The morning routine

Even elephants have a boring routine. 

They have their specially prepared feed, followed by a big bunch of green leaves and then a bath!

Scores of people come to watch this as families in the local elephant park, where they are rehabilitated after having been trapped when they come to human habitation! 

I was impressed by the animal friendliness of all the care givers!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Deers in captivity!

These deers could not be distracted during gather feeding time! Many children walking pass the deer park are tried to entice them to the fence for them to stroke them!

It reminded me of the struggle many parents have in keeping their children away from watching Television at meal times!

The deers reminded me of good meal time practice!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

The fun of a tree house!

I watched this elderly person cajoling and and helping his grandson climb the tree house! He looked more delighted and fulfilled than his grand son at the end of climbing and descending!

I watched the children after they climbed n got down. They had a mixed feeling-gladness and relief of anxiety!

Seeing them experience this fun, I too indulged in experiencing it. 

Th first time I remember climbing a tree house was in Malayattor, in a rubber plantation, when I was around nine years, when I accompanied my parents to visit a family friend. 

The tree house was used then to watch for stray elephants coming into the human habitation and frighten them back to their forest habitat. 

Only when I watched these children go up and down the ladder to the tree house, this memory returned to me!

Our childhood memories lie dormant in the subconscious mind. It is when we have a similar experience, such memories resurface in our consciousness. This form of recollection is a refreshing and healing experience. I remember slipping from the ladder while descending. Although I was unhurt, I did receive a reprimand for my carelessness!  The memory of that reprimand remained linked to the experience and diminished the pleasure of climbing a tree house. So it was good to recollect it and feel less intense about the reprimand. 

Most of has many such memories which need our conscious attention to feel relieved of the burden, grief, anger or stress associated with it. 

This inner healing process makes us freer and fuller in our inner consciousness of our past ! Life is full of overwhelming experience of goodness of others and abundance of goodwill! When this consciousness dawns on us, we have a new optic to life and living!

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)

Open air butterfly garden !

Every time I visit a garden which has a designated places for butterflies, it gives me a feeling of gratitude for the mindfulness shown towards them! I watched the gardener carefully de-weeding the garden stretch where plants that butterflies are fond of, are grown. It gives an altogether different feeling when the butterflies are in the open. There is an assured and undisturbed habitat for them. 

Our eco-friendliness is explicit only if the smaller beings also finD an undisturbed space for themselves in our environment.

When I was in the garden, an elderly person ahead of me in age, seeing me take photographs of the butterflies, told me  a disturbing personal story.  During his school going days, butterflies and dragon flies were two most common sights he enjoyed while walking a kilometre along a stream to go to his school. There were hundreds of them and it was delightfully interesting to see them breed. Now the stream is contaminated with effluents and there is no sign of dragon flies or butterflies along that stream. Also the greenery is replaced by buildings and human habitation with very little garden space. So he comes once a month to the park to watch the butterflies. During the in between time, he has to be satisfied by going through the several photo albums he has of butterflies. He kept talking about different species  of butterflies and the habitats of each species. He seemed to me as a walking  encyclopaedia on butterflies.

For him times have changed. He misses the earlier environment! 

For each of us, there are stories of such vivid memories of gladness and regrets! 

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Just before its flight!

I was trying to capture the posture of a dragon fly just before it took off to flying! This is the best I could get after several days of efforts!

It repositions its wings before it lets go of its grip on the resting surface. The video I took is not helpful as it happens in a fraction of a second. 

The readiness to fly is an instinct, it seems! It does in a similar way all the time, it looks like! This is a conditioned and learned behaviour!

Yesterday, a family was asking me a series of questions about the different needs of a young child, who has multiple needs including a dysmorphic syndrome. As I listened to those questions, I realised how keen the father was to have a comprehensive news about the prospect's of child's development. 

It is during that prolonged conversation I realised that, there are some certainties and some uncertainties about what would happen to a child, when that child is developmentally challenged!

The uncertainties cannot be explored beyond a level! It is most unlike the dragon fly, when it can be instinctual and repeat itself in its behaviour to fly away!

It is difficult for parents to sense their way and take steps in keeping up with the needs of children! This to me is where professionals need to be patient in helping parents to be steadfast!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo) 

Wall colour choice in a hospital!

I watched a hospital getting repainted in less than one month on the exterior walls, as the earlier paint did not seem to be appropriate. I am not sure whether the new colour is also patient friendly!

A hospital is a place where people come when they are anxious, disturbed or overtaken by their illness!

The interior of the hospital is of utmost significance to give a warm and inviting ambience. There are colours which lift the mood and perception of people who feel not so good. The wall pictures, captions or paintings too have an equally significant impact. 

The exterior gives a 'look' which too is important. I have recently observed the colours the hospitals use on the exterior in three cities and three suburban areas. I referred to a book on hospital architecture. It revealed a lot about the way the exterior can bring an 'expectant' mood as patents and relatives arrive. 

I also discovered from an artist in a hospital,  that the colour choice ought to be be for giving a feeling of wellness, and reducing anxiety. He talked about 'sobering' colours.

The hospital interior and exterior we work ought to represent the spirit of service and hope of healing! 

To me it has been an equally compelling concern as to how suitable we can make the interior and exterior to be inviting and comforting for children! That is a another bigger issue. When we let children choose the colour of the walls, they choose variably. When we let the professionals choose, they too have differing interests. So recently when we repainted the Child Development Centre and Early Learning Centre,  we ended up using two colours on the walls in each room to blend light and the ambience! 

I feel I am still on  a learning curve to make the ambience gentle, refreshing and warm for children!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Live to drive!

I have noticed this sticker on a few cars recently!

Th accidentes on the road are on the increase in the state of Kerala according to the latest statistics. 

So the sticker is  a good reminder about being even more careful. 

I have reduced my speed even on high ways since I turned seventy. When I went to renew my driving license last month, the Regional Transport Officer mentioned to me that more care is needed on the road when one crosses seventy. I listened to him with delight for the efforts he was taking to communicate some broad issues about safe driving. He was particularly referring to 'tiredness and driving'. He proposed that it is good to have pauses every 100 kilometres on long distance driving. I could not agree with him more!

Anna and I are used to long distance travels on road. The rhythm of stopping at places for rest and refreshment helps us to stray fresh!

However, the roads are not traffic friendly in many places. 

There are seven acute bends with poor visibility, on the road we take to go to hospital. During that twenty-five minutes travel, almost every day, we come across a fast driven vehicle from the opposite side on those bends.  

I wonder whether the riders of the motor bikes can be more circumspect to overtake appropriately and not from the wrong side. The blind spots which the driver experiences while on the road is another serious matter to take into consideration, which calls for keeping a watch on the speed!

Life is too precious to be put under risk on the road! The Officer who issued me the licence told me in his final greeting, 'Good driving and take care of yourself and OTHERS'!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)