Sun on me. A smile in my heart. Maybe rising to my eyes? My lips. The flutter of my hands. Walking with that spring in my gait. Heel raising, toes light. A tiny breeze beneath the feet. Body bending back. Neck arching up. Shaking my hair in abandon. Running my fingers through it. Back, up, away.
Knowing, as you come up, behind. An arm around my waist. A kiss dropped below my ear. A warm breath feathering on shoulder.
I hope you see the glow I felt, spreading within, over, Radiating in these words.
And find a spark of joy. At least for me.
_____
Today’s is an impromptu verse typed into the new post on the blog. Been a while since this happened. Thank you Ruchi, and all those who have been following the September Musings here, and engaged the hesitant Muse, to share more than she thought she could. I know she’s glowing too.
16 September, 2023, for Day#16 of #SeptemberMusings.
-mental? (n/adj?) -y? (made-up?) I’ve been, and still am, on occasion, even if I try not to be. You’ll know what I mean, because we all are, aren’t we, to some extent?
(I was going to write about Daddy today. It is his “official” birthday – the one on documents. The one we would always celebrate. Last year, and this year, there is a hollow, that I’ve tried to write and fill and cover – in vain, indeed. 15 pages in, and I stopped. It got too much. I shall get to it, someday, when I can. For now, Daddy and I continue our conversations as usual. )
Today’s musing is the result of a sound byte shared by a former colleague, at a bank where I worked for 360 days, 23 years ago. 😀 Apparently another of my co-workers from then, upon seeing me today, remarked – shyooo, she used to be such a paavam (bechaari, oh the poor thing types)! And apparently, another of said person’s present colleagues remarked – so what? She decided not to be anymore. Can’t she?
I laughed out loud, when I heard this. In all hilarity. For starters, I’ve never been a paavam. Additionally, I loved the comeback by the second person – so what indeed!
It has become all the more important these days, to hold our tongues, to hold our thoughts, to open our minds, and not be judgey. Don’t be. Yes, the conditioning, the sense of morality/prudishness/embarrassment gets the better of one, usually. But can’t we work towards it? Don’t go there – those thoughts, and if someone does get there, make sure to call them out. It is, finally, as simple as that.
These days, this is what I’m mindfully trying to do. I still remember a young lass in Class 12, where I was, briefly, just 6 weeks, stepping up in front of the Class and educating them about body shaming. It was a lesson all of us, in that moment , were privileged to learn. The young lass had excess weight issues, and she told them point blank, that it hurt to hear them mock her. To please not do it. That Harry Potter saved her, in Class 8, when she considered giving up – because she had read only 6 of the books, and the 7th was yet to come out. Sigh.
How often do you hear a comment on how you look, as the first thing, even before someone greets you? Almost always even a compliment becomes an accusation. Choices folks make for themselves, to marry or not, to do PG or not, having kids, or not, food choices we make – the list is endless, and yet every bit is assessed and a verdict pronounced. Seriously.
These days, I refuse to take it on the shoulder, but deflect it deftly onwards. I say, yes, I’ve put on weight, so what? Yes, I’m tanned, lotsa VitD! No, I’m not working anymore – I honestly love doing nothing. And no, I’m not ready to rejoin the workforce, even if I have the “talent” 😀
Sigh. You get the drift. So today’s musings is a sit up and take note, note to self 🙂 You’re welcome 😀
15 September, 2023, Day#15 of #SeptemberMusings
Happy Birthday Daddy! This picture is from 2020, his 90th birthday. His 84th Birthday post is here 🙂 LINK
So this one can go on, for what it is, but I assure you, we shall not argue on that. I’ll just tell you of how that word popped up when I opened the new post window. 🙂
I’ve been told much, about how much I do, though, I know, in reality I don’t. So why is it that “they” feel it so? Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’m always arguing, but it is mostly with myself and in my head. For the longest time, I had not allowed that to happen either. But once that came to be, it was only a matter of time before what’s in the head was delivered through words, spoken less, though expressed somehow.
We shy away from it, but ought not to. A “healthy” discussion is most often contrary views or those in tandem expressed cordially. Yes, emotions do swell, and cause turbulence, but the calm also arrives. It takes much dignity and grace to be involved in one and not want to cause trouble – while maintaining one’s own consistent stand.
