Thinking local
Off the shores 17
Life embraced not embarrassed
Some turning points ahead
Rajiva Shanker Shresta
Life in the New Year should not start with a dissenting note but some sweet prelude to what it has in store unknown to welcome with open heart to embrace it and not to be embarrassed upon with what fate brought to share with all. Gradually to take on whatever comes our way ready to face well accepting the facts of life in a simple way ahead. ‘Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like’, as Lou Tzu said.
It was welcome note to have my way after a quick encounter with the machine in a store here while checking my BP that could also examine my general health status with data provided to come to an assessment as to the quality of my physical wellbeing compared to the age I was in. It showed me five years younger for my actual age by their parameters pertaining to height, weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, etc. It was no harm feeding the machine with my health data to know for free their assessment of my physical condition as of now. In spite of some uncomfortable physiological system I am passing through, I have been enjoying life whatever coming to my share, be it roller coaster or parasail as the opportunity came knowing well that everything does not come for asking and some reasons lead life from one step to another. This I know well coming from the mountain where you face certain obstacles in the shape of a stream turbulent enough to cross during the rainy season. I could take courage seeing an elderly woman crossing it just with the help of a stick in hand to gauge the water and its flow. That was fifty years ago when the jeep service left me behind while my luggage was deposited to it by a domestic help and I had to walk down some 25 miles to Rangpo from Rhenock on way to Darjeeling Government College. I owe this lesson to Subba driver when there used to be very few vehicles four or five jeeps lying to different places like Kalimpong, Rangpo and Gangtok those days in Rhenock unlike some hundreds today. Otherwise, it was when trekking the jungles of Rachela (10,600’ asl near the tri-junction of Sikkim, India and Bhutan) way back around the same time in the year 1962 end with my relative late Birbal Pradhan then posted as forest block officer in Rhenock. He had to clear a foot track in the high mountains forests there but I had the wonderful view of life to overlook the widespread of the world other side Pedong, Algarah, Kalimpong onwards the plains and this side beyond the international border from near the Three-Point but the panoramic view supreme was the whole of the Himalayan Range with lofty Mount Kanchenjungha spread one end to another. We stayed there for days together after the uphill climb without modern amenities of camping but to enjoy even after years this moment of life away from the homeland reminiscing the past moments that could well be the milestones together to sum up what I had in my share to welcome the coming year 2016 with open heart to embrace. Embarrassing moments too were there in my share courtesy some conspiracy to malign my career and they thought I would succumb to them without realizing the strong heart inside me to make it a turning point of my life. I repaid them giving a book or two wherever I was posted thereafter and turned me into a writer to spend my golden days post retirement! Another milestone was me making the dream of the youth taking wings paragliding to fly high in the Sikkim sky to look above beyond the horizon of mere clapping of hands watching pilots flying during the Maghe Mela at Jorethang. Now our own boys are into the game at Pokhra in Nepal or even competing in the World events at Bir-Billing in Himachal Pradesh. It was at an age when most of the employees were retired but I was paragliding for the government in the Sports and Youth Department at the fag end of my 35 years long career. I survived because the fire inside me burned brighter than the one around me. Young lads there those days are international footballers like Sanju Pradhan and Bikash Jairu teaming up with Sunil Chettri for the SAFF Championship.
