The missing generation!

There are changes in the bird movements seasonally in ur garden. Often we do not observe them carefully so as to miss seeing some birds. 

But Anna and I certainly miss Magpie robins. Usually one of them would be perched at day break on the cable in our courtyard while we have our cup of coffee in our drawing room. We got used to watching one or two of them and listen to the tuneful singing for a while. The variable loudness, duration and tune have an originality that do not get repeated. The male birds are the tuneful singers. 

It is well known that the Magpie robins are comfortable with human proximity. So they choose flight stations which are closer to homes. 

What is the larger message of this disappearance of the Magpie robins! 

One thing we notice is that our garden is lot more noisy with Mynahs and jungle Babblers. Both of these bird species are noisy and imposing! They come in group of five or more and flutter and move between trees, that smaller birds do not feel comfortable to appear in their vicinity. Even the Sun birds changed the timings of their visit to the garden to avoid these larger noisy birds. 

 

This story of displacement brought to my attention what happened to our neighbourhood. Out of about forty two households during my childhood, only five families are left in the neighbourhood. Others   got lured by the large offer of prize or their  properties and moved out to the interior places, some building new houses others choosing to live in rented houses. Most of the families needed the money to educate their children. Apart from selling their houses, they also had to take bank loans. 

These children are in other places in India studying or working or are overseas waiting for opportunities after their study. The homes have older people in most homes. 

A generation or two are missing in our village and in the surrounding villages. 

The older people live without active engagement with the younger people and the younger people do not get the benefit of the shelter of the older people.  

The absence of one or two generations in a society brings discontinuity and weakness in the fabric of a society without the younger people bringing the vibrancy and change needed in the formation of a society. We live mostly with the  generational thoughts of yesteryears without the influence of the inspirational thoughts and dreams of younger people! 

The song of Magpie robins are missing in our garden! 

The thoughts of the younger people are missing in the formation of our homes and families. 

This is a serious gap in the generational transition ! 

Unless our educational system changes to make learning transformative to make younger people to take the reins of responsibility and leadership, we shall live in the past with ideas and thoughts that the older generation has grown up with ! 

The younger people feel displaced and disheartened! They need larger space and acknowledgement! 

If about 40 percent of the population in India are below 30 years, then they have the right and role to lead rest of us! 

I feel exercised to pursue this thought further by initiating a dialogue process with some ! 

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

 

Waiting in Hope !

A Bulbul's patience for its turn at the feeding station in our garden! 

This was waiting with hope!

Life is a journey of waiting in hope!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

 

The stress and strain of living!

The two Bulbuls- one  a red vented and another a red whiskered in  our garden! One at the feeding station and the other perched in the Guava tree waiting for its turn for feeding! 

The way the red vented Bulbul takes time to inspect the food before pecking on it caught my attention. It is an accidental visitor to the feeding station and therefore is not familiar with the food available at the  feeding station. Also a squirrel or Mynah can be intimidating for both species of Bulbuls. 

The freedom of being a bird is real with some exceptions. 

A Barbet was feeding at the Guava tree. Its feeding behaviour was effortful! 

The food and shelter are primary needs. It can be stressful to find them. 

The three shop assistants in the vegetable shop from where we get our provisions are from different parts of north India. Ours is a small village of about two lakh population. The shop assistants in many shops are migrant workers from north or north eastern regions of the country. It is to attend to their primary needs they move out of their native places. 

The dialogue in the press connected with the independence day celebration on 15th August was how the national song,  Vande Mataram was sung in the independence day parade in red fort, New Delhi for the first time and only two stanza of the song was sung at the celebration in the head quarters of a particular political party! 

What a preoccupation with a non issue! Most of the southern states have thousands of migrant workers who live in inadequate facilities and work in order to earn for their families food and shelter! They contribute to build infrastructure and facilities. And yet, they go unnoticed. 

The strain of living is real! The recent unrest among students pushing them to protest in streets about declining fairness in conducting competitive examinations and question paper leaks benefitting some who can buy them at enormous costs, raise the same issue of stress and strain of living for many! 

The political governance is not inclusive in its approach and appeal.

Amidst the gloom of disappointment, there are signs of hope addressing issues of wellness. The government of Tamil Nadu has announced maternity leave for one year for all women for three pregnancies. I realise how contributory it will be for child development and integrated family living! This single decision favouring to offer a conducive environment for infants to grow and develop in the proximity of their mothers can promote attachment process between infants and parents, which would stabilise the psycho-social formation experience in early childhood.  How fortunate are children of tomorrow in that state of India! A government that supports the home as the environment of formation for childhood, promotes wellness of the society!  

