Write-Turn 6 Regrets of the Dying

Read a very interesting article on an author, motivational Speaker, song writer Bronnie Ware. She was a carer for terminally ill patients, a care taker or a nurse what we call here. In 2009, she started writing small blogs about nature, travel etc.

Her fourth post on the blog was life changing. Based on her 8 years of experience of care-taking the about to die patients, she wrote an article called ‘Regrets of the Dying’. It had the Top 5 regrets of the patients on their death bed which were told to her.

Though she started getting emails & comments from unknown readers, she had no idea how popular this post was going to become. A million people had read in a year and 8 million people within 4 years and is still counting.

She wrote a book on the same subject and it got translated in to 27 languages. You can read the blog here - Regrets of the Dying. She is now written 3 books and a motivational speaker.

For those who don’t read blogs, the top regrets as per that post are –

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not 

the life others expected of me.

2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

What would be yours?

Write-Turn 5 Don’t just leave a will, leave a vision

Just as I started to write, came a courier. Except for the credit card bills, receiving a package through courier is a happy feeling. Reason being that it means the item ordered online has reached safely. Another reason mostly being the item on discount or sale or an item which is not easily available on stores.

The one received today made me happier than for a reason. It was not the one to be received but an acknowledgment for something I pledged to give. Yes, received a ‘Eye Donor Card’ for the pledge I made to donate my eyes.

Many asked me what I did for my birthday early this month. I just laughed and had said nothing special. I in fact did something special which I wanted to do for a long time. One box ticked in life.

The stats relating to Corneal Blindness in India is staggering. One third of the world’s people suffering from corneal blindness are in India. There are around 2 lakh blind people waiting for donors every year in our country and only 45,000 are collected.

That is a huge gap between demand and supply. That 45k collection amounts to only around 5% of the total deaths in the country.You can go through the sad statistics regarding this issue on - Eye Donation Stats

The stats are for you to decide yourself. There are several cultural and religious myths that acts as a hindrance for people to donate eyes. These needs to be thought upon and youngsters need to act and create awareness.

The sole idea of writing this piece is to motivate a few of my friends who read this. Even if 5 decide and donate, including mine that would be vision to 12 people.

Write-Turn 4 How to make Good Tea?

Before you start to read, this tea making video by Sanjeev Kapoor had the maximum views on youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVmV1tJ1YPo . Now for the story.

Got up early today. Pretty early. If little early, it would have been yesterday. Since it was early and nothing to do I decided to make Tea, a'good tea’. There is a saying that ‘Where there is tea; there is hope’What is a good tea? is open for a big discussion. Where and with whom too matters. 

US President Abraham Lincoln had great thoughts. Mere mortals like us cannot match his thoughts. Thanks to some 'tea makers', who have made us feel what the great Lincoln felt. He once said " If this is coffee, bring me some tea; but if this is tea, please bring me some coffee".

Back to my story, I started with boiling the milk. When that was happening, a boiling urge to check the mobile started. I did not open watsapp, instead opened Google and casually typed ‘How to make good tea?’. Google being Google did not disappoint. 

It first threw some 'tea' quotes with pictures. I was not aware that there were so many of them on 'tea’.Some very philosophical too. I liked this one the best, "Life is like a cup of tea, it's all in how you make it".

There were other things too. One which caught my attention was a essay written by George Orwell way back in 1946. The essay is called 'A Nice Cup of tea'.Essay I had read about it earlier in a Kannada article but not in detail. Those who drink, make , like , don’t like ‘tea’ need to read this essay.

It’s a pretty long one but worth the read with a cup of tea. He has emphasised about 11 factors that contribute in making ‘nice’ tea. You can read in instalments. You may not agree, appreciate or follow on all points but would try one or two applicable.

My story, the milk was boiled, but I had to abandon the next steps of making tea as I had to complete reading the essay. According to it I had not boiled the milk right. Try reading the article :-)

Write-Turn 3 - The Road(s) Not Taken

‘For the first time ever domestic passengers in India have crossed one crore in a month’. Wow, that’s a great stat.

