Gerald D'Cunha

“Bad news travels fast. Good news takes the scenic route.” Doug Larson I nterestingly, many young boys and girls tell me, that they love horror films, and, they like to watch them late in the night. “Are you able to sleep after that?” I ask them. “Very well,” they say. One of my ‘nighttime problems’ is this: If I take any bad news to bed, I am not able to sleep. So, leave alone the horror films, I avoid watching the gory TV news and toxic debates at night… It leaves me disturbed. Another problem, in my case, is, that if a sudden phone call or something like that wakes me up from my sleep, I find it difficult to catch it back. So fragile my night ecosystem is! Last night, a mild beep on my phone broke my sleep. It was around 12.45. A relative of mine, had just sent to me this video on the ‘shocking’ incident at Mumbai’s Sion hospital (Wrapped dead bodies were kept along a Covid patient's bed). I had come across this news earlier ...

C oming back to the demonetization issue (I have already blogged a couple of times on this issue), I, too, have no doubt about the good intentions with which our PM, Modiji, had resorted to it. When it was first announced around 8 that night, my wife and I were in Wayanad, Kerala, on a holiday. When I heard about it, I went into a sudden panic mode… We had carried some cash and card would not be accepted, everywhere. When I told this to my wife, she gave me a good sermon, “You always panic,” she declared, “Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.”  When she learnt about the argument in favour of banning of old notes – to weed out black money – she was very happy. “It is a right move… a bold one… There will be inconvenience for all of us in the short run… But, in the long run, all of us will be benefited.” I kept quiet during my wife’s sermon. I only prayed in silence, “God, may my wife not have to stand on a long, long queue.” But, then, God did n...

W hen my wife and I went on a 10-day vacation (we just returned yesterday), we had decided to stay away from TV, internet and mobile phone. We had TV in all hotel rooms we had checked in… But, we chose not to switch it on. Fortunately, at many places, there was no mobile and internet network connection. So, we were spared from the onslaught of Whatsapp and FB. I found myself freed from the ‘compulsion’ to post something on my blog everyday… All was going well, till we learnt from someone the shuddering news of demonetization of 500 and 1,000 rupee notes…  Suddenly, I could feel in my body the urge to watch news, read newspapers, read the updates on social media and all that… Yes, I did catch up with it and I did worry about the cash crunch one would experience when on tour…  But, then, we survived and landed here safely! L ife, no matter what comes on our way, will go on…  The young people, who are frantically busy typing, forwarding, commenting, t...

This is an old advice: While crossing a busy street, look on all sides. If you find yourself in a chaotic or a panic situation, just stand there, still. Just don’t move… Do nothing. I, often, do that right in the middle of a traffic-infested street… when I cannot figure out to which direction I should move… move forward, backward or sidewards . Yes, when I am confronted by this confusion, this madness on the street. I, suddenly, decide to freeze there, and do nothing… And, invariably, the trick works… The traffic moves past me… The way becomes clear… and, I move where I had set for! And, the same trick comes handy to me in the midst of my daily life… this daily frantic rush… when pressures from all sides send me on a panic mode… when my mind fails to decide how to clear past this traffic, this clutter… this madness… Yes, heeding to the old advice, I, suddenly, decide to stand there, still… Freeze… Do nothing! Believe me, it wo...

The nightmare about our doom – this world is going to end soon – is not a new one. Before someone wrote the doomsday to be 2012, George Orwell had already written: it was 1984! And, before that, a hundred dreaded doomsdays had come and gone… The world has not ended… Not yet! “Who told you?” when asked, someone points out to Jesus Christ… and, someone to the grandest old-man, Noah! Now, they say that the globe is warming up… It is going to melt, soon… That, there will be something sinister… Run!!! But, run where? Long time ago, a little Hare was gripped by the fear that the Earth was going to break up and everyone would perish… The nightmare would not allow the Hare to rest properly… One afternoon, when this Hare was resting under a large coconut tree, it heard a huge thud followed by a prolonged rumbling sound… “Oh, it has happened,” the Hare sprang up into the air, all panicked, “Let me run… The ...

Mr. Harwadekar is a very dear well-wisher of mine. He is about 85. The night before last, he had observed me talking to a Police Officer. It was our Society matter and about 20 of us – including Mr. Harwadekar – had been to the Police station regarding some dispute. The particular Police officer was absolutely biased and was trying to intimidate us. Our twenty-member delegation consisted of all respected, well-educated and cultured members and I was there, that night, heading the delegation as the Society Chairman. We were right and had all the moral and legal authority to present our case. I began on a very courteous note – gently, yet assertively. But, when I saw the Officer still being biased, I used my emotions… got charged-up – not angry or agitated – passionately charged-up. And, I spoke very strongly with that officer. The good men around me gave me tremendous amount of inner strength and I did not feel the fear or anxiety even for a while. In the end, t...

"What is going to happen, WILL happen." But, I do not know, what is going to happen. I want only 'pleasant things' to happen... I do my best to avert the 'unpleasant things' from happening. Well, I used the words - 'do my best' - almost mechanically! In my case - and, I believe there are many to provide me company here - I go all the way to avert, to block the 'enemy'. And, when I find myself unable to block the invasion, I panic. Some people are super cool... so cool, that, even if the bombs start falling before them, they won't run! They are on the extreme end of one side of the spectrum. On the extreme end of the other side, are those who panic even when they ‘imagine’ the word ‘BOMB’… leave alone ‘hear’ the word! Where do I fit in? I really do not know. But, I do like to be there with any of these ‘extremists’. Both are equally dangerous. I have an extra level of anxiety, which I know is not good for my health, both physical and mental....

For the last two days, I have been having a very bad cold. My head was heavy and eyes were sleepy. So, after taking a strong doze of medicines, last night, I went into a deep sleep. My son stayed late to study for his board exams; my wife had to leave early this morning, and hence, went off to sleep early, too. At 11 in the night, the SMSes stared flashing. "There has been firing at several places in Mumbai by the terrorists," our son knocked on our bed-room door to break the news. But, my sleep wasn't broken. After he left, my wife hit the bed again. But then, she struggled to catch sleep after that. At 1.30 am, my mobile phone rang; she picked up. My younger brother from Navi Mumbai spent the next half-an-hour giving her the 'live coverage' of the going-ons. This time, she tried to wake me up. "Listen. It seems, they are showing on TV the live coverage of the terror attack on Mumbai," she somewhat succeeded in breaking her husband's unusual snooze....