Active I had to be to cope with the routine getting up early to write down some notes to share with under my Thinking local column updated 2016 to welcome the New Year ahead to keep with the assignment I have for the Sunday issue of the Sikkim Express for the fourth year in a row this year. Also without feeling lazy I practise the hour long Yoga to keep fit with the body regime as it has much been pampered gastronomically during the past several days holidaying in the Florida Keys and Orlando. I too am personally responsible for it as I treated myself all the best that came on my table to share with. I did let me free enjoy these wonderful moments not wanting to keep myself within the self-imposed restrictions for a while or two in order to enjoy coming all the way from the highs of the Himalayas located exactly at 5,500' Rachna Books my dwelling place to the Southernmost Point of the USA in the Florida Key West where the highest point is just 14' asl. This was natural for my body too to go that way to show the results coming back home my blood sugar shooting up just the double. It was very much like the thrill I got from the roller coaster ride named Everest Expedition down the Kali River behind the typical Nepal temple replicated authentically dedicated to the Yeti. Or experience double the joy of flying 1,000’ above and down to have feet splashed into the Atlantic waters by Parasail at Key Largo coming back landing safe in the boat. What unforgettable was the dizziness I had to go through seeing the Coral Reef through the Glass Bottomed Boat waiting for the trip to end soon as I had taken half the dose of the antihistamine to cut short my joy to half. Like the joy and sorrows the sugar levels in my blood is always there going up and down but not my spirits to share even the joy of reading my Facebook friends many of them never care to bother if they have even seen the beautiful pictures or stories posted. Such is the present day joy to keep you glued to life that when much of my time is dedicated to my own interest of writing something or the other as it eases the pain inside of the urge to bring out whatever not only in my head but also inside my mind. I have been told it helps a lot in later days from keeping you away from the harshness of age one has to suffer that was well depicted in the movie Black by Sanjay Leela Bhansali some eight years back. I could not prevent myself from enjoying his latest superb Bajirao Mastani presented in a grandiose manner to enjoy ever since Mughal-e-Azam (1960) taking years of toil and resources of K. Asif.
Love showered upon me by my near and dear ones too is overbearing me here and cannot repay them even visiting them once again due to the uncertain winter weather these days in spite of my word given to them. The year is passing out and I look back on my life like a good day’s work, it was done and I am satisfied with it as Grandma Moses said.
It was welcome note to have my way after a quick encounter with the machine in a store here while checking my BP that could also examine my general health status with data provided to come to an assessment as to the quality of my physical wellbeing compared to the age I was in. It showed me five years younger for my actual age by their parameters pertaining to height, weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, etc. It was no harm feeding the machine with my health data to know for free their assessment of my physical condition as of now. In spite of some uncomfortable physiological system I am passing through, I have been enjoying life whatever coming to my share, be it roller coaster or parasail as the opportunity came knowing well that everything does not come for asking and some reasons lead life from one step to another. This I know well coming from the mountain where you face certain obstacles in the shape of a stream turbulent enough to cross during the rainy season. I could take courage seeing an elderly woman crossing it just with the help of a stick in hand to gauge the water and its flow. That was fifty years ago when the jeep service left me behind while my luggage was deposited to it by a domestic help and I had to walk down some 25 miles to Rangpo from Rhenock on way to Darjeeling Government College. I owe this lesson to Subba driver when there used to be very few vehicles four or five jeeps lying to different places like Kalimpong, Rangpo and Gangtok those days in Rhenock unlike some hundreds today. Otherwise, it was when trekking the jungles of Rachela (10,600’ asl near the tri-junction of Sikkim, India and Bhutan) way back around the same time in the year 1962 end with my relative late Birbal Pradhan then posted as forest block officer in Rhenock. He had to clear a foot track in the high mountains forests there but I had the wonderful view of life to overlook the widespread of the world other side Pedong, Algarah, Kalimpong onwards the plains and this side beyond the international border from near the Three-Point but the panoramic view supreme was the whole of the Himalayan Range with lofty Mount Kanchenjungha spread one end to another. We stayed there for days together after the uphill climb without modern amenities of camping but to enjoy even after years this moment of life away from the homeland reminiscing the past moments that could well be the milestones together to sum up what I had in my share to welcome the coming year 2016 with open heart to embrace. Embarrassing moments too were there in my share courtesy some conspiracy to malign my career and they thought I would succumb to them without realizing the strong heart inside me to make it a turning point of my life. I repaid them giving a book or two wherever I was posted thereafter and turned me into a writer to spend my golden days post retirement! Another milestone was me making the dream of the youth taking wings paragliding to fly high in the Sikkim sky to look above beyond the horizon of mere clapping of hands watching pilots flying during the Maghe Mela at Jorethang. Now our own boys are into the game at Pokhra in Nepal or even competing in the World events at Bir-Billing in Himachal Pradesh. It was at an age when most of the employees were retired but I was paragliding for the government in the Sports and Youth Department at the fag end of my 35 years long career. I survived because the fire inside me burned brighter than the one around me. Young lads there those days are international footballers like Sanju Pradhan and Bikash Jairu teaming up with Sunil Chettri for the SAFF Championship.