For the ones who thought it ‘may’ happen, yes, it has happened this ‘May’. Many of my 'young friends' I know might have contributed to that stat.

As soon as I read it I was reminded of the poem by Robert Frost, ‘The Road not taken’. That particular poem is entirely of a different context and of a different subject.

But 1 crore passengers taking the flight means that, that many people not hitting the Indian roads. I remembered the poem, ’The Road(s) not taken in that context. Apologies to Mr.Frost.

The stat of 'a crore' passengers open doors for lot many other stats for me. Every time a passenger boards a plane, there is a 'Namaste' or a greeting by the aircraft staff. That means a minimum of a crore greeting has been conveyed. Even if 50% of the passengers greeted back, that’s around 15 million ‘good words’ (even if it is not meant at heart entirely) exchanged. When the world is witnessing so many ‘unpleasant’ events today, that is a happy bit of statistic.

Reports say that IndiGo topped the list in the number of passengers. No news of Kingfisher Airlines. With the ‘May Heat’, Kingfisher would have topped the chart in a different segment.

Also you don’t have to fly in a Kingfisher flight to feel ‘high’. You can have the same feeling (highness) having another ‘Kingfisher ‘product at the comforts of your home.

India Pakistan Matches - An experience by itself

Sunday’s India-Pak match. Finals & India loses. Sad feeling. Not for the loss but because of the margin of defeat. Excellent Cricket by Pakistan. Fast bowling at its best. Bowling of the old days.

India lost. Sad, but not as sad as it used to be in the 90s.  India invariably used to be on the losing side during the early part of 90s. The last ball six in the 1986 Sharjah Cup finals by Miandad had made a huge dent in to the psyche of the Indians. Indian players struggled during India-Pak encounters. The Akrams, Waqars, Aquibs, Akhtars penetrated the famed Indian batting line-ups with ease & regularity

However, 1996 World Cup quarter-finals changed it all. Aamir Sohail smashing Venkatesh to the fence and waving at Prasad was their last bright spot over India in global tournaments. Next ball, wicket rolled, Prasad roared and with that India dominated over Pakistan for the next two decades. The video clip of Prasad giving a verbal send off to Sohail remained thumbnail for the India-Pak encounters thereafter. 

Television sales go up in India during these tournaments. Televisions go down on the floor we have heard in Pakistan every time they lose to India. India never lost to Pakistan in the ICC tournaments during this period.  2017 Champion’s trophy final was a completion of one full circle for India-Pak encounters. Pakistan is on the top now. The best team during the finals day won.

The Start

‘Keep writing’ and ‘keep smiling’ are the two things I keep hearing from my friends and well-wishers. I know ‘well-wishers’ is an old fashioned word, but there are still hell lot of such good people left in this world. I often (not so often) hear from them that I write well and have a good smile. I have my doubts. I write sometimes and smile a lot, but not sure if they are as good as I am told they are.

‘Smiling’ is lot easier compared to writing. Reactions too is lot more and spontaneous to a ‘smile’ than to a ‘write up’. I smile when I am writing but can’t write every time I smile. I can smile lazily but can’t write lazily. Writing needs ‘effort’. So I am making an effort to ‘write’ at least on alternate days for the next 30 days. That means at least 15 small write-ups in the next one month.

I am confused as to how big or small an ideal write up should be. Few of my friends tell me that they read up to the point where they see an instruction called ‘continue reading’. They stop there. Request you all to ‘continue’ little further.

There is a saying that ‘It will take time, effort, blood, sweat & tears, but I will get there’. Let me not get that serious. Time & effort yes I will put in, with the weather relatively cool I may not sweat. Let there be no ‘tears of blood’ from those who read.

These series of write ups may be in English, Kannada or be a picture (because a picture speaks thousand words ;-) ) This is not a new thing, many bloggers have done it earlier. Let me try. Those who have always told me to ‘keep writing’ have this obligation of responding once in a while during the next 30 days. ‘Keep smiling’ depends on the responses I get. Happy reading. 

I will call this series ‘Write-Turn’.