The walk to your manager’s cabin alone for the annual performance review…
Photo by Cristian Grecu on Unsplash
Category: Random Thoughts
Coloured
Colour me so,
so you wouldn’t judge
the colour of my skin.
Or know that
colours will wash away
on the day you’ll bathe me
and dress me in my best suit
for the world to see
who I am under my skin.
I am You.
Free Photo by ReddAngelo on Unsplash
Are you a racist?
Do you think you aren’t a racist?
Well, let me clarify, Racism is not just about hitting or killing a person from another race/religion. It is also the prejudice or discrimination you direct against someone of a different race, consciously or sub-consciously. My last post My Personal Black Day was an example of racism at a sub-conscious level in daily life. I had more of such experiences when I joined a Christian school in middle grade and later a Muslim High School, but those are stories for later.
Now, do you still think you aren’t a racist? I dare you to check.
Did you study in a school or college, worked in an office, or lived in a place that had people from different races–Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Jews or others; black skin, white skin, red skin, yellow skin or brown skin? Open your collection of pictures during the social gatherings and answer the following questions in the Comments section. You will find your own answer.
- Which race/religion shows up the most?
- Is a person from another race/religion standing close to you?
- Are they close friends?
- Do you remember their names clearly?
- Ever visited their house or hung out with them?
- Did you ever go on a date with a person of another race/religion?
- What race/religion is your bestie?
- What race/religion is your spouse?
Did you get your answer yet?
You can give an excuse that these people wanted to be left out. Really? Did you try starting a dialogue or offering a smile?
Clearly, as birds of a feather, we racists flock together.
Beautiful
What do you think of the woman in this picture?
I see a woman who doesn’t care what you think anyway–someone like me.
Beautiful, isn’t she?
Free photo by Unsplash
The Best of Human in difficult times
The difficult times of COVID lockdown have brought out the best and worst of us. While many people have hoarded essential goods, many have come forward to give a helping hand.
- Individuals are distributing money and food rations to those who aren’t earning anymore and do not have a ration-card.
- Some people are running kitchens for travellers and students stuck in their cities.
- Able-bodied people are volunteering to help the elderly.
- Several companies, including mine, are paying full salary to employees locked in their houses.
- Delivery guys, medical personnel and police officers are putting their own lives on the line to help us.
Most importantly, nearly 99% of people are behaving responsibly staying at home. So let’s follow the example of the best and leave the worst to deal with their own demons.
150+ Followers, 250+ Stories
I just wanted to celebrate a moment of small victories. Fish in the trees now has 150+ WordPress followers! 😁
Wooohoooooo!
I also crossed the mark of 250 stories a couple of weeks back. 😎 (My ‘poetry’ is simply ‘stories with rhytm’.)
To think that I had never written stories before, except for English language assignment, I would have considered this feat impossible 10 months back when I started this blog. 😊
It calls for a celebration. In the spirit of the worldwide lockdown, I am sharing food online (Vegetarian only). 😇
Take your pick.
🧀🍔🍟🍕🌮🌯🥙🥘🍲🥗🍿🍱
🍨🍩🎂🍰🍫🍬🍭🍧🍦🍮
Enjoy!
Dear Human, are you humane?
Hi All,
These are difficult times. People are home bound and a lot of them who earn their bread daily can’t feed their families anymore. I urge we share surplus with them.
In Islam, there is a concept of sharing 2.5% of your surplus every year. It is a complex calculation but in simple terms: if I have had money, jwellery, or property that I am not living in, and had it for more than an year, I give away 2.5% of its value. It keeps a lot of families afloat. And somehow, I feel richer by giving away.
Not everyone will be ready to part with that kind of money, but if you can spare even one dollar to feed empty stomachs, you get blessings, regardless of the value.
Here are four ways to do it:
- Buy the stuff while shopping for yourself and leave it outside there houses or in a place where ABC is sure to find it.
- Ask ABC person to come and collect money/food stuff from your place. (You can handover the stuff outside your door. No need to touch or call them inside.)
- Send the money physically/on phone/online to the ABC person and they can shop.
- Call ABC person to pick up the stuff from the local grocer. Ask the grocer to give X amount of stuff to the ABC person while you pay online. (This is what we have been doing.)
These are desperate times. I urge you to do your bit and deserve the blessings you have.
Photo by Kat Yukawa on Unsplash
A Tough Assignment
Lately, my nearly-3-year daughter has taken to creating ‘bouquet’ of animals.
Ever so often, she asks me what animals I want. I give her a random list. Then she asks me which color I want them in. After half an hour of hard labor, the bouquet is ready and it looks something like this.
Or this.
Now the daunting task is to label each animal accurately without hurting her feelings. But by now, I have already forgotten the list and color code, not that she follows it anyway.
Since I am a small-town woman and her paintings are on more of the experimental side, I am at a loss most of the time. So, I try to get the information from my only source without showing my confusion. I admit, I rely heavily on flattery and treats.
“Oh! What a pretty animal! Such pretty wings!”
(Flattered and pleased) “Not wings, they are feet.”
This is my first clue that it is not a bird.
“Oh yes, it has a nice long tail. Very beautiful.”
(Even more flattered and pleased) “That’s the trunk.”
Mystery solved. “Such a cute elephant!”
I write its name next to it.
But being a small-town woman, I am bound by the old-fashioned thoughts and, at times, make monumental mistakes. “Let’s add his ears.”
(A little annoyed now) “But it already has ears.”
“Of course! How silly of me! Here, take a Chocolate chip.”
Placated, we begin with the next animal. After a week of labeling these mysterious animals, you would think I’d get the hang of it. But I’m a simple woman from a small town. Modern art eludes me.
News: Development Wins – Celebrated All Night!
The landslide victory of AAP in Delhi Union Territory (India) serves as the verdict from the soul of secular India:
“We want Progressive politics, not Hatred-politics.
Give us true development–better schools, hospitals, roads, buses, railways.
Stop your men from killing people over meat. Stop them from scaring us in submission.
Give us a corruption-free system. Give us the list of the Swiss Bank accounts you have received and kept quiet. Or give us the reason for doing so.
Then ask for a vote. Period.”
1000 Likes…Woohoo!
New Year just got better! I was just notified that this blog has received 1000 likes!
I had never dreamt of reaching this goal when I started off. I had just hoped that someone somewhere might read it someday.
The best part is that there is a small but steady stream of people who read it, which is beautiful in itself.
I have also found some great friends, on WordPress and outside because of this blog. We critique each other’s work, share daily tales. I thank Almighty for bringing it all to me.
Thank you all for making it possible.
Short Stories 