Am I one of them? I’ve been called a rebel and someone who is contrary enough, to realize that yes, I do, and that yes, I do believe that they are not futile arguments. However, I’m also willing to listen. That, in fact, is what conversation and progress is all about.
The words, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,” slightly modified and attributed either to Patrick Henry or Voltaire in recent letters, originated with Evelyn Beatrice Hall in 1906. No argument there.
Where are my musings headed? To what Richard Bach wrote in “Illusions” — ‘Argue for your limitations and, sure enough, they‘re yours.’
Exist. Live. There. Here. So many ways to just Be, right? In two letters is a universe of odds, ends and importants (deliberately spelt that way) or lack thereof. ARE you? Can you? So will you? As preposterous and absurd as it seems, these are questions, thoughts, that swirl in my head, from time to time.
As an English Teacher, professional, supposedly, perhaps the greatest challenge in Grammar classes was trying to explain / help learners understand this stative verb. I’d get them to draw three columns, with Present/Past/Past Participle (three forms of the verb 😛 ) and they would then write the different forms in the singular and plural. Just writing this down is nostalgia, (not a very pleasant one, for quite a few!) for grammar classes were not “interesting” for the learner group, no matter how I tried to spice it up. I loved doing these sessions, but understandably, it wasn’t always a gripping / absorbing class! I’m ready for the brickbats that are likely to come this way from those who have been in my class 😛
So I would let it be, so long as they had their workbooks and muddled through. Let it be, Let it be, Let it be…. as the song goes (words of wisdom indeed!)
So, I’m curious. Are you allowed just to be? By-I don’t know, yourself, someone important to you? How do you manage, if you aren’t? Is it uncomfortable to BE, you? Have you wanted to be someone else? Have you ever said, Let me BE! Please. ? Please do excuse me if it seems intrusive. I must also add that it’s okay to not respond to any of these questions; for they are musings, expressed aloud here! They demand that they BE.
Stative verb, exist, grammar, connected by the absurd that is the norm on this space, are the musings for today! I hope the pictures of Thara Mohan, our student (Nancy’s and mine), who went on to be an English Teacher (serendipity that we met today!) and the Lemon Meringue Pie that N and I had at Loaves and Muffins, sweetens your reading somewhat 😀
Thara, Nancy and I!
13 September, 2023 for Day#13 of #SeptemberMusings
Four years. Four it has been, since I saw the playground filled (well, sort of) with the activities of a School Sports Day. Pre-Covid Sports, in 2019, was the last time I was part of it. Last year, when offline schooling had commenced, I missed every major event owing to two reasons – one, I was out of it, officially; two, I wasn’t anywhere around, locally, in order to invite myself over. This year, I did that, because two things I miss about being in school are Teachers’ Day, when the kids take over, and Sports Day, when the kids are OUT ALL DAY!
The value of play has now been accepted by every educationist, counsellor, parent, and the corprate community at large. It is what helps in the emotional development, quite apart from the various aspects of personality development, the instigation of imagination, that is so important, and the value of team-work and sportsmanship (this one lacking terribly where it matters- in governance!)
While School Boards across the world emphasise on the Games period and PE, some individual schools, and teacher-facilitators take that very period to do academics. Gah. Withdrawing PE classes is one form of ensuring “obedience” (I do not want to use the word punishment).
I’ve always loved sports, playing games, outdoors, so it had to be that as a member of staff, I was, and still am, particularly fond of the PE Department – and in cahoots with them for ensuring they get any and every assistance in my ability – from captions in magazines, to letters of application/request – and of course manning the pavilion announcement during Sports Day – or any other event in connection with their Dept.
As a former member of school, I went today, most especially to see the kids on the track and field – and had a field day, announcing a bit during the relays, giving away prizes, and catching up with fav sports persons of the former batches. (Gratitude to them for enlivening my own experiences over the years, and for many of the pictures today!)
I hope we all remember that playing is a birth right of every child – nay every person. And I hope we all do, in whatever measure we can.
(Thank you Minimol Teacher, Victor Sir, Midhun Sir and Sajitha Teacher, for today!)
12 September, 2023 for Day#12 of #SeptemberMusings
And, yes, i love to limerick || Have tried to master the trick || Of the a a b b a rhyme || 'Tis a joy truly sublime || When a verse comes out slick and quick!
A Quest on Overdrive ... :) 
