BOSS, GO AND SLEEP, QUIETLY

Pic.: Errol D'Souza

All of us have our ‘pets’ and ‘pests’. But, if two of my pests are fighting, I have this tendency in me to root for that pest, who I detest less.

Like last night, when I was watching the ‘News Hour’. Well, my wife has asked me hundred times, “What do you gain watching such mindless arguments before you go to sleep?” Both of us detest Arnab’s screaming, shouting, intimidating, preaching, and dishing out judgments. Initially, like the rest of the world, we would admire him. But, now, we find him too much.

But, then, when I switch on the TV at night, I tend to be a little curious about Arnab... Maybe, just to check, what is tonight’s ‘Never, ever Mrs. Lekhi’ episode... So, last night, there were Pramod Muthalik and one of his henchmen. Now, normally, I can’t stand Arnab for more than five minutes... But, last night, I watched his ‘noise hour’ till the last ball!

Why? Because, I detested Muthalik more!

And, when it was all over, I found myself cribbing, all over again: “Useless arguments... Stupid... Sheer waste of time!”

“Who tells you to watch, my dear?” It was my wife’s voice from the kitchen. “Go and sleep quietly,” she concluded.

Two days ago, Errol, my 20-year-old nephew from Mangalore, had posted a casual status on FB: “Still no trace of Malaysian Airliner - MH370.”

Joel, his college buddy, was quick to respond:  “Vogeth nidhe saiba!”

Translated from our Konkani, it meant: “Quietly sleep, boss!”

I was the first one to like Joel’s comment!

Why? Because, I, too, often, do the same thing: Worry about missing planes in the far away skies and groan about kissing couples in the local gardens... I, too, stand on the roadside and watch, holding my breath, the cock-fights, the bull-fights and Arnab Vs Muthalik freestyle-wrestlings...

Yes, till someone like my wife, or Joel, will remind me from the kitchen or balcony: “Boss, go and sleep quietly!

One of my ‘pets’ is Mrs. Byron Katie. In her book, ‘Loving What is’, she reminds us, that, in life, all of us find ourselves minding only three kinds of businesses – our own, others’ or God’s. She concludes, that, the stress walks into our lives, when we find ourselves focusing on, and worrying about, what they call - ‘None-of-our-business’!

Good-night!!!

GERALD D’CUNHA