Active I had to be to cope with the routine getting up early to write down some notes to share with under my Thinking local column updated 2016 to welcome the New Year ahead to keep with the assignment I have for the Sunday issue of the Sikkim Express for the fourth year in a row this year. Also without feeling lazy I practise the hour long Yoga to keep fit with the body regime as it has much been pampered gastronomically during the past several days holidaying in the Florida Keys and Orlando. I too am personally responsible for it as I treated myself all the best that came on my table to share with. I did let me free enjoy these wonderful moments not wanting to keep myself within the self-imposed restrictions for a while or two in order to enjoy coming all the way from the highs of the Himalayas located exactly at 5,500' Rachna Books my dwelling place to the Southernmost Point of the USA in the Florida Key West where the highest point is just 14' asl. This was natural for my body too to go that way to show the results coming back home my blood sugar shooting up just the double. It was very much like the thrill I got from the roller coaster ride named Everest Expedition down the Kali River behind the typical Nepal temple replicated authentically dedicated to the Yeti. Or experience double the joy of flying 1,000’ above and down to have feet splashed into the Atlantic waters by Parasail at Key Largo coming back landing safe in the boat. What unforgettable was the dizziness I had to go through seeing the Coral Reef through the Glass Bottomed Boat waiting for the trip to end soon as I had taken half the dose of the antihistamine to cut short my joy to half. Like the joy and sorrows the sugar levels in my blood is always there going up and down but not my spirits to share even the joy of reading my Facebook friends many of them never care to bother if they have even seen the beautiful pictures or stories posted. Such is the present day joy to keep you glued to life that when much of my time is dedicated to my own interest of writing something or the other as it eases the pain inside of the urge to bring out whatever not only in my head but also inside my mind. I have been told it helps a lot in later days from keeping you away from the harshness of age one has to suffer that was well depicted in the movie Black by Sanjay Leela Bhansali some eight years back. I could not prevent myself from enjoying his latest superb Bajirao Mastani presented in a grandiose manner to enjoy ever since Mughal-e-Azam (1960) taking years of toil and resources of K. Asif.
Love showered upon me by my near and dear ones too is overbearing me here and cannot repay them even visiting them once again due to the uncertain winter weather these days in spite of my word given to them. The year is passing out and I look back on my life like a good day’s work, it was done and I am satisfied with it as Grandma Moses said.
