Santhosh's ramblings

We had a short trip to the high ranges but had to return early because of a family member’s demise. Though it lasted just around 24 hours, something in that brief time refreshed our souls. Yes, there were friends who opened their home to us, and that certainly added to the experience.  But the mountains, the forests, the cardamom plantations, the myriad birds, and the smell of wet soil had a calming effect on the soul. Even in high‑rises, and polluted cities, people create small terrace and balcony gardens, seeking that indescribable comfort only living plants seem to offer. I wonder why nature refreshes us so deeply.  While we were there, we received the message of a family member’s passing — young in age too. The thought that came to my mind was this: all it takes is one moment to return to the earth from which we originally come. Is it this original connection to nature and creation that refreshes our souls? One of the mystic writers calls trees and mountains our brothers a...

I have been reading books on technology these days. One recent reading was particularly interesting. It explored new developments and how they are influencing the world at large. A summary is given here: “The blind can now see by bionic eyes. The paralyzed can walk by Neuro stimulation. While no one has yet multiplied loaves and fishes to feed the hungry, we can now grow fish from stem cells to accomplish the same miracle of provision.  Certainly, the terminology has changed. The grandiosity of ‘omnipresence’ and ‘omniscience’ has been replaced by the prosaic ‘Zoom’ and ‘Google’ - but the underlying superpowers are the same. Technology now performs what once belonged to myth. We summon cars, conjure meals, and speak across continents as casually as across a room.  Creation, healing, communication, and even nature itself bend to human imagination. If this isn’t magic, what is? ( And affirming the theme  that humans are as gods ).  And yet, for all this wonde...

I watched a children’s movie last week –  Swapped (Netflix) . (Yes, I still watch children’s movies; the child in me lifts its head and its desires now and then. I wish it did so more often, but most of the time it stays suppressed.). This blog is a movie review too.  (I am not advertising Netflix). The story goes like this: The Pookoo live by one rule: hide today, alive tomorrow. For ages, these chipmunk‑like creatures thrived on their quiet island in the middle of the valley river. Predators were rare, piplet seeds were abundant, and life was predictable. But Ollie was different. Curious and eager to explore, he ventured beyond the island and introduced himself to a Javan - a bird. Though the Javan couldn’t understand him, Ollie taught it how to open piplet pods. Unfortunately, Ivy, the bird, summoned its entire flock. Soon, Javans swarmed the island, devouring every seed. The Pookoo were forced underground, scraping by on leftovers as winter approached. Ollie blamed hi...

Let me start with a disclaimer – The thoughts and characters in this piece arise from imagination and experience. If they seem to echo anyone in real life, that resemblance is unintended.   I am confused a lot these days. Nothing special about it; I usually am. But it is more than just confusion – a  Disorienting Dilemma . Two decades ago, when I was travelling frequently, I would visit every bookshop I could, especially at railway stations and airports. I used to see more books on atheism, trying to disprove religions as a myth. Today, I see more books on religion. Not spirituality, but more about religion and religiosity and history of the same.  In my middle age, I was almost certain that the world was becoming more secular and irreligious; today, there seems to be a renaissance of religiosity. But is there a renaissance of spirituality? I am not too sure. Just to clarify – Religiosity is about belonging to a tradition, while spirituality is about personally seeking th...

Our nation is going through, supposedly, one of the worst heat waves in history. The challenge this year, it seems, is that it happened much earlier. I am not sure if temperatures are higher than last year, but the heat wave has come earlier than previous years.  Traveling and talking to friends across the nation, every community talks about how this year is worse than the last. Bangalore, Vellore which we experienced, Nagpur and Delhi, friends talking about it. (But then, I hear it every year).  But the hope is that this too will pass, at least in some parts of our nation. But this would have left its destruction, with a few lives lost, crops failing, personal economy challenges for rural agrarian life. These will be just a few numbers that will appear in the media for a few days, and then be forgotten.   The thing I love most these days is the car AC, with its auto mechanism. It has a built‑in thermostat and adjusts the flow of cool air to maintain the temperature at wh...

A recent conversation converted to blog   As you look ahead, I want to be honest: the world you’re stepping into isn’t simple. In less than a decade, things have become… complicated. Our generation has left you with more problems than we inherited. I’m sorry about that - truly.   But here’s the hopeful part: every mess is an opportunity in disguise.   Anne Lamott once wrote, “Clutter and mess show us that life is being lived. Clutter is wonderfully fertile ground - you can still discover new treasures under all those piles, clean things up, edit things out, fix things, get a grip.” I relate to that deeply - especially when I look at my own shelves.   And that’s our hope for you: that you’ll be the ones who discover treasures in the mess, clean things up, and build something better. History shows us that, the generations that inherited a confused and complex world, did much better than the others.    How Did We Get Here?   There are many reasons, but th...