Discover tons of free, unsolicited advice on daily prompts, flash fiction, free verse, and short stories on this blog. Read, enjoy, and comment.

Do Differently

On the scale of incidents in my life, this is a minor one. One that if it happened today, I would do differently.I must have been ten. I had come to watch a cartoon movie in a small auditorium. If my memory serves me right, I think it was a Bugs Bunny movie. There were about two hundred children there in that theater. The lights dimmed and suddenly the Indian national anthem started playing. It was 15 August our Independence Day. It was and I think it still is mandatory to play the national anthem on special days. It is expected that you stand up during the playing of the national anthem. I clearly remember that that day, not a single child stood up. I am ashamed to say, I also remained seated. I wanted to get up but was too shy to be the first to do so. Not only that, but I could hear children around me giggling. The national anthem ended, the movie started, and we forgot about it. Over the years, I have done my part for the country, served on the borders, did a lot of mission-impossible stuff, but the not getting up part still hurts.Today I read about college students burning their nation's flag, chanting death to xxxx country. Burning the national flag is another popular hobby. The country that gave them shelter and an identity. The same country they fled to by jumping over border fences and making false declarations on passports. The least you expect is in return they respect that nation. Maybe that day, I should have shown more courage and stood up during the playing of the anthem. That way I could have encouraged a few others around me to stand up and learn to respect our country.

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Make me nervous

The following 'things' make me nervous Not being prepared for a task in advance. I love to plan all my activities down to the last second. For example, if traveling, I imagine every step from my door to the destination and back. Then I think of what I could need and not need. Next, I pack or unpack accordingly. Then I stick to the script. Never had a problem with this habit. Last-minute plan changes. This follows from #1 I guess. I prefer to be in control rather than let circumstances control me. A disorganized house, room, and desk, does more than make me nervous. It drives me crazy. I try not to treat it, as that nervous energy helps me clean up the mess in minutes! Reading newspapers or watching the news. Off late, get the feeling that we live in a world packed with 'world leaders' who would love to start WWIII. Not a very comforting thought. I have lived my life, but guess the future generations deserve a planet to live on.

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Unwinding after a busy day

I work remotely. That being said, we do have days which can be hectic. I have some time-tested methods for unwinding after a busy day. As a starting point, these techniques require you to step away from your computer, laptop, or work desk. Listing some of them below: I listen to music that soothes my soul and relaxes. Music blasted on loudspeakers across the street does not come within this category. If possible and safe, go for a walk. Do not take your smartphone, if you must, do not check it every two seconds. The world and all the messages will be there even if you do not check your smartphone. Enjoy your walk. If you have a garden, even a few potted plants, water them and remove any weeds. I would do this before sunset. I have pretty strong views about plants getting their rest hours. Watch nature at work. The sun setting, the birds flying home, experience the touch of the evening breeze on your face. This works even if you live on the eighth floor, as I do. Sit and speak with your loved ones, casual talk, nothing serious. Do nothing. Just sit on the floor, rest your back against the wall, and watch the world as it unfolds around you. I do this a lot of late. Remember, that minute that just went by will never come back, no matter how rich or powerful you are in your professional life. Enjoy the moment.

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A place to rent

We were searching for a place to rent. The agent informed us of a house a few kilometers from our present location. The rent agreement on our current flat would end in a month. Rent agreements were usually for a year, and time was running out for us. We worked as software engineers at a small IT firm. Working in the same office allowed us to travel together. The bad part was that our salaries were low. Even after combining them, we barely made enough to make ends meet. We were searching for a house to rent in a lower-middle-class area of the city. “It would be ten thousand per month,” the agent continued. “How much?” I asked. “Ten thousand,” he repeated. I looked at my wife. We were surprised. This was way below the market rate. The asking rates in this locality started at fifteen thousand.  “Why is it so low?” I asked, “What is the catch?” “No catch,” the agent said, then cleared his throat and continued, “The owner is very religious and rich. He does a lot of charity work. He does not need more money.” “Then how was it empty for such a long time?” I asked. “Well,” he seemed reluctant to answer, then, after a pause, he said, “he is not interested in making more money.” His explanations did not make sense to me, but the rent was too low for us to let it pass. Two weeks later, we were arranging our belongings in the house. It was in bad shape. The doors and windows had cracks in them. The paint was peeling off the walls. There were cobwebs everywhere. Our boss refused to give us leave for the relocation. “There is a lot of work pending,” he said.  We knew he was making it up. We did small-time coding work for big organizations. Of late,…