The strain of living to find the primary need of food and shelter affects many even now after eighty years of independence! 

How much do we care! The civil governments ought to do a lot more to offer wellness to all people! 

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

 

The land yields to nourish!

A recent outing to the Nilgiri mountain ranges extending to the northern part of Kerala in Anikatty was an eye opener about the migrating behaviour of people. People migrate to these places and tame the mountain ranges to make them habitable for themselves. In the process, the animals are displaced from their home land. 

The coconut plantations seem to thrive in these regions along with spice and vegetable gardens. The ecological cover of forests that have been protective of the mountains seems to be disturbed that man-animal conflict is on the increase. Most of the acquired land for private cultivation have electric fencing to protect the wild animals from having a free sway and feed on the fruits and vegetables. The banana plantations get targeted by the elephants. It is common that elephants block road traffic in order to force passengers to give them food like banana. 

The plan for land mining in the Manipur mountain ranges unsettled the equation between two communities that have gone on to a three year ethnic conflict and violence. The business men in their desperation to become oligarchs from being millionaires are looking for every opportunity in the land and sea to gain wealth by promoting business start ups. The way they cover up their ugly intention is by speaking the language of eco-tourism. 

How the serene Lakshadeep islands have been in the recent news as one destination for these businessmen for their greedy plan! Fortunately, the resistance movement seems to have forced the project to remain suspended for the time being! 

The estimate is that forty percent of the wealth in India is owned by two percent of people! This strongly suggests the strong capitalist outlook of the civil governments at the national and local levels. 

The contrasting ideology in debate now in socio-anthropological circles in  India is need and greed . How there are regular posts in the social media to depict the palatial buildings in which the upper strata of the society lives ! To display the car collections in their garages is a favourite occupation of some who promote capitalistic passion and luxurious living! 

I wonder whether we lost the sense to feel for others who still live in subsistence level or below that! 

The land and the produce of the land used to be a common property of the native inhabitants. Ever since the private ownership came into being as the norm, people have become acquisitive from being only possessive with least consideration for others. 

The last three photos above of a nest, a bird pair and the butterflies bring a consolation in one sense. Those three photos remind all those inhabit the earth, that the earth has other 'inhabitants' to whom we are to be accountable! They sustain life on earth in multiple ways. To occupy land indulgently for private prosperity is a one sided view of development! 

The rich craves to dine with the finest vine, but the poor keeps waiting for their food bowl to have food! 

I wish the world would have many more Good Samaritans! 

M.C.Mathew(text and photo) 

 

Mindfully living and giving !

During this season of torrential rain, I watched how flowers behave in such a hostile situation. 

Some flowers are resilient and stay colourful, fragrant although fragile. 

Some flowers continue sharing their nectar to birds and butterflies who come visiting. 

Some flowers look soaked in water loosing its colour, lustre and fragrance! 

During conversations on phone I have with few people, who look out for listening ears, I find a similar spectrum of situational behaviour. 

Some thrive inspite of difficult situations and continue being an inspiration to others. Some are weighted down by circumstances but continue being fully present and effective. There are others who feel battered and depleted by situations and stay depleted of energy and enthusiasm. 

What sustains and uplifts a person is, when he or she would feel needed, valued and acknowledged. When a person feels drained and unable to be effective, that person needs even more support to feel carried through that rough terrain of experiences. 

At day break, yesterday, I was reminded through a telephone call, how lonely a person can feel, when overwhelmed by multiple demands! In a highly individualised world, where personal matters 'consume' full attention, we live overlooking the spoken and unspoken needs of others. 

A grandfather who visited yesterday evening, spoke about the sudden illness of his ten months old granddaughter who after a short febrile illness had gone into status epileptics, and is now left with hemiparesis.  He was trying to find help and guidance, but is financially exhausted ! 

What brought cheer and hope was listening to a clinician who through a social worker and counsellor reach out to people in different situations of need to ease them of the stress and strain of those burdens. The hospital where he works is a 'home' for those in the community! The home visits which the community health team make sustain those who lives through stormy situations. 

The flowers are fragile but are self giving to offer nectar. Some flowers feel battered by the hostile situations. 

I ended the day yesterday, recollecting the services of some friends, who live by 'giving' of themselves in a mindful way sustain others who are weary. 

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

 

The integrated rhythm- flight and rest !

I happened to notice while editing the photos of a pair, that one Bulbul was resting on one leg ! Was it balancing on one leg or other leg was injured? It was a cold morning and was windy.

