about doing the following, as a follow up action.

The malady-

Everyone seems to be in a hurry and love personal freedom. Jumping the Q or at least thinking about to do so happens almost as natural as blinking of an eye. Nobody has the time to think that there are other such individuals.  They too are in hurry and have similar inclination, intent and freedom to move ahead. In this scenario, how an individual deals with the inner conflict - appeasing the troubled mind by recalling/reciting the democratic norm “All are equal, but I am more than the equal?”

 The cure-

What is the solution, when everyone clamours to claim the more than equal status? Finding more reasons to make them stand in a Q which forgets to move, and gives no option to jump, may help to put an end to this urge. Collecting a hefty fine on the spot in the Q itself will make people to think twice before trying the trick. The above punitive measures will generate employment for more staff as Q minders, a public-public partnership!

Park Bench Assembly-Session 1: 233

The park bench and Bystander go a long way as he is a frequent visitor. It is inevitable that many faces become familiar and over a period of time, some of them become acquaintances and strike friendship. The purpose of this gathering is to relax and recharge their weary batteries from the humdrum travails of life. In course of time, their attention gets gradually diverted to discuss topics of varied interests. They decided to conduct the proceedings of this assembly, without interruptions such as protests, walkouts or suspension. It is their prerogative to desire what they want, is it not? 

Being a careful person, Bystander mostly tried to avoid joining the chorus, preferring to hear from the side lines. Sensing this aloofness, the speakers tried to draw him into these routines, somehow or other. While a group openly tried to breach the barrier, another one attempted to find hidden triggers that might work. Bystander managed to thwart the open attempts but failed to foil the efforts of the ‘hidden trigger’ diggers.

This digger group’s findings turned out to be simple. Any topic that has been blindly accepted and followed would likely trigger and compel Bystander to participate in their ongoing discussions. Furthermore, they found out that this irresistible compulsion in him is as natural as the attraction of the opposite poles and assured positive results. In earnest they started to line up topics, which Bystander could not resist to respond. With a collective heave of long drawn sighs, they got ready to prove their assumption. 

One of the friends pressed the first trigger by extolling the virtues of being religious. Another person joined with a statement regarding the lack of respect to the scriptures and the scientific wisdom they contained, especially from the Science and Technology community. Few more lent their supporting voices to reiterate, by pointing out that all the modern-day advancements have roots in these scriptures.  

Bystander could not keep to himself now. He joined the discussion to put across his perspective and said,” Religion and Science are parallel paths aiming to reach truth through enlightenment. Here I am using enlightenment, in a broader sense, as a means to get clarified and not mystified. It is imperative that both practitioners should inquire without bias or fear of criticism. If religion is a sacred belief or concept, Science along with Technology is the medium that gives you the proof; helping you to understand and appreciate. Science strives to prevent it from becoming a mere blind faith. They are inquirers and not inquisitors.”

Feeling this dose of verbal medicine to be a bit strong, someone in the group decided to change the topic only to activate another trigger as bait. He narrated the harmful influences the modern inventions and gadgets have brought to every household.

Having opened up, Bystander could not allow this blame on Science and Technologies to pass without expressing his views. He looked at the speaker and said, “Their purpose is to help and not to hinder. Only those who, without inquiring into the range of benefits and pitfalls, readily adopt assimilate and suffer. Communication, travel, medicine and a host of other fields, which we take for granted or expect to be delivered, are they at all possible without these technologies? What a Face book and WhatsApp parents expect to beget other than LinkedIn kids! Is it fair, but a convenient excuse to hide our ignorance and bias, to blame it all on these enabling technologies?”

As soon as he finished speaking, his cell phone started to vibrate stridently. He stood up and moved a little distance away answering the caller, signalled that he has to go home and will be back tomorrow. Sporting a broad smile, his park mates congratulated each other for finding and using the trigger s to change an onlooker to a participant. They hope to do so again and again, not to tease but to make their assembly sessions vibrant, without creating any hard feelings. For their part, the friends understood that Bystander was only expressing his views with no intent to compel or intimidate. Bystander too felt happy that his friends listened to his views with an open mind.

