Gerald D'Cunha

“H i Sir,” It was my student, the 17-year-old Namita*. She was a shy girl and rarely texted me, unless it was something important and urgent. So, seeing this crypt ‘Hi Sir’ message, I replied to her, “Hi Namita, want to say something?” “Yes Sir,” Namita replied, “I read (your) today’s Blog. It’s so deep and amazing… It makes me write again.” I was curious when I read what the young one was saying, “It makes me write again”. I wrote, “Namita, why do you say ‘It makes me write again’?” “Sir, I used to write in a private book,” explained the young girl, “but, my parents confiscated it!” “HaHa… They must’ve got scared!” I teased the young one, “But, jokes apart, if your heart wants to express through writing, you should listen to your heart, and write.” W riting our notes, literally, means baring our soul. I have been writing – I still call them my ‘scribblings’ – since I was this young girl’s age, 17. And, I remember why I started doing it: I ...

A week ago, a working mother called me up from her office. “Sir, this is regarding my son who is pursuing Marine Engineering. His Captain (trainer) has given a report saying that he (son) needs to build his self-confidence, interpersonal and communication skills. Can you help him?” The next day, the mother and son appeared in my office. Son had come directly from his institute and looked smart in this white sailor’s uniform.  We discussed the issue for over 40 minutes. I could quickly gather this: the mother had been over protective and over anxious all through the years. She had been taking decisions for her son for every little thing. The young man, as I expected, kept a little quiet in the start. But, encouraged by my simple and straight approach, he began to open up. The speech, initially, was just a mumble… I helped him with it… Soon, he was speaking clearly with his jaws widely open, slow and controlled… The speech wasn’t the problem… Englis...

Why do you write so much every day? What do you get from it? Who do you think read it? Why do you waste your time? Why can’t you put your writings in books and sell, make big money? Youngsters are not interested in your ‘serious’ stuff. Why are you not on Facebook? Do your wife and son read what you write?  A day doesn’t pass without at least one or two these kind of questions and suggestions coming my way… Yes, from some of my closest people. They love me so much… that they really want me to make 'big' money and 'big' name from my writings… they want me to write to the gallery ; and ,yes, they don 't like to see me 'wasting' my time! And, I forgot the important thing: they want me to write only those things which my wife and son would read! I have been writing like this – in my diaries and now on my Blog – for over three decades, now… ever since I landed in this beautiful city.  Why do I write so much?  Because, ...