A New Beginning

They reminded me of the umpteen mistakes I have made-
the hurt I have caused by calling a spade a spade!

They pointed out my incomplete tasks & what's to be accomplished,
and also that things this year have not turned out the way I wished...

She Walked That Path

She had visited many lands & had travelled to the world’s edge.
She had lost a lot & had quit material objects in pursuit of knowledge.

The brilliant light of enlightenment was her joy, desire, aim & plan.
People warned- “Don’t even try walking that path! You’re a woman!”

PHOTO PROMPT – Copyright -Björn Rudberg

How To Create Menu Tabs In Blogger Blog

Three months ago, I was delighted to receive the following comment from a Blogger-friend:

"I am fascinated with your blog design. I want to do something with categorizing my blog posts and have them in a menu like you have on top of your blog. Do you have tutorial on how you set up categories? I am really interested in streamlining my blogging. Any tips you can give will be appreciated."- Mary Hill

I had shared the info with Mary via email.
Today when I received a similar query from another Blogger-friend, who wants to display the following Tabs on her Blog just like my Blog:

Poetry
Fiction
Travel
Personal
Social
Movies
Food

I decided it to share the "How To" info via my Blog :)


1. First, we need to add the required Labels in all the posts published in our Blog.
For example, if our post is about Travel, then we need to add Travel as a Label by editing our post.
Similarly for the other posts related to Movies, Fiction, Poetry etc.

Christmas Present

He found her abandoned that cold Christmas eve and sensing a glimmer of life, he brought her home.

He was amazed that despite his blindness, her glaring aura attracted him and filled him with bliss about companionship...

Source

Bread

I went across the border to earn my butter & bread.
Monsters bombed & targeted & hunted down the suspected.

The killings scared, bleak future, web ahead; I'm glad I fled...
My family was relieved to see me back alive; not a bug dead...  

Used with permission- PHOTO PROMPT – Copyright – Douglas M. MacIlroy

Twitter, Abuse And Swachh Bharat

I love Social Media (SM).

I feel SM has tremendous power viz. the recent Elections 2014.

 

I feel SM needs to be "Swachh" (clean) of the ills plaguing it. 

In this post, I have shared my experience about Twitter (to illustrate SM)! 

Some Twitter-users like me have faced abuse. 

Fake profiles, anonymity & virtual interaction gives a cloak to people to act dirty.

- There are "trolls" that target our tweets, especially those having the trending hashtags. 

- Congratulate a winner & the losing candidate's fans question your choice & whether the result is ethical!

- Post anything against important people- X-Y-Z & their supporters hound you!

- Post appreciation about something good that's happening & haters of that person/policy attack you!

Let me take the example of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. 

What's My Crime? #PeshawarAttack

16th December 2014 morning,
I was snug under my blanket,
Peacefully sleeping and dreaming.
Mom woke me up saying we'll get late...

The first day at school for me- a 5-year-old!
Mom made me wear my new dress.
Also my warm clothes lest I feel cold.
Papa said his little princess looked fresh!

The entrance of the Army Public School in Peshawar. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images; Source

Wish Joy And Warmth!

People ought to have hearts of gold!
Why is everyone's behaviour so cold?

Is it tough to adopt warmth as a habit?
Can't we be warm people, bit by bit?

Unfortunately, many haven't any time to stare,
Won't we try to incorporate some care?

Time is ticking, someone wishes joy now.
Can't we afford some warm-wishes anyhow?

Pic from Poetry Jam

Safety Begins With Me

Simba: “But you’re not scared of anything.” 
Mufasa: “I was today. I thought I might lose you.” 
–The Lion King

My hubby bought a bicycle for our daughter last week.

He also bought a helmet for her.

I appreciated this a great deal and understood his concern for our child's safety.

I remembered cricketer Phillip Hughes recent death then. Had he been wearing a helmet, he'd have been saved.

Also Minister Shri Gopinath Munde would have been safe had he worn his seat-belt...

I also thought of the myriad cases in which youngsters don't wear helmets, speed their bikes, flout traffic-rules... 

Source

In the Hindi movie- Andaz, the hero is happily singing a song and travelling on a bike with his girlfriend (both are not wearing helmets) when they meet with an accident and the hero dies...

Safe Reflection

It was raining heavily. 

I was driving my car on the National Highway to Bhubaneswar.

I was returning home from the Cuttack High Court after having successfully defended a case in favour of my client. 

I was happy & thrilled, yet I wasn't driving speedily.

Normally, I am a very safe driver who obeys all traffic-rules, including maintaining the speed-limit.

I am extra careful when I have to drive on wet roads.

Suddenly, I found a truck headed in the wrong direction, direct on course of head-on-collision with my car...

I had no time even to curse or think- "the roads are filled with idiots".

I applied sudden brake. 

I thought of my spouse and all the important moments of my life played in flashback in my mind...

Photograph by Robert Doisneau ; used with permission from Magpie Tales