Gerald D'Cunha

  “Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional.” Chili Davis   W hat would you call this: When my son was a little boy, I shouted and he shut his mouth; and, today, when he is a young man, he shouts and I shut my mouth? And, what would you call this: When, as a little boy, I screamed and woke up through my nightmares, my mom would put a holy rosary around my neck; today, at 62, when I still scream and wake up in my nightmares, I feel ashamed to talk about it? And, when that happens inside me, if my heart still feels the gentle comfort of my mom’s hands, even though, she is no more around me… Yes, what would you call it? D o we ever ‘grow up’ in life, or we simply claim we do? Or, as Chili Davis says, do we all ‘grow old’, by default, compulsorily, and choose to ‘grow up’ or not? I am confused, Sir! The child in me should never grow up, I feel. I don’t want to feel numb when there is a gentle touch, and, I don’t want to feel like a stone when the Sun goes...

“Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious.” - Peter Ustinov W hen I was a school boy (St. Aloysius), there was no Television in our country. Our school had a small auditorium, where, every now and then, they used to show us a nice English film, mostly a comedy. My favourites were Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Buster Keaton.  They were all B & W films. All Charlie Chaplin films used to be without dialogues. There was only one theatre in our hometown, Mangalore, which showed English films. I don’t remember watching a single film over there till I landed in college… There was no money to watch. Thus, we kids made the most of every film shown to us in school. Now, almost fifty years later, thanks to the internet boom – particularly the Social Media – we get to watch many of those old English comedies (or their best scenes) on our mobile and computer screens. Every night, before going to bed, I make it a point to watch some funny scenes fro...

I think, forgiveness does not necessarily need two people – the forgiver and the forgiven. One person is enough… and, that can be either of the two. Yes, if I seek forgiveness from you and you forgive me, it is an ideal situation. But, in real life, there are no ‘ideal’ situations. The only ideal is: if there is no forgiveness, there is no peace… and, if there is no peace, Life is miserable. A hell! I was talking to a young man a while ago, who was angry at his father. It seems, last night, a small argument lead to a physical brawl between the father and the son. And, the young man was not in a position to accept this behavior from his father. As I knew the father too very well, I got father’s version as well… Even he said the same thing, “I am not prepared to accept my son’s behaviour.” So, what now? Is it a dead-end? Is there hope or no hope? There is hope… Because, there are no dead-ends in life. For a sensible and teachable human being, all dead-en...