Sunday, July 15, 2007

Time is an Invention

Perhaps I am a fool to believe in signs. To assume the sight of a white butterfly means I’m being missed. To see ordinary coincidences as something more, something with purpose. Nevertheless, it is this foolishness that lends informal philosophy to my every day.

My reliable watch has done something entirely backwards and after a day of overcoming this betrayal, I now look into the matter to extract a higher meaning.

My brother gave me this watch as a rakhi present in exchange for a thread around his wrist and a promise. And today this dear, sentimental possession has extraordinarily decided to let the number 6 go off to pursue his interests. The number 6 subsequently took his self and transformed into a 9, on the glass. Leaving a shadow of his former self behind and fulfilling his destiny to move up in the numerical hierarchy.

Oh little 6, what have you done?

Clearly, 6’s destiny is tied up in my own. His short but momentous journey is a wakeup call. The 24 hours of my day are structured, scheduled and largely spent worrying about the lack of time and the surplus of things to be done. Rushed. Hurried. Fast forwarded life.

Enter: ‘6 to 9’ serving as the proverbial ‘flower to be sniffed along the way’; essentially, a reminder to smile at life. To pause and see the life in the minute. To stop worrying about what time it is and to focus more on what is happening in time.

That, or, August 28th is coming up and maybe someone should do some shopping in exchange for a ladoo.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

‘I do not like green eggs and ham’

Lettuce and I have thus far had a love/hate relationship…today I resolve to make up my mind about lettuce, to judge its place in my life - to edit or appreciate.

The problem with lettuce is that it’s one of those things that are never really questioned but simply accepted without doubt. Subway doesn’t even ask you if you want lettuce- everyone gets the lettuce, copious amounts even. We may only get 1 ½ tomatoes for 6 inches of sandwich; but to refuse the lettuce would be socially unacceptable, it would draw the types of looks ordering a veggie burger at mcdonalds does (er…pre-‘healthy’ options campaign).

No one questions the mundane. However, staple lettuce may be, it gives me strong vibe of uselessness…sort of like pennies, they’re there, they’ve always been there but really I could do without dealing with them. Although compared to lettuce at least the cent serves a higher financial purpose.

Back to lettuce. I agree its appeasing to the eye…it gives a sandwich a vivacious healthy looking color, it makes a salad look like a real meal by adding bulk. But in all honesty has no one ever noticed that lettuce doesn’t even taste like anything…if nothing had a taste, it would taste like lettuce. It doesn’t even have a smell and it has no texture whatsoever…it’s elusive. And elusive almost always travels with its buddy- bad news.

Ive tried numerous varieties, I’ve given it 22 years of chances…but seriously it has not only failed to impress me, its downright disappointed, what with its going bad within a few days of purchase. Not only is it nutritionally defunct, it’s difficult to work with…involving careful tearing and unfolding for washing. A serving of lettuce has 10 calories…surely I burn that many and more just trying to get it out of its wrapping, and peeling out the non-ugly leaves and then washing out all the crevices.

Yes, I’ve decided. I definitely don’t want lettuce anymore.

A successful moment of life editing?