Without much idea on the current trend of writings that too by our Nepali poets, I came across some lines that missed my attention earlier. As I was working through this article this morning, Facebook showed 6 November posting by Tashi Sherpa, who added me to be his friend there. I have been finding his simple written poems interesting touching various aspects of life, each with some hundred likes as it was easy to understand them, relate to and be inspired as well perhaps. Today also someone liked the poem while another wrote if he should make this poem his New Year resolution. Quite thoughtful idea why not to share it with its English version attempted along with it in Roman for the benefit of my readers around this time welcoming the New Year:
Royer tyasai ateetma feri
Farker na her
Aaundain kohi dukhma timro
Parkher na her
Sukh ra dukh saar ho saathi
Aafaile saachnu chh
Anmol chh jiwan sunder sansarmaa
Hanser bachnu chh
Bipatti aaudai aatter vyrthai bhagnu hundain
Saghuro baato dekher manle thaknu hundain
Aafaile atal vishwas gari sapna khojnu chh
Karmalai devta maaner baato manle rojnu chh
Kopila jhain ho man ko umang fulnu deu khuler
Udnu deu rahar pakheta fijaai peedalai bhuler
~ ~ ~
Crying over the bygone do not look back the past ever
Nobody would be there in your bad days, so wait never
Joy and sorrows are your own my dear just for awhile
And you are there to bear the brunt alone all the while
Precious is our Life to care and enjoy in this beautiful world
We have to live all the while with a smile thus well survived
Obstacles come your way but not to flee away so hastened
Narrow lanes should not in any way keep you disheartened
You have to dream of something in yourself firmly believed
And to lead the path accepting your work is worship to God
You’ve a flower bud in your heart, let it bloom fully inspired
Spread your wings wide to fly high forgetting the woe inside
‘Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life’, Mark Twain found.’ The purpose of our lives is to be happy’, Dalai Lama said. Though small things in our daily life make us sad but we have to happy to be free from all the ills that come with the old age. Again, ‘Life is not a matter of milestones, but of moments’, Rose Kennedy opined while ‘Life is a succession of moments, to live each one is to succeed’ Corita Kent wrote. ‘The Wine of Life keeps oozing drop by drop. The Leaves of Life keeping falling one by one…’ Edward Fitzgerald said. ‘How far you go on life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these’, George Washington found and I am passing through to enter the New Year to wish all my readers many happy innings in 2016 fruitful ever to look forward eagerly.
Next week: Exploring more in Florida – Further southwards Miami Beach and Key West
Disclaimer:
This is author’s personal account of memories updated to cherish and treasure often on a detour here and there en route to share the joy of the journey called life while in the US. Some names, quotes, places and events mentioned are just to connect with and no malice whatsoever intended. He can be reached at [email protected]
Royer tyasai ateetma feri
Farker na her
Aaundain kohi dukhma timro
Parkher na her
Sukh ra dukh saar ho saathi
Aafaile saachnu chh
Anmol chh jiwan sunder sansarmaa
Hanser bachnu chh
Bipatti aaudai aatter vyrthai bhagnu hundain
Saghuro baato dekher manle thaknu hundain
Aafaile atal vishwas gari sapna khojnu chh
Karmalai devta maaner baato manle rojnu chh
Kopila jhain ho man ko umang fulnu deu khuler
Udnu deu rahar pakheta fijaai peedalai bhuler
~ ~ ~
Crying over the bygone do not look back the past ever
Nobody would be there in your bad days, so wait never
Joy and sorrows are your own my dear just for awhile
And you are there to bear the brunt alone all the while
Precious is our Life to care and enjoy in this beautiful world
We have to live all the while with a smile thus well survived
Obstacles come your way but not to flee away so hastened
Narrow lanes should not in any way keep you disheartened
You have to dream of something in yourself firmly believed
And to lead the path accepting your work is worship to God
You’ve a flower bud in your heart, let it bloom fully inspired
Spread your wings wide to fly high forgetting the woe inside
‘Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life’, Mark Twain found.’ The purpose of our lives is to be happy’, Dalai Lama said. Though small things in our daily life make us sad but we have to happy to be free from all the ills that come with the old age. Again, ‘Life is not a matter of milestones, but of moments’, Rose Kennedy opined while ‘Life is a succession of moments, to live each one is to succeed’ Corita Kent wrote. ‘The Wine of Life keeps oozing drop by drop. The Leaves of Life keeping falling one by one…’ Edward Fitzgerald said. ‘How far you go on life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these’, George Washington found and I am passing through to enter the New Year to wish all my readers many happy innings in 2016 fruitful ever to look forward eagerly.
Next week: Exploring more in Florida – Further southwards Miami Beach and Key West
Disclaimer:
This is author’s personal account of memories updated to cherish and treasure often on a detour here and there en route to share the joy of the journey called life while in the US. Some names, quotes, places and events mentioned are just to connect with and no malice whatsoever intended. He can be reached at [email protected]
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