Those interested to study bird behaviour normally get intrigued by such sights!

The Google response to my question was that 'A Bulbul perches on one leg to stay warm by tucking the other foot into its belly feathers, which cuts down body heat loss. It is also sign that the bird feels relaxed, comfortable or sleepy'. 

Another suggestion I found was that, 'If the Bulbul holds one leg up constantly, looks puffed up and fluffed in distress, or shows blood or swelling, or a limp when tries to land, it may be hurt'. 

A third suggestion from the net was, was that, 'It might be resting a bruised toe or foot caught previously'.

The Artificial intelligence added further insights to this puzzle. 'A Bulbul perches on one leg primarily to regulate its body temperature and conserve physical energy. This avian behaviour is completely normal and is a sure sign that the bird is healthy, relaxed and comfortable in its environment'.

I wondered whether this was an attempt to conserve body temperature on a cold morning by pulling up one leg into its warm belly feathers as the bird looked otherwise present to the environment and chirping to each other in between. In my collection of photos in this series, there is no photo of swapping feet or switching between feet to give each foot a turn to warm up. 

I recall a bird watcher telling me once, that as birds spend almost their entire lives on their feet, birds would alternate between legs to allow rest to recover from fatigue. It would do so when it feels secure and restful in a safe environment. To fly off when perched with one foot is more effortful than perched with both feet. 

There might be different reasons apart from all of these possibilities, as they were a pair of Bulbuls probably in courtship in the process of becoming a family. 

I liked the idea of rest that is associated with the flight routine of birds. They incorporate and integrate rest with flight. They are inter woven not dissociated. It is from rest they move to fly and it is from flight they return to rest. 

It is a lesson to ponder upon! The avian rhythm of flight and rest and rest and flight is an ongoing rhythm of living. 

I wondered whether humans subsume fatigue by stretching themselves without realising that it would soon diminish their resilience !

I want to take the avian wisdom as a reasonable example to view rest and work in an integrated fashion. It is their integration that offers wellness. 

The calling to wellness is a soulful call, that needs our attention! 

We are to offer the gift of wellness to ourselves!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

 

The hidden interior!

In the parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus of Nazareth spoke in response to a question by a lawyer, 'And who is my neighbour' (Luke 10:29-37), Jesus revealed the heart of that parable : Samaritan who saw a wounded person lying on the road side, 'felt compassion towards him'.

That was the substance or the core of the inner self of the Samaritan ! 

When I noticed the flowers above, what caught my attention was the yellowish radiance in the centre of each flower! That is a distinguishing feature of these flowers. And yet it remains partially hidden. The outer petals look bright and rich. But the core of that flower is that radiant colourfulness in the centre of the flower. 

What resided in the interior of the life of that Samaritan was compassion! He was a soulful person, open to feel touched by the needs of others! 

The way Jesus described the outworking of that compassionate spirit is worth recalling: " ....He felt compassion and came to him, and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them, and he put on his own beast and brought him to an inn and took care of him..." (v33-35).

That was the soulful language of compassion! Such a self giving action originated within his feeling soul! 

It is graceful to be remembered for one's acts of compassion and not so much for performance or achievements or public profile! 

The Samaritans were not very kindly thought about by the Jews of that time. The Jews viewed them as aliens, strangers and gentiles! This Samaritan although was travelling though a hostile territory of people who distanced themselves from the Samaritans, overcame inhibition and rejection to become present to a wounded person !

The Samaritan was inclusive in thinking and self-giving in action. 

I was waiting to hear a mindful recollection of those who suffer on account of war, violence, flood, fire, earthquake and unemployment in different parts of the world, in the independence day speech of the prime minister of India from the Red Fort in New Delhi. I wish there was an expression of concern and sympathy! That was missing! 

We become academic, sterile and preoccupied with self, when the soulfulness of compassion is missing at the core of our being! 

At the heart of the flowers above, is the interior radiance which makes the flowers graceful! A flower is a gift of nature, which it gives us all the time. Every flower is an invitation to humankind to be giving!

Jesus closed the parable with a dialogue with the lawyer who asked Jesus a question: Who is my neighbour?. The lawyer said to Jesus, that the neighbour was : The one who showed mercy toward the wounded man.

This brings yet another dimension to this parable. In the Sermon on the Mount as recorded in the gospel of Mathew 5, Jesus said, "Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy" (v7). 

A man with a compassionate spirit is merciful ! That is a call for being and becoming !

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)