Gag bag

The mind plays such an important role many a times. And is wholly responsible for our actions even if we really know we don’t want to do a certain thing the way we do it. Well I don’t have many examples to show this, but it hit me the other day. I will explain that later. For now though I have certain things to discuss on the same. Now I don’t know what is this 'mind' which does take part and is responsible for a certain action of ours. But it is an involuntary response of ours certainly. And no, I m not talking about our reflex actions. Those are totally different I feel. These are more voluntary. Yet, somehow we just accept them as the situation unfolds.

Ok. This is going very vague. So I will first quote that example...

Well it so happened that I was watching the IPL match the other day. And there was this run out chance. The fielder was at point. And the batsman hit it there, and began to run. Now this fielder picks up the ball. The wicketkeeper has already taken his place behind the stumps. Here is when I observed, that whenever such a situation occurs, the fielder automatically throws the ball at the keeper. Not directly at the stumps. Why? Now there is no direct answer. I mean he has a better chance in a close run out to get his team a wicket by a direct hit. While if it’s a greater margin, then throwing at the keeper makes more sense. But then, in that split second how many decisions are you going to make? Is it a flaw in human psychology and his way of thinking? Is overcoming this is what we call presence of mind? I mean I just observed this now, so it may be like, wow! to me. But I don’t know. Like again, consider. That you are listening to your I-pod. And at the same time, someone asks you something. While answering, your volume automatically goes up. I mean why is it that we can’t just maintain a same volume level. After all, we talk at about the same decibel level throughout, and for a person like me who talks so much, I must have so much practice maintaining the same level. But no. It’s like you have to hear yourself at the same volume.

Now I don’t know if I m making sense at all. But it’s just that this struck me the other day. And hence thought of writing something about it.

There may be some clichéd examples to this category as well. Or so I think so. Like given a new pen, we automatically write our name first. Or just getting a pen in our hand, we start scribbling and writing any crap whatsoever, even if there is no need at all. Another thing I observed in this type of behavior is that almost everyone is affected by this. Otherwise normally human tendencies are such that they change from person to person. But a normal person acts in the above ways itself, no matter what happens. Unless of course you overcome the mind control. Its funny, but its true. I m still not done on this topic. But I myself am getting so confused that I don’t know what else to write. So I better stop before I go crazy and just go on a cyclic redundancy…

I don't think Santa will have anything to say this time. After all, I m a psychic...

‘Be on tekdi at 5:30…’, ‘Tomo morn futbal at 7…’,’ B in B in 8 mins…’ and so on.

These are some of the SMSs received (a little variation in the time and place and the activity) almost everyday. And it’s funny, because even for the small time lag, no one ever pays top priority to any of these timings.

No one and I mean no one ever arrives at the time decided. And its somehow a understood thing that when someone says a certain time, that everyone arrives a little* late. Each one expects this way that when he/she arrives, all will be there so that he/she won’t have to wait for anyone. Only to find out that he/she has arrived the earliest. And I don’t know how, but this goes on be it any thing. Now for a game of football suppose, who ll like to arrive late? But no, still people break records and arrive 45 mins after the decided time. Till then hardly 2-3 people arrive, just sitting and giving missed calls.

There is no reason for its origin. Though I guess we can think of some options. Like some people meet regularly and there is one person who is the eternal late comer. So to adjust with him/her, so that no one feels that he/she arrives too early, people start coming a little late. This way now all are on time relative to one another. So that now they can do the thing they intended without any lag.

Now everyone of this group has been affected with this disease (or can we say habit), so that they start spreading it. Like they say, one bad apple in the basket spoils the rest.

Now how late can one be tolerated? It’s a relative question again, but I guess it depends on the purpose of the get together. Also, is there a way to tackle this?

I don’t understand yet another thing, that if everyone knows that when a time of say 6 pm is decided, and that all are going to arrive at 6:15 then why not say 6:15 itself, and arrive then right on time. How long can we go on extending this, without getting caught up in the recursive nature of this method, that whenever our mind analyzes a certain time, it automatically adds the lag and then processes on it. If there as such really exists this algorithm, then can't there ever be a stage that we state a time right and the mind analyzes it right so that all arrive at exactly the time stated?

Okay, still this isn’t all that the problem is. Even with by afflicting each and every person, we all start arriving 15 mins late, so that still, all arrive on time relative to one another (a little here and there of course). So its all well and good.

But then there will always be this one person, who says he/she still wants to arrive the last. So now he/she starts adding another 5 mins. Now he/she won’t be the only one of course, so that he/she will spread this disease to all the others. So that the mind of each starts adding 20 mins, instead of 15.

Will this too stop at some time? The additions will go on I guess, so that people start arriving more and more late. But this addition mostly is decreasingly exponential, so that after a few iterations I think it will be small enough to neglect. I don’t know the actually case, but I do hope this is the case. Else time really will have no meaning.

I guess what you can do is talk it amongst yourselves and start understanding each other better so that you can avoid this at the bud stage itself. It will be difficult for you to handle it if you don’t heed it well in advance. Or else, just go with the crowd as usual.

Nothing much to ponder over actually. It’s a hard reality, so just accept it.

Santa said ,”Lets meet at 12 exaclty?”
I said, ”Par aapke 12 kab bajenge?”

*Little- the term little is relative here. It varies from 10-15 mins to half an hour or so, or sometimes not at all…

Gazing down
in the cafeteria,
I saw a hundred faces
all in their own thoughts.
I scanned through people
quickly as a hawk,
In an instant I targeted my prey,
And although I knew I could never go for the kill,
I stood still, gazing, waiting, concentrating.
After what seemed like an eternity,
I turned to go my way.
And now when I recall,
All i can think of is...
GUESS?

Just today I had been on tekdi, like always :-). As usual I proceeded to water the plants over there, when two little kids came running to me calling out 'kaka,kaka..'
At first I just looked at them, and when they were close enough and checking out what I was doing with their usual inquisitive eyes, with questions galore, I proceeded to correct them immediately, telling them to call me dada, and not kaka..
After the little fun talk with them, going through explaining what I was doing, and asking them their names and the usual stuff with small kids, I proceeded on my way*. There, the thought arose whether now I was old enough to be called kaka? I mean was there a defining limit after which you are called a kaka, because this was surely the first time this happened. And I certainly didn't like it. I mean do I look old enough for that, or does the maturity show(!) on my face..? Am I up to the mark to be called a kaka? The thing struck me, more so because at present I did correct the kid, but later on I would have to accept the fact and live with it, being happy called as an uncle. Is there a way to avoid this? Or is it just how age treats you and you just cant help it? I don't think even Kaya Skin Care clinic can solve this either.
The further question arises. Will there also be a time when someone will call me an ajoba? That will be worse, especially when you hear it from outside. This just shows that at heart you maybe a kid forever, but thats not how age treats you. Like they say, age 3 to 5 or so is the most innocent age, and these kids can just be the most honest in deciphering you, whether or not you like it. Age really is unforgiving, and you just have to accept the changes and move along. Like in the new Pepsi commercial, the famous 'Youngistan' one, King Khan has become a dad to Deepika. Similarly, actors too move on to play roles of dads, grandpas and so on as time moves on. They have to accept it and give way to new talent, or just new people in many cases. So there I was, wondering and pondering on this but still, just moving along as though nothing happened*. Thats how life is, unfair though it may seem...

*-both the ways are the same, i.e along the tekdi road to the quarry..:-)
~ kaka-> uncle
ajoba->grandfather
dada->brother