Color of 2010

Turquoise – an opaque, blue-green mineral is the official color for 2010.

Couple of things:
1. Hard to spell – could it signify hard to live, hard to forecast or just difficult in general? I had to look up the word to make sure I wasn’t spelling it incorrect. I know ‘Red’ could go either way (festive or danger) but it is easy to spell.

2. Blue-green – Hopefully it signifies blue and green of our planet and thus draws and keeps our focus on the climate/environment movement.

3. Opaque – I don’t quite know what to make of it. I do hope opaque as in open mind and spirit and not opaque as in empty and shallow.

4. Vacation – the color that comes instantly to mind when we say vacation is this blue, clear, turquoise water. More vacations?!

So, just so everyone (anyone?) who reads this know - it is a bunch of color-savvy people (and by color-savvy I mean some consortium of people (Pantone to be exact) who make colors for stuff – interiors, apparel etc.) who choose this for…what purpose, I don’t know. But, it is chosen now. Someone made the decision for us. More blue-green on walls, in scarves and more vacations! What’s not to like? Move over dull-RBG color- pellet.

It is a precious mineral and is prized as a gem. I hope we treat our life, our earth, the nature around us, the animals, and the ecosystems with the same sentiment. Cherish this coz’ this is one of its kind (or so we know until a real Pandora springs to life).

May this be the year when the blue-green earth remains as pristine as it is, or better yet, it turns bluer-greener!

P.S. If you were wondering about your 2009 color choice in floor tiles, cake frosting, shirts and hats or just curious in general - the color for 2009 was warm yellow!

Things that bring joy…without amiss

 

- Tears that roll down due to uncontrollable laughter
- Lavender softener smell on your pillow and in your sweat-shirt
- Having to get up to pee and realize you have one full hour before you need to wake up
- Your favorite mug, clean and ready for your first coffee
- Distant church bells
- Mix of rain and sun and a perfect rainbow
- The perfect bite of sandwich that has all your favorite ingredients

Winter Solstice

 

At this season of winter solstice...may reason prevail.
There are no gods, no angels, and no heaven or hell.
There is only our natural world.
Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.

Nothing goes away, just coz’ we turn our heads and close our eyes…

This polar bear replica at Copenhagen, melting away - is a reality. There won’t be enough ice and enough in ecosystem to support life in Arctic. The simple reason is heat. And earth didn’t turn on its heating chamber. We did. This balance is so delicate and so fragile. And instead of doing everything and anything to understand it, save it or at least leave it as is, we are looking for corroborative proof points. And until something drastic happens it is business as usual.

The thing is for those who are already drowning due to higher sea levels, dying die to stronger hurricanes, horrendous famines and for the species who are running out of land to live on and food to live off of – the drastic is here.

Like nothing we have seen before, icebergs are now floating towards land after they break from polar ice. As much as this is a tourist phenomenon, it is a sad-sad visual. The polar ice cap will fully melt every season in a few years. Heat melts ice, rising ocean inundate land, all of it changes ecosystem – it is not rocket science.

I think that none of this is in our control. The world, the balance of nature - We didn’t create it and we don’t run it so we cannot possibly destroy it. But, nature certainly can wipe us out any time it turn against us. So, how about backing off and respecting it a little.

I know that skeptics are a necessary part of world and people fall on both sides of any discussion. But, this is kinda critical. And it is sorta evident.

Just because some stupid people (okay, a lot of stupid people) turn blind towards how humans have treated their planet, doesn’t mean things are not what they are. Political games might be a heavy price we pay before the time runs out.

How (or why) are we so short sighted?

How are we so insanely stupid that we see it right in front of us and still turn away?

Or perhaps we are just plain selfish and ignorant species.

 

It's not only a car that can be recalled by it's maker.

 

For someone who takes pride in being patient with most things, I have to admit that driving tests me and breaks me like nothing else. And by driving I mean bad driving!

I have tried to reason and introspect about this. When I can be patient with just about everything, why is it that driving irks me and irks me almost immediately? It irks me even when I am not in a hurry to get anywhere.

Perhaps driving is that one outlet where I defy my own boundaries. If I am brutally honest it doesn’t annoy me enough to push me to into road-rage like behavior, but it is enough to ignite silent cuss, cold stare and eye rolling behavior.

People taking calls, eating food, shaving, applying make-up, slow driving exclusively in fast lanes, not being considerate – activities that can probably cause accidents, definitely cause delays and indisputably cause stress levels. I just think bad driving is perhaps one of the most inconsiderate daily activities a lot of people indulge in.

And as I act indignant let me say that I am sure I am not a perfect driver, but I do try hard to follow rules and employ common sense. I get annoyed coz’ bad driving affects everyone around the bad driver. I mostly have no issues with anything people do as long as it isn’t affecting others convenience or life. Driving is one thing which inherently involves affecting others around you.

Safe, aware and good driving is something we need to aspire for. Think of the lost time and built in anger – they are reasons enough for everyone to include good driving sense as ‘must-do’ in life.

What happened to Radha?

 

Radha-Krishna - THE couple, in Indian mythology, that signifies love at a spiritual level. The courtship, the love, the connection…and poof! It was all there and then there was nothing.

Their connection was the epitome of love. The love so pure and so deep that marriage to another person didn’t diminish its value. It is said that Krishna met Radha even after marriage because he sought the companionship. They were soul-mates and institute of marriage didn’t get in the way of them seeking out who they were really meant to be with. Marriage was a practical, even political, arrangement. Love was something else.

It is not the wife and Krishna (Rukhmani) who we look up to even today. It is still Radha-Krishna. The temples, homes, books all have Radha-krishna idols. How ironic then that we bow our heads in their praise and understand their love and yet abhor anything in real life even close to that? Who are we cheating?

But, that’s the least of my issues. As I understand, we choose to follow things that suit us, that fall into our norms. We forget we are looking up to lovers. We go on judging real people while praising the Gods for doing the same, if not more.

The question I have is where did Radha disappear? Why isn’t there an after-the-Krishna story for Radha. The woman who is proclaimed to be the Goddess of Shakti (courage) left no trace? Did she live alone? Did she get married and live a loveless life? Did she fall in love again? Did she keep meeting Krishna (as is said) and how and where? What did she go through to be able to do that?

The adolescence of Krishna was the closet he got to being human. The fun, the color festival, the stealing, flirting with girls, endless hours of flute, infuriating his mother –all tell tale signs of a teenager. This is the part of his life colored with emotions of innocence, infatuation, love, mischief and they are the best parts. And Radha is a big part of it.

But, there’s no telling what happened to her. She is just a piece of Krishna’s youth. I wish there were (or is) a story of her life. Her life after Krishna, for better or worse. I always think that her story would be remarkable. If a few years with Krishna earned her a place with him forever, imagine her life story. If a few years were so meaningful that Krishna’s name is incomplete without her, imagine her life and its impact on others.