Oh, Man what a dream! 232

The heavenly abode was becoming a place of boredom for Him. With no soldiers to lead in wars and no bad demons to fight against, Ganesha was increasingly becoming restive. And to add to His woes, the pot belly was weighing down more heavily, hampering His movements. His ride, the Mouse had been voicing complaints about the increasing difficulty in carting around the extra burden. In all temerity, his ride even demanded swift action, though aware of His master’s handicap. 

The Doctors in the multi-specialty hospitals, wearing fancy coats, in Devlok have already lifted their collective hands, in despair. Ganesha dismissed their suggestions that He could visit Earth and consult with Doctors, for the nth opinion. He had grouses and reasons for refusing to do so. On Earth, nowadays only a handful of people cared to pray to Him and break the customary coconuts on the eve of His birthday. Students throng during exams, job hunters before interviews and all of them for any other special appeals. 

He was doubly unhappy that many of His idols were kept carelessly in the open and not housed in good shelter and the rituals of bathing, clothing and garlanding given a pass. This act of wanton neglect of believers left Him simmering with anger which only resulted in severe headache and sleepless nights. The fact that the prescribed medicines did nothing to kill the headache added fuel to His anger. His consorts could not find enough convincing arguments and reasoning to make Him understand that times have changed, and He too need to change. 

Their repeated lectures infuriated Him more and drove Him to direct His exasperation at a single source of know it all – Google search> and >Wikipedia>or> any other search engine. 

To divert His attention away from it all, He searched out the old records of past battlefield experiences to re-live and manage the throbbing, monotonous headache. The narrative had been closely supervised and only His close lieutenants were chosen to provide the source material after thorough vetting. He recalled showering His appreciation on these compilers for their monumental efforts, at that time. So He expected no bomb shells or hidden mines to surprise Him.

As He began reading the write up, His elephantine body started to vibrate and the nose cum trunk began to weave around like a windscreen wiper of an automobile. Such were the graphic details of the military exploits and reading about them now, filled Him with nostalgia and exhilarating thrill. He also remembered that these chosen compilers dared to forget the tradition of propitiating Him before embarking on this project. Though He had twisted their ears hard and made them to do 1008 push ups, He was not satisfied. In view of their efforts, He let them go off lightly.

On hindsight, now, He wondered whether more accomplished authors might have embellished the narrative and presented a better version!  He decided to ask Wikipedia to commission for a superbly written version, with additional inputs directly from Him, and pull down the existing one. After all, as a victor He could use the right/privilege to write or rewrite history, which essentially was His story!

Continuing to browse, He came upon the descriptive part on the ritual of smashing the coconuts to smitherns. He mentally thanked one of the lieutenants for having not omitted to describe to the authors how He ferociously smashed the heads of enemies, in the blink of an eye. Based on this narrative, the weak-hearted mortals had chosen coconuts in place of heads of enemies as their customary offering.  

A wry smile played across His face on thinking about the sincerity or lack of it shown by the current crop of job hunters, students and others who stood in front of Him and vowed to keep up their promises, if He helped them, this one time. Each had a different wish to be fulfilled and within a time frame.  He admired their business acumen in asking Him to grant their wish first and then wait for the promised coconuts offering!  He disliked them for giving Him a schedule, but in good faith, most of the times, granted their wishes.

When it was time to fulfil their commitments, they promptly forgot about the coconuts. He felt cheated when these people started using Google maps, to find alternate routes to avoid coming anywhere near the place, where He sat hoping and waiting. This irked Him more than their other acts. Lucky Me, they did not come back and ask for another favour to help them find the coconuts!

The weather, which was steadily worsening, gathering clouds, broke with flashes of brilliant lightning and an ear-splitting thunder. Jolted awake, the man shook his head in confusion and found himself in a near-dark room. His neck and body felt stiff, and his right hand had gone almost numb. He noticed the only light in the gloom was coming from the monitor screen. Coming to his full senses, he found the wireless mouse tightly held in his right-hand palm. Realisation struck him like a truck- he had snoozed in front of his computer, holding the mouse as though for his dear life. 

A daydream, but an interesting one, as long as it lasted – courtesy, the wireless mouse!

