Category: Abstract

A day in the Life

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Most of the time, I try to look at a day like this: If it went great, there is no need to be overjoyed, it was just a day in the life. If it didn’t, then also there is no need to be upset. It is just a day in life. Yesterday I turned 25 and in hindsight, I feel, it was a nice day!

I had always wanted to do something special on my birthdays. And yesterday, I think, I finally did. I went to a Girls Home in Kasba where I sponsored the lunch for the day. The menu was a typical Bengali meal: Rice, Daal, Alu Bhaja (which is called French Fries for PR purposes), Chicken Curry, and Rosogolla. I also distributed dry food items like Cake, Biscuits, and Chocolate.

I think I got one of my precious gifts from the kids too. They drew a cute Birthday greetings card for me and I loved it! I will keep it as long as I can as a cherished possession. Here I am holding the card.

The card says something like this:

“Dear Brother, wish you a happy birthday. Thank you for coming here. We are very happy to see you. Many many happy returns of the day. This day is very special for you. Thank you for your help and support. Lots of love”

Every-time I read this, it puts a smile on my face. The 25th wasn’t bad at all!

Atheist prayers

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I have always considered myself an atheist, not the kind who put up ‘Hindu Atheist’ on their Twitter bio alongside ‘Proud to be followed by the PM’ but someone who genuinely lacks belief in Gods of any kind and religion. There are a plethora of reasons why one might have a belief like this, I am not going deep into that. But over the past few years, few things have really made me wonder whether I am an atheist at all!

Spontaneous reactions in our life are very pure, at least that what I believe. You see a little kid on the way, you smile automatically. You are watching your favorite football team scoring a goal, you shout instantaneously, without thinking what others might be thinking. For the past couple of years, I have had these spontaneous prayers on 3-4 occasions and that really makes me think about my belief system.

On all of those occasions, someone I know had some serious complications in life. The first one I remember was when my mom was undergoing a surgery back in early 2020. It took almost 5 hours. One of the worst and most worried 5 hours of my life. That too far apart from my city. The next one was for someone I have known for quite sometime through a football group. We had huge political differences and fought in the past. But on a Sunday morning, I opened up my twitter and saw him tweeting to seek oxygen cylinder and hospital bed for himself because he had Covid and his O2 level was decreasing rapidly. The next one also came very spontaneously when Christian Eriksen collapsed during the group match of Euro 2020.

All the concerned individuals are doing fine in their respective lives at this moment. But in hindsight, on a different note, I really don’t know what my religious belief system is. Not that I am too worried about it but this is something to think about. I read in the book “Think and Grow Rich” that only prayer doesn’t do any good but prayer backed by faith gives you the desired outcome. Really don’t know how right or wrong it was, but do atheists also have faith and beliefs deep down? Have you also considered yourself an atheist but still prayed for something to happen in a grave situation?

Equations of life

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Few days back Prof. Bijan Sarkar (Yes! the same professor from “Opportunity”) said a thought provoking thing: “f(Knowledge)= Package”

It seems pretty random (no pun intended)? Isn’t it? Let me explain. One of the students of Dr. Sarkar asked him about the placement package of a department. And in reply Professor said that “Package is the function of Knowledge” Now it makes sense, doesn’t it?

Anyways, coming back to the so called ‘equation’. The math nerd in me couldn’t help but shed some light on it further. And what I found was pretty intriguing.

In mathematics we know, y= f(x)= [some equation which relates x to f(x)]. Now there are different type of equations. Logarithmic, exponential, linear and what not. So, if Professor Sarkar’s equation to hold true, f(k) ( calling knowledge as k) should have a right hand side too. Isn’t it?

It actually has that! So what is the RHS part here? It is actually not constant. For someone, it is linear, for someone it is quadratic, for someone it is even exponential. Confused? Let me explain. We all study to gather knowledge. To have a better understanding of everything. But same studying hours or studying the same elements result in different outputs. How so? Because of the “function”. For some of us, the function is linear, for some it is polynomial or even exponential. So even if two people are studying the same thing, it results in gathering different knowledge, different perspectives, and hence different packages. Now, if a person who has a linear function wants to match the output of one having an exponential function, so what should he/she do? Simple! he/she should increase the input value. Which in this case is focus time, concentration, etc.

To put in the language of mathematics, for someone it is f(k)= e^k+c and for someone else, it is probably f(k)= logk +c or ak+c. Hold on what is this +c? Am I doing some integration that I have added a +c? No! Not really. +c is the constants in our life. Like, the family support, the financial support from parents, the mental support and companionship of a friend or a beloved. And it can have both positive and negative values. Sometimes these things in life act as positive reinforcement, and sometimes as a hindrance. Just like in a mathematical equation, the constant is added or subtracted.

Further, I believe there are numerous equations like these that govern our life. One for career, one for family, one for conjugal relationships, etc. As I finish up this post and hit the publish button, I don’t even know whether I make some sense or not. But this is something I have thought a lot and I think this is very interesting.

Is it about the place or the people?

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A few days back I was standing in front of this derelict building that would soon be demolished and make the way for a new apartment. This is a place that I used to (and still do) call my ‘Mamabari’ (the maternal uncle’s home). The maternal uncle’s home is a sentimental place for most of the Indian kids growing up. One would often visit them on summer vacation and different occasions.

“The people make the place” is a quite famous saying. But standing in front of this building I started to wonder whether it is at all true!

Most of my folks from my Mamabari still live around this place with new cozy apartments. I still adore them and grateful for their presence in my life but I really don’t feel the same way without this dilapidated building in the picture. And I think my sentiments here are very true. I will soon move to a new city for my job. A new city with no friends and family. If I could bring all of them with me in an imaginary scenario, will that make the new city my home? Absolutely not.

These places are like the bookmarks of our lives. They store a lot of memories. Even though the people who make this place lively, play a crucial part in creating those memories and moments, they alone can never fulfill the void.

 

Originally published on 18th may at: https://shibaprasadb.wixsite.com/therandom/post/is-it-about-the-place-or-the-people

Opportunity

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Opportunity  is  a  window  in  life  to  make  some  positive  changes.  It  can come in different forms such as tangible and intangible. A proactive mind with desire will always introspect about life events and envisage whether there can be an opportunity for self-upliftment of any form. Just like I did here!  While  writing  about  ‘Opportunity’,  I  took  the  opportunity  to cultivate some disordered and scattered thoughts and penned them down in
an ordered and organised way.
After analysing one’s strength and weakness, one should always analyse
the available opportunities, then and then only one can better him/herself and  travel  the  perceived  road.  On  the  other  hand,  being  in  complete oblivion  about  the  available  opportunities  will  not  only  make  one incompetent but will also hinder his growth as a better individual.
In a much broader sense, life itself is an opportunity. An opportunity to leave a mark in the space-time continuum. An opportunity to do something which will echo in eternity. Every step we take, every moment we live can
be  an  opportunity  if  we  want.  An  opportunity  to  be  a  better  scholar,  a better professional, a better athlete and last but not the least a better human being.  So  let’s  seize  the  moment  and  be  a  better  version  of  ourselves.
Carpe Diem!
Note: I didn’t have any intentions of putting it up in my blog. It was supposed be an assignment given by Prof. Bijan Sarkar. But Prof. Sarkar was overwhelmed by the writing and he even took a copy of it and made me put a date. So I thought maybe it was good and I can even publish it here! Feedback is, as it always has been, appreciated!