Pictures of loss!

I have picked up these three pictures form newspapers to remind us three realities!

The first picture shows us all the damaged household items outside a home with volunteers trying to retrieve whatever is still usable!

The second picture shows the flooded house even after tow weeks!

The third picture is that of damaged house!

All the three are pictures of loss!

A news report suggested that, the personal loss that people suffered woeful push them to despair sooner or later!

It is then the loss turns into grief and post-traumatic stress!

I wish here would be neighbourhood self-support groups to care for each other!

M.C.Mathew 

Medal winners, courteousy the High Court!

Life is full of opportunities.

Some of us have it in the easy way! Some others have hurdles and cross roads all along the way!

The spirit of sorts is effortful pursuit!

This team of sailors remind us, 'stay focused and pursue your sense of purpose'!

M.C.Mathew

Post flood responses- newspaper reports!

I feel the newspapers bring a new quality to their reporting on human responses to the flood relief! I come across scores of photographs which tell us about the humane spirit that has been awakened in a salutary way among all sections of people!

I was asked the other day, whether I was willing to copy notes for children who lost their note books, if there is a need!

A group of students form our college even proposed home visits to keep in touch with those who have returned to their homes from relief camps!

To me this is a discovery of a surprising aspect of the people in Kerala, who were often referred to as self absorbed people in materialistic pursuit!

Humans are those who care, when there is a need and opportunity!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Alternative thoughts!

Every situation brings ups an array of thoughts!

In a democratic political setting the civil society has alternatives to the agenda of the political leadership! Often there is much content and wisdom in these thoughts. 

I remember, when the Malayala Manorama newspaper wanted to rebuild houses in earth quake affected areas in Maharashtra about twenty years ago, contacted late, Laurie Baker,  an environmental architect,  to be the leader o their planning cell. He went and lived among the villagers for a while to get a sense of the need of the community much before designing the houses and common facilities. Although the process took longer than projects sponsored by other corporate houses, the long term benefit of rebuilding the resilience of people was an additional outcome of this participatory process.   

Recently a doctor who have close association with colonies that come up following this planning process mentioned to me that people have greater appreciation for the facilities as against others in other villages who were forced to occupy concrete houses without  apace for their animals! 

I wish the government of Kerala would welcome differing or dissenting opinion to choose wisely and prudently! It is an opportunity- once in hundred years!

Obviously the flood occurred due to various reason! Therefore there is a good enough reason to look into even the remote reason or cause and act futuristically for better prospects of safety of humans and their environment!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

What is in a caption!

Whenever India and Pakistan have to play Hockey or Cricket, the reinforcing thought is the rivalry that exists between the two countries at the political level!

Ever since the partition of India, in 1948, I do not think that the two countries have settled down to regard and relate to each other as neighbouring countries. There were some in between times when the relations seemed to move towards cordiality!

At present the political stand off between the two countries is due to a geographical dispute over Kashmir and some terrorists of Pakistan origin, responsible for causing human disaster within India!

What if we bring a soberness to the situation by speaking of each other as neighbours!

There is no indication of the disputes getting settled in the near future, as the current political dispensation also brought in a religious tone to stall a communicating relationship !

As humans we are companions with a common origin, journey and destiny!

Listening to the memorial speeches in the TV, to bid farewell to senator, John McCain, who lost his chance to be the president of the USA twice to Mr George Bush(Jr) and Mr Barack Obama,  there was a  revelation of a refreshing and touching aspect of Mr McCain. He seems to have contacted Mr Bush and Mr Obama personally a few weeks before his demise requesting him to speak at his funeral!

We are humans first and therefore, we are to be relational!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Car and Camera !

I am still struggling to find for myself, the place I offer for car and camera among my interests!

The present car we own now is the 13 th car, since I started driving in 1985, covering nearly six hundred thousand kilometres ! Every time Maruti brings out a new car, I feel like to look for its features!  I wonder why cars receive my attention! It might be because of my pleasure to drive! I have  an interest to observe human living, behaviour and responses to opportunities. So travelling by road is the best way to sty in touch with people! Anna from the early days, when we used to travel in the car with our children, when they were young, made efforts to read aloud interesting stories or call our attention to sights, scenes or play car games! Those memories stay on! Anna would read aloud even now while we travel in the car!

Since I had the from camera in 1981, I have had a dozen or so compact cameras of Canon, Olympus and Nikon. I moved to digital in 1998. I moved on to SLR in 1999 and and is currently on mirrorless generation of cameras. I have kept all the cameras although only the ones I regularly use are alone in working condition! I have recently reflected on this interest in camera and photography! It was when I started photographing children and nature I got enthused to make them as my learning resource. With about thirty thousand of pictures of children and nature of sights, scenes, birds, flowers, landscapes, etc I have them as my resource to feel connected with the environment and experiences. 

I have often been asked  about my interests for car and camera! 

Driving cars and photography are more than just passion. 

The experiences from travel and photography have been formative in my life!

I have had to discern whether these interests were just fancy or essential for inner enlargement!

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)

A tribute!

To all, who volunteered to make life better for others, during the recent flood,  inspite of considerable risk, Anna and I share our regards and appreciation! You are an example of self giving and altruism!

M.C.Mathew(text an photo form a news paper)