Beware of Inscrutable Instructors: 231

The task everyone takes seriously is to instruct someone else, necessary or not. Since birth, Hennu had endured the instructions from parents, relatives, and friends, each relying on their own personalised handbook. He decided to bring out a compendium, including personal experience and gathered intelligence. His lofty aim was to leave a ready reckoner to guide the hapless victims of present and future. This daunting task took him months of research and another two months to draft, redraft and finalise this work. After all, he felt that he owed this much – to give back what he had received.

Fearing a misstep in their efforts to orient the child in the right direction, parents draft and implement a list of ‘dos, “don’ts”. They cleverly insert some friendly advice about making good choices leaving out specifics which have troubled them as a child. It is a revised edition, from their respective childhood days. At that age, the child takes it in good spirit or merely endures it. Few rebellious children resent such instructions, considering them motivated and resist them by initiating counter measures.

When children reach the teenage mark, the parents encounter mild to outright rejections to instructions - even from children, who were earlier happy to go along. The parents working on the assumption that this duty is a lifelong commitment fail to notice these early warning signals. They persist with their instructions and keep waving the big red flag. Little they realise that, like an enraged bull, the children are being goaded by them to breach and trample over parental controls. 

Reaching the teenage barrier, these children come out in the open and declare independence. New recruits strengthen the existing rebellious army. Skirmishes across the parental line of control are constantly staged, leaving the parents emotionally pounded and shaken.  Only a few years from now, the possibility for a truce might emerge.

Next in-line instructors are the self-appointed relatives. They presume to have more leverage, due to an acceptance factor, with the instructed. The exchange rate for this ‘leverage’ varies depending on which relative is instructing - maternal or paternal, grandparents or uncles or aunts! Keeping this acceptance factor in mind, they open handbook of instructions and stream them in the gap between the tutorials given buy the parents. For the receiver, it is like the boring ads shown in between an equally boring movie. 

Another category of well-wisher is the dial-a-friend type instructor. Sometimes, driven to despair by the continued resistance encountered, the parents themselves seek this help. This is a parental ploy, in the guise of back-channel diplomacy. Parents still want to pass on their instructions through this backdoor. Like the camel and tent story, this invited help continues the exhortations – ‘join this course’, ‘apply for that job’, and “ask the Neighbour’s son for help”. This friendly instructor does not let go without selling an appropriate marriage proposal. How would they leave a golden chance to recite instructions from their own handbooks?

The ‘child’, even though now in twenties, does not have any shield to duck under these friendly fires from the rank and file of instructors, lobbed like grenades. These instructors leave nothing to chance or to personal choice from - study, profession, love affair, marriage, luxuries in life and even after-life.

After marriage, a new instructor gladly, along with the old set, takes over – the better half. All those harrowing experiences of parental and relatives’ instructions will be of no avail to face the barrage of instructions that assails the ‘child’, after marriage. This continues unabated even after retirement. No compendium worth the paper it is written on will contain solutions for the victim. 

The last straw on the camel’s back is loaded by sons and daughters. This set of exhaustive and exasperating instructors take complete command of everyday life of the “child” - unrelentingly and unabashedly. When they operate as a team, not even the UNSC will dare to call for a truce to save the ‘child’ from the barrage of instructions.

Hennu was not sure. Who will wear the hat and start instructing if the ‘aged child’ is in a home for the elderly!  Hennu knew very well that at the end of the day, individuals will have to work out their own strategy and best approach, of course depending on the freedom they have!

Footnote: Hennu completed this compendium in secrecy for fear of repercussions from his family members.

The silent spectator: 230

There is a tribe which strictly adheres to the axiom “Silence is golden” as long as it does not affect them or when it affects them. Ambivalent people, the silent spectators!

The moniker “silent spectator” could mean the attitude to external factors and or toward some of the sensory organs of a person. The objective of a silent spectator is to enjoy the excitement without active participation or remain passive when events of impact unfold in plain view.  The person remains silent due to an automated self-defense mechanism. The sole intent and purpose is to avoid further escalation, though soldiers armed to the teeth will be absent in this conflict zone. This person soon gets labelled as apathetic or a coward.

