Gerald D'Cunha

  “Perhaps, the earth could teach us… everything would seem dead; then, be alive.” Pablo Neruda   A ll of a sudden, since yesterday, I have been getting on my phone some old funny scenes from the popular TV show of the fifties – ‘I Love Lucy’. I don’t know how this ‘feeding things’ happen on our phones; but, sometimes, they happen for the right reason… I remembered my wife the moment I heard ‘I Love Lucy’. For, she really, really loved Lucy and her hilarious escapades in her New York middle-class, rented apartment. Well, when the ‘I Love Lucy’ show was first aired in America (CBS) from 1951 to 1957, I wasn’t even born. And, my wife was born more than a decade later. The show began to be aired on our glorious B & W DD during the eighties, when my wife was a school girl… She just loved Lucy! Thus, this morning, the first thing I did was to tell my  wife about her favourite Lucy… “Show me, show me,” she jumped. I showed her some scenes, and my wife was jumpin...

          “ Why think of liberation at some future time? Liberation is in the little things, here and now.” B. K. S. Iyengar W ith every passing moment, and with every breath I take, I become more and more aware, that if I do not find my happiness here and now, I won’t be able to find it anywhere else, and at any other time… Happiness cannot be postponed… It fizzles out the moment we postpone for a future date. S ome years ago, when this young girl (one of my dear ex-students) got married, she really seemed the happiest. Her father, who owned a small grocery store in their vicinity, spent a bomb (a few crores) on his daughter’s wedding, just because the boy’s family wanted it that way, and, for some strange reasons, everyone on girls’ side thought, it’s all worth it. At hindsight, a small man going to this length, with the misplaced hope, that his daughter would be the happiest at her husband’s place – yes, at hindsight, such a thought sounds very na...

  “The more I live, the more I think that humour is the saving sense.” Jacob A. Riis S ome twenty-three years now, since I watched the movie, ‘Life is Beautiful’. If you haven’t watched it yet, I strongly urge you to do. Let me spoil some of your movie-watching experience, by telling you the key plot… I am doing it to tell you this: Life, often, may seem extremely unpredictable and tough. But, if we can learn to laugh at our Fate, yes, Life can be beautiful… J ews in Europe just happened to be there when Hitler’s Nazi decided to wipe them (Jews) out from the land. If you and I were Jews, and happened to be there, then, we would have met with the same cruel Fate at Nazis’ hands… The family of Guido, his wife Dora and their little son Giosue just happened to be there… Dora was not a Jew. She was almost abducted by Guido from her would-be groom, because he was madly in love with her. When Nazi soldiers came to grab the family, Dora could have saved herself by revealing that sh...

"If the world looks cold to you,  kindle fires to warm it.” Lucy Larcom “H ello  Sir, can you do me a favour? Can you please send me a small video of you wishing Tanmay on his b’day? He will be completing 12 today. I want to give him a surprise!” This was from Tanmay’s mother, a while ago. Well, I have a lot to say on Tanmay’s special day. Saying through a video is, certainly, not the way God has blessed me to do it with. So, here I am doing it in my own God-given way… DISCOVER YOUR OWN SPECIAL WAY: May that be the first nice lesson, dear Tanmay. In life, you can do things in your own God-given way… You have to discover it. The way I discovered mine. Look at this l’le champ. Just think: How he must’ve discovered what he had to do, and what advice he had to give to strangers on the streets: ‘Don’t forget to show love’. WE SHARE THE SAME SOUL: This is a priceless lesson, dear. It’s the finest education of your heart…and, yo...

“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” -   Napoleon Bonaparte I think, one of the most ‘toxic’ things that we consume every night, before we go to bed, is the 9-p.m. News. Obviously, ‘good new’ is no news, at all… It doesn’t sell, you see. Only bad news – dark, gory, brutal, hate-filled one - alone sells… And, that’s something so sickening about human psychology… We know the toxic news are not good for us when we go to bed. Still, we crave for it… We willingly drink the poison! There is so much good in this world. Yet, many of us choose to ‘misuse’ and ‘mis-interpret’ the stories relating to rape, corruption and other crimes. It’s funny – in fact, foxy – that, we misuse them to suit our prejudiced religious, political or ideological leanings. Our reactions to these rapes, scams and crimes clearly reveal who we are! I repeat: there is so much good in this world, there outside… It’s not rapes, loots and...

W hat is happening outside happens for all of us… Yes, so many things happen outside there – good ones and bad ones, happy ones and sad ones… some gruesome, some glorious… some tear our hearts some make us soar high with hope and peace… Outside is volatile place… all people are not trustworthy, and, at the same time, all people are not mean either… Everybody is selfish, thankless and greedy? No, never, ever. All events are tragic and hopeless? No, never, ever. There is nothing to cheer about, smile about, laugh about hope about, rejoice over… deeply thankful for… celebrate over? At least, we do not live here in Nazi Concentration Camps, you see. When I watched the 1997 movie, ‘Life is Beautiful’, which is a story about a Jewish family – a young husband and wife along with their little son – caught in Hitler’s Concentration Camp, it had a profound effect on me. Those were extreme situations in life… And, ours? Now? Right when we wake up in the morning, our cell-phon...

“If one’s bowels move, one is happy, and if they don’t, one is unhappy... That’s all there is to it.” - Lin Yutang (1895-1976) “A 3-week fat-to-fit challenge,” I read the announcement of my ex-student on his FB status yesterday, “I have lost 1 kg in a week!” The accompanying half-minute video was the proof that Vivek was serious about his shedding job! “Great job, bro,” complimented one of Vivek’s friends, “ Lage Raho ,” wrote another… “Inspiring!” lauded another… “Where is it?” enquired yet another… Meanwhile, Vivek must’ve felt a lot pampered… rather, motivated to shed more kilos! Was Vivek trying to show-off? Is a status like this one really needed? Does it help Vivek in any way? W hy people do what they do… yes, I am not supposed to poke my nose into others’ affairs. Maybe, it is good for Vivek: The fact that he has made a ‘public announcement’ means, he will be under its pressure to keep up his commitment. People wil...

Every disagreement With another means: You have one more chance to learn How to respect, honor, value another view. Every argument with another means: You have one more chance to know What works for you and what against. Every unfair criticism from another means: You have one more chance to learn To believe in yourself… Value, respect and honor What you hold to be fair and just. Every heartbreak that comes Like a bolt from the blue means: You have one more chance To nurture your soul And awaken the spring of goodness That you never thought buried so deep within you. Every hell-bent tormentor Who so relentlessly coups To destroy your child-like spirit means: You have one more chance to learn What patience is… What compassion and forgiveness are. Every tear that you shed And every smile that you send mean: Life is beautiful… Yes, so beautiful! GERALD D’CUNHA THANKS: The image used in this...