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Social media use

Today, social media use or misuse is an easy way to figure out a person's character. Whether we apply for a job or commit a crime, the HR, or the police as the case may be, will most likely check our digital footprint. This includes our browsing history, the websites we visit, and the comments posted online. Today, social media apps, such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and countless others are an inescapable, inseparable part of our lives. We are addicted to them, and apparently, we don't want a cure for this problem.  Fun Fact: Did you know that the 'Good Morning' messages sent out daily on WhatsApp in India, slow down the internet for the rest of the world?  I use X or what was called Twitter earlier as a news source, thanks to the unreliability of the newspapers. WhatsApp is needed as most banks and airlines share their updates through it. By the way, if you do not respond to the 'Good mornings' they stop. I never figured out how to use Instagram and TikTok. Do not plan to change that status. While I do not condone the use of these apps, I sincerely believe that a certain level of checks and balances should be in place for those who post content on these platforms. These channels should never be used to target children, specific groups, or religious beliefs, or to spread gossip and rumors. Let's enjoy videos showing the antics of orange cats and live happily ever after.

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The first thought

I guess, the first thought that comes to mind would always depend on the situation. Let's go through a few now: Waking up in the morningI want to throw my smartphone out of my eight-floor window. The smartphone alarm represents everything arrogant, evil, and wrong with the world. I have been waking up at 3.30 AM for the last two decades, yet the sound of the alarm irritates me. I wonder why. When I see my loved onesYesterday, my son returned home from his office at 2.30 AM! He is a chartered accountant working with EY. It is the audit season and they are super busy. The feeling I have is of relief, that he is finally home, but with a tinge of sadness at how tough their life is. It is only for a month or two in a year, but even then, it is a tough profession. When I see my neighborsAvoid eye contact, try to dissolve in the woodwork, reach for my smartphone, and start browsing furiously.

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A random encounter

This is a redacted version of a random encounter three decades back. This is also a true story and some details are withheld for obvious reasons. Read on.It is 1995, I am posted in a remote village high up in the Himalayan mountains. I am 24 and this was my first posting. I have an independent charge of hundreds of square kilometers with hundreds of villages. There is no electricity or plumbing. We survive somehow. I spend my time roaming around the town. Alternately, I sit in my office reading novels. I have four staff members, all of whom rarely attend the office. They show up on the last day of the month to collect their salary. Yes, government jobs are fun. One day, I received news that one of my staff members had a fever. I went to his house to check on him. The house is a hut, made of bamboo and plastered with mud. Most of the houses in the village were built like this. It helps with the occasional earthquake that rumbles the mountain ranges. Anyway, back to the story. I find the man stretched out on a bed in his hut. His wife and six children are not there. Just the two of us gossiping in a dark (remember, no electricity) hut.Then we hear the voice of a man from outside the house. He was asking if my staff member was at home. Without waiting for an answer, two men walk into the darkened room. Middle-aged, stocky built, with a thick shawl covering the upper half of their bodies. Both were heavily armed. I forgot to mention earlier, that the area I was posted in, was a terrorist hotbed. These men were both members of one of the most popular terrorist groups in that area.…

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A wise decision

Life is full of decision-making and failed chances. A wise decision I made almost three decades back changed my life. I left a government job. In India, like in the rest of the world, government jobs mean a life of promotions, hikes, allowances, and increments all without working or any link with performance. If that is not enough, there is an assured pension that matches inflation rates! No sane person leaves a government job - ever. When I decided to leave the job, I was married and my son was a year old. I wanted to work in the private sector and do something different. Long story short, I upgraded my skills, learned how to code, and entered the world of computers. Now to the lesson-learning part. After leaving the job, there was a phase when I was jobless with almost nothing in my bank accounts. I saw the true face of relations and friendships. A number of my closest relations mocked us mercilessly. Then, when the wheels of fortune changed, these people tried to wriggle back into our good books. I am thankful for that life-changing decision that I took. I was a considerable risk, but one I took because I believed in myself. Now I know whom to keep close to and whom to avoid. It is the lessons we learn during adversity that shape our destiny.

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