Gerald D'Cunha

“In prayer, it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.” John Bunyan   I s there something wrong, if someone greets me – a Christian - on a Good Friday with - "A very happy Good Friday?” And, that’s how some did greet me yesterday. I hope many, many did get greeted similarly, too… Why should anything be wrong when someone greets me with a clean heart? Those of us, who were born and raised as ‘Christians’, have learnt to wear a sombre face on a Maundy Thursday and a Good Friday. We know the significance of these days… the trauma and sorrow – the Passion – Jesus had gone through. So, whenever someone greets us ‘A very happy Good Friday’ – yes, we tend to correct the greeter – ‘No, it’s not a happy day; it’s a sad one’… But, so sorry! A middle-aged Sindhi woman says this to me, “Whenever I reflect on the images and life of Shirdi Sai Baba, I see Jesus there. Both lived like fakirs, and they taught people to live a simple and sincere life.” ...

  “I am not a win-at-all-cost guy. Winning isn’t everything… It’s second to breathing.” George Steinbrenner   W inning gives me, too, thrills; but, not ‘winning at all cost’… Winning at all cost gives me chills! Last night, I watched the (2011) English film – ‘Butter’ (on OTT). Frankly, I hadn’t heard about this film before. Even more, I hadn’t heard about an art called ‘Butter Carving’, leave alone a competition in this art… In the film, Bob Pickler is a master butter-carver and is an unbeaten champion for fifteen years. On the advice of a senior jury member, Bob decides to quit competing, so that others get a fair chance to win… But, Laura, the ambitious and aggressive wife of Bob, is angry at her husband’s decision. Bob tries to reason it out with Laura, but fails. Finally, Laura (whose only credential as a butter-carver is her total support to Bob over fifteen years) announces, that she is going to compete and win ‘at any cost’… that’s by any means. So, at ...

  “Sometimes, when you lose your way, you find yourself.” Mandy Hale A  young girl, who is planning to join my eleventh-standard classes (CBSE), tells me, that she wants to pursue Economics. Both her parents say, that their daughter is clear in her choice… You see, it is a rare sight, these days. The young kids, irrespective of the schools/Boards they belong to, are rarely clear about what they want to pursue.   This girl’s father said to me, today: “Sir, our daughter could zero in on Economics more through the process of elimination than through the process of selection. Sometimes, if you can get in touch with what you don’t want, it can help you get in touch with what you want. I did MBA in Finance after many years of my Engineering studies. My Economics Professor ignited love for Economics in me. Today, I look after finance in my organization… My daughter has seen this and says, “One must apply what one learns.” This passion for Economics reminded me of a...