Tuesday, March 15, 2011

You complete me !!!

She stays with me, but, was gone away for a couple of days. I was to take care of the kids. I was to take care of the home. After so many years with her, I was most irritable when I should actually have been supportive. She needed to be away, but, I did not feel wholesome. She was a part of me and I was troubled to part with her. When she came back home, I told her in a very Jerry Maguire way, "You complete me !!!"  

My parents stay a few cities away from us. I meet them once in a while, we talk much more often. I keep up with the goings on in their lives, both the good and the not so good parts. I sometimes feel helpless that I am not around to help. I need to stay away, but, I don't feel wholesome. They are a part of me and I wish I could play my part better. To my parents, "You complete me !!!"

My friends stay all around the globe. I try and catch up as much as I can, mostly virtually. We talk about the old days, we talk about the new days, we laugh together, we cry together. I feel alive in their company and I wish I could do that more often. They are a part of me even though we stay apart. To my friends, "You complete me !!!"

My memories of the people from Tokyo to San Diego, from the faraway places that I visited, stay with me. I follow the happenings in these faraway lands, as time permits and internet allows. When I hear about the natural disasters that rocked a little island, when I hear about the devastation by the Tsunami in Japan, my heart bleeds for them. When I hear of pilgrims dying in a stampede in Southern India, my heart skips a beat. For the unknown in these faraway places, I feel the pain. They are a part of me though I know not what part I play. I say to these unknown warriors of life, "You complete me !!!"

I have been to the mountains and I have been to the sea. I have felt like a grain of sand in the vast beaches of Kovalam. I have felt like a pebble in a little stream at the foothills of the Himalayas. I have felt the insignificance, only to be reminded of the significance. I am part of the greater whole, I am more than just me. I say to myself, "You complete others !!!". Believe in the oneness of the universe and recognize the connectedness. You are a part of me, as much as I am a part of you. "You complete me !!!"

Friday, March 4, 2011

Question Mark ?

It was back in business school, I think, that I picked up this nickname. Some friends called me "Question Mark". It was probably due to the quizzical look on my face. Or was it because of the number of questions that I asked? I am not sure, but, this was something I picked up along the way, and I am talking of not just the nickname. At times, I have wondered if this questioning mind is a good thing or a bad thing. Someone said curiosity killed the cat, but is that true?

Last month at an industry event, I had the privilege of listening to John Sculley, the Apple ex-CEO. Yes, the same John Sculley who fired Steve Jobs, or should I say, misfired Steve Jobs, the first time around at Apple. Mr. Sculley is an energetic seventy plus globe-trotter who now invests in transformational companies and in transformational ideas. He was talking at the forum about building game-changing companies. He had the enthusiasm of a young child. He had a sparkle in his eyes. He had a bounce in his footstep. It made me wonder what kept him going? He said that he has a curious mind, he has questions and he wants to find answers to those questions. He could not stop. He could not retire. And this curious mind, this questioning mind kept him young. Young at heart and with a younger mind, he talked about his peers who have retired to a game of golf and lost touch with the world. He talked about his peers who have stopped asking the questions. He says they have aged and their mind has become dull. This makes me introspect and I try to rationalize that it is a good thing to ask questions. It keeps you engaged, it keeps you going,  it keeps you young.

I see my children and their curiosity. Their open mind is always seeking answers. There is joy in finding those answers. There is an innocence and excitement in the process. I want to get back to that childlike state. I want to get back to the basics. I don't want to think of what impression others will have of me and my questions. I am not going to worry if the question is stupid. I am going to ask it anyway. I have to live up to my nickname, I have earned it and I need to keep it. And if nothing else, it keeps me young beneath the graying hair. Question Mark? The name is worth it and I intend to keep it.