A contrast in purpose!

This is a sight along the sea front at Ernakulum close to each other. One modern building and another about one hundred years old. The contrasts between the two are many. Let me refer to just one of them- the purpose!

The tower clock at the centre provided the time for sailors and voyagers in the earlier days. It was the only tower clock along the beach front in those days.The building had a purpose for those who used it as well as for the strangers. It assisted the strangers and kept them informed of the shore and time. It was a custom built for the benefit of others. It existed for others as well.

The modern building above is a lovely place for its residence with provisions such as luxury boating for  its users and a holiday resorters.  It is an architectural beauty and enhances the sea front aesthetically. The building therefore merits compliments. Apart from this, what is in it for strangers, sailors and ordinary people who cannot afford to visit this luxury hotel! It exists for itself by and large.

It is necessary to ponder over this contrast. Do we exist for ourselves or exist for the benefits of others and every one else!

Both attitudes have strong philosophical foundations. 

The words of Jesus of Nazareth,’Love your neighbour as yourself’ is an invitation to be inclusive in our approach to life, living and learning! 

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Two years of blogging!

It was Anna’s prompting three years back that initiated me into this blogging habit. 

I look back at this experience with gratefulness and gladness. 

I feel good about three things:

I am learning to describe my thoughts. I have begun to think in association. As I use pictures and text, it has helped me to think connectedly, metaphorically and intuitively.

I have grown in some awareness of the thoughts that travel through my mind and am getting used to capturing them. As thoughts have a transient life span, it is necessary to discern them through vigilant attention. I am only at the beginning of  this journey ! 

I am surprised by my own thoughts! At the end of writing a blog, I realised how I ended differently from what I set out to do. I value this inspiration. I treasure this inner prompting to change the trend of thoughts ! It has been a surprise  to see my thoughts change and take a new form on many occasions. This change process encourages me that change is still a reality that I can long for even more!

I began this writing exercise three years back as a conversation with myself. But many have conversed with me through their calls and mails which have enthused me to continue this inner conversation.

Let me celebrate this anniversary by saying, you have accompanied me along this journey of self discovery!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo) 

Giants only challenge !

Malcolm Gladwell is an outstanding author, widely read especially after his best selling book, The Tipping Point.

In this book, David & Goliath, Malcolm makes a profound journey to uncover the 'hidden dynamics that shape the balance of power between the small and the mighty’.

David and Goliath, the Old Testament story of a battle, (I Samuel.17:1-58) where David the shepherd fell a well armoured giant, Goliath with a sling and stone, is the script around which he weaves insights and truths in an original and captivating form. 

This book is a narration and reflection on what happens when ordinary people confront giants. 

One giant I had to confront  about ten months back was my heart disease and the bypass surgery! I was almost frozen by fear when I accidentally discovered that I needed surgery. Until then, I had consoled myself to be needing only an angioplasty. 

Malcolm suggests in this book that ‘giants are not what we think they are’.

That is what happened to me before and after the surgery! The loving attention from Anna, Amy and Arpit, Aswathy and Anandit and hosts of friends eased the tension and anxiety. I felt carried and comforted.

Malcolm has this to say in his introduction to this book: ‘.. being an underdog can change people in ways that we often fail to appreciate; it can open doors and create opportunities and educate and enlighten and make possible what might otherwise seemed unthinkable’.

There is a prospect beyond every difficulty, which would form our character! There is art of battling giants!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo) 

A Little step !

As I watched the occupational therapist spend an hour or more in helping this child to sit and hold the ball,  it dawned on me that that there are many things which work against children who have increased tone in the muscles. Every movement becomes effortful and most children cannot accomplish what they set out to do as the movement would increase the tone of the muscles.  

It is one instance where a child cannot condition the body to do a task. So the therapist helps such children by moving in such a way that the gravity does not act on the muscles to increase the tone. So with  slow and sustained action and the proximal joint well supported, the movements are tried.  

When this child realised that he could actually reach and touch the ball, he suddenly got motivated to move in spite of the tone interfering it. For all of us watching this, it was a delight and surprise to see him accomplish this!

So much time spent to help a child accomplish a small step! In fact, Mother Teresa used to say, ‘let us do little things with great love’!

When a stranger carried my bag that I was struggling to lift from the car park to my office, I experienced the meaning of that saying!

M.C.Mathew(text and pjhoto)

Black pepper is initially green!

An overseas visitor, whom we took around in our garden noticed the pepper plant with tender pepper which were green to look at. Her question was why, we call it black pepper when it should be called green pepper! I have no clue why this is so then or now!

But that question initiated some thoughts in my mind! The names or descriptions we use can explain only part of the full story. We know only in part, although sometimes we tend to believe that we know it fully! 

The other truth that dawned on me was that, everything can change during its life time! The green pepper when dried becomes black! This change is a metaphor for the prospect for change resident in every human being.  An intense debating issue in the media recently is whether we should get rid of the capital punishment altogether and substitute it with life imprisonment so that every criminal is given a chance to change till the end! 

Listen to questions well and it can initiate us into a new awareness!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo) 

New arrivals!

I happened to pick up a book on Butterflies during my recent travel. The author gave a vivid introduction about ‘how to look for butterflies’! It is different from bird watching, where the chirping and visible movements can attract one’s attention.

The butterflies are best noticed in the mornings and just before the dusk. It is good to be around flowering plants during this time. They arrive only if the ambience is quiet. They like to be in the sunshine and therefore would hover around flowers which are open and exposed to sunshine. 

Since I began looking for them taking these cues, Anna and I seem to have noticed many more in an array of colours. 

The butterflies remind me of children who look for the butterflies in the garden and make every effort to catch them. A five years old child who got one had it sealed in a jar. His mother persuaded him to let it fly out. The bargain was that the mother would take photos of all the butterflies and have them framed to hang on the wall in his room. His mother told me, that it is her son who drew her attention to many butterflies in the garden!

We need an interest and heightened awareness to take note of what is taking place around. Many things compete for our attention and in this process little things escape our attention. Sometimes little things bring larger meaning to our lives!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

  

  

Ripe Nutmeg !

The season of nutmeg harvesting is on in our garden. This is how the fruit looks when it is ready for the harvest. 

The shell splits into two halves with the nut and its maize intact. The flower maize is usually bright red in colour and needs to be separated intact from the nut for drying in the sun. It send out an aroma when dried. 

The nut too needs drying till the seed inside is fully dry. When fully dried the seed would move inside the nut when shaken. 

The process of collecting the nutmeg and getting it through the different stages of preparation is time consuming, but for those interested in farming, it is the least of challenges!

During the six months since the nutmeg tree flowers and the ripe fruits are ready for harvesting, the farmer can wait patiently, without having to do anything to take care of it. 

It is this Jesus of Nazareth described in a parable about sowing and waiting. The farmer can wait for its fruits. This is a hopeful waiting not a stressful waiting!

Hope transforms our attitude!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)