The list organisers of functions and festivals or impatient motorists honking horns or jet liners screeching overhead or personal audio devices, who let loose noise touching intolerable levels– is long and hurting. The unwanted noise that assails the eardrums deserves no sympathy, not even from those who produce it. Though the eardrums want to shout back at them, they succumb to the doubt whether the protests will be heard over and above the din that is being made.

Getting tired, the eardrums play their trump card – become partially deaf as if to extract a small revenge on the unfortunate end users. Even at this state, the eardrums have to remain a silent spectator while the white coated gentleman conducts sound tests and squarely blames the defective hearing system for a fee. With lesser noise to disturb, the eardrums wonder, “Which is fashionable – hearing aid or headphone or an ear plug?”

Next in line are the eyes. People like to read updates on cell phones, laptops and notepads on the go. In their hurry they tend to ignore or often forget reading glasses or lighting conditions or vibrations or dusty environment. The eyes literally have to jump and dance like sand particles on a percussion instrument, and weep over the updates. Paying scant concern to their eyes, people continue updating as if their very existence depends on these acts. The eyes know that these people are not going to do anything to change things but keep hurting themselves.

Back home, the tired eyes have to entertain the fagged-out minds by staying focused on the T V screens. The strained eyes would like to ask “Ok. This is your relaxation what about mine? Do they have any other option except to close their eyes on this unanswered question? They know even a cataract will not prevent these enthusiasts. The maximum the eyes can do for themselves is to let out a drop or two of tear or become bloodshot.

There are people who like to be in touch with others at any time of the day. They rival the networks in gathering, analysing and disseminating information or to pry in to another person’s life at will. In this day of instant news delivery, they even act as runners in a relay race, unmindful of the inconveniences to recipients including the silent spectator present within earshot. The spectator, with ears full of verbiage, chooses to go silent to preserve the fragile peace (guess who is calling/texting?), at home and also to steal a little peace of mind.

Morning walk and newspaper introduces another kind of a silent spectator. If lucky, this person gets to meet with a motorist driving through a one-way street at breakneck speed or jumping a red signal, inviting danger to self and other users. If unlucky, gets to read news items portraying chilling acts of terrorism, murky public life and equally bizarre global shenanigans, of course in complete silence or otherwise gets silenced by the ire of family members. Not even in a position to tackle stray dog menace in the locality, this person promptly boils over and silently forgets to act as soon as breakfast time ends. In extreme cases, this silent spectator meets with similar minded people - only to listen to their lofty opinions and forget the whole thing by lunch time. 

More often than not, logical discussions are avoided even though the points being readied are valid. Issues larger than logical arguments, forces this person - not to speak. Such people can only wishes to be out of earshot and out of sight, which may or may not be possible always!

There is a unique type of silent spectator – suffering on account of other silent spectators. Unfortunately, this forced silent spectator’s roll comes packaged as functions and obligations scripted by harmonic laws, whatever it means! All the elements of music – tune, pitch, amplitude, and frequency fail to sync with each other and the general hubbub of the background. The ordinary variety of the breed fares better in comparison with this special type.

At the end, the silent spectator starts worrying about these things: 

Why is someone snooping around and with what purpose? Why I get the feeling that this whole narrative or part of it appears familiar? Is it a reprint and if so, should I alert the narrator? Though highly agitated, considering all other factors likely to cause further disturbance decides to remain silent!

Unable to lend a voice to right over wrong, once a silent spectator, in all probability that person remains so till the end - with this additional moniker “teeth gnasher”, perhaps? Little appreciation and sympathy might be over due to the species of Silent spectator- “the stress and strain of being one is enormous, kudos brave heart”.

Dear Silent spectators, ordinary or special, do not feel that you are alone in this world. Think of the surveillance camera silently observing everything in view, on a 24 X 7 routine. For all the hard work, is it not eligible for a fitting and an elegant name? There are giants playing in super leagues – the celestial objects watching all of us from astronomical distances!  Still, anything could be worse?  

Yes. In the international level, established, funded and revered institutions there are special silent spectators. Their silence causes more harm than yours and mine, because none of them can honestly claim, to have not been a silent spectator!