Silence as an Expression

For all most all part of my life, I have practiced silence for expressing grief.  From a very young age I have lost someone who was dear to me.  At this point of time I don't have both my parents, my grand parents from both sides of my father and mother, one of my brothers and one of my dad's sisters, and many of my childhood friends.  For just about every time in life I have lost someone who was/still is a part of my life.  All of them passed away when I was physically far away form them.  

The physical distance from someone dear to heart and life doesn't make grief any less, perhaps makes the expression more personal.  Birth and death are significant as they both have a beginning and an end.  Both instances make you tear up.  Both instances make you celebrate either the beginning of a life to be lived, and the end of a life that was well lived.  If you are not physically present, your grief is no less.

I have always been at a loss for expressing condolences.  I don't know what will make the finality of death any better with words.  I am also really not sure that physical presence makes sharing of grief any less overbearing.

My personal choice of being silent is not very comforting to me.  My mind will be reflecting on the instances that I shared, and the impact of the personal interactions I have shared, and I remember that have impacted the life choices I have made.  The most wonderful aspect of the life's choices is simply remembering only the impact of relationships, and how they have shaped your existence.  I really think the best way to live is just take every person that is a part of your life as they come, and not think of how they should be, rather let them be.

My choice of being silent in grief, perhaps makes other's think that I am uninterested or uninvolved.  It is far from the truth.  I have always remained detached unless I am asked to participate, or invited to become a part of a gathering.  I love to socialize, chat. share, celebrate and be a part of my huge circle of friends and family, just that I don't force myself on anything.

Lately I have been a witness to loss of very near ones, and at the same time celebration of new life and new beginnings.  Life as such is either a celebration of a new beginning or a celebration of a life well lived.  In both instances I mostly am silent, and wait for appropriate time to become a part, sometimes for quite a bit of time, and most time when opportune and in person.

My list of trips to make in person is very long, and I have not even started yet, and I am even sure if I ever get to begin making them.  I think of everyone who is no longer physically available to chat, or tell them how much I care and love.  I can only believe that each of them were well aware that I cared and I appreciated the part of our shared life.  I don't want to think they are just gone, I just want to keep the part of shared life in front of my mind, and the distance I have lived away will remain as a buffer to missing them.

My choice of silence doesn't make it any easier for me cope.  It is perhaps easier for people around me that I don't share my grief as they have their own worries to contend with.

I always think that grief is personal, and happiness is shared.  I will continue to practice it even if at times my silence might be construed as otherwise.  

Eye's of the Beholder

Every election time provides excellent opportunity to think of changes to status quo.  Unless you are under the age of last election cycle, you already know what status quo is.  It is exactly the the same as the last election cycle, with a lot more debt added to the government.  The debt is not just at the central level, but it goes, country, state, district, county, town, village and even perhaps your home.  It is incredible that we keep increasing the debt ceiling at every level, at every given opportunity.  I have lived long enough to see that my government/s (any governing body with the power to increase debt) can't stop spending money they don't have.

In 2024, I am trying to hear anyone run the election on platform of ZERO borrowing.  I know many years ago we had some years of surplus revenue at the country level, but we have really never managed to elect a government based on fiscal discipline.

This year (and perhaps many years to come until 100% debt happens) will be no different.  The rich don't care as they have the resources and have the ability to avoid huge tax burden, and the large group that takes money from the local/state/central government only want more handout's and only the hard working, middle income folks keep paying more.

I had to come-up with an example of the fallacy of the handout's and the impact on the real tax payers.  A Illinois family gets free food assistance of say "$1500.00" a month in SNAP benefits.  This means that they get a debit card with this money every month and can spend it on anything they can but with the card, and not pay the 10% tax that a normal shopper pays to buy the same.  Essentially what the handout is doing is: Pay a lot more money to the recipients (more than any normal family spends on food per month), take the money from those who are paying taxes.  I have no complaints about helping the needy, but why not create food banks to the needy, and provide the same instead of debit cards with huge money?

It is an interesting dynamic as politicians keep harping about development and poverty elimination, and at the same time, hand out to their vote banks.  I guess if all people of the nation are gainfully employed and are not dependent (sort of spoiled on freebies) they will start to think of appropriate policies to vote the deserving party to power.

Double edged sword, is to give away freebies and add to the debt politics allow for each of the parties to throw political satires at each other, every election, and keep spending to pander to their vote banks.  Recently the great political flights in Washington is how much more money we send to aid wars abroad.  Before I write the next sentence, I am all for "PEACE ON EARTH" but why I am waiting for fixing potholes on the road to work, but my government is fighting to spend trillions on war which I have no concern.

I am going to deviate about this war business.  If two countries want to go to war, let them fight among themselves, until either one can't fight anymore.  We have the historic examples of "Alexander the Great" who we address as such for his conquests.  For example if Russia wants to go expand let them expand as we all know that it's the local people who will ultimately decide on their exist.  It goes for all nations and all communities.  We need to remember that you don't just conquer the land, it comes with people and their governance, and also the Darwinian theory of "survival of the fittest".  Perhaps it is best with one people and one world, and let everyone fend for themselves.

The who essence of politics and democratic government is just being elected and living on borrowed money.  It's depressing to even think of surviving retirement with the piling up of debt, which is not sustainable.  

We the voter still choose a party or candidate, despite the unimaginable debt burden, with a promise of a better tomorrow.  It is not possible with borrowed future.  Although I choose a party and it's candidate every election cycle, I am certain that we can't sustain the spending.  At some point of time my government can't pay its bills.  The irony is I will also not be in a position to afford the normal things in life if the government goes bankrupt and civil infrastructure is unsustainable.  With every dollar I earn, I pay whatever the tax burden that's mandated, but if the handout's, wars, pork and politics make it untenable to basic life, it's a future that is uncertain.

At this mother's day morning, I thought first of my mom in heaven, and then started worrying about what will I do with the future as every thing that I can think of seems not in my control.  I woke up thinking of Mother's Day, and within a couple of hours of the future that beholds me, and everyone that follows.

Belly Full of Reality

 Excuse me first. I really mean not dreams but reality.

The fun part of dreaming is just that.  Nothing comes out of it, and it could be good or bad dreams.  It's like watching a movie or a show, it's simple not real but keeps you engaged for a small amount of time.  You just hope that it's good.

All my life I have had no issues with sleeping and or eating on time.  Most of my adult years I worked very hard.  At least I think I worked very hard. When I got sick and was trying to recover, it took years for me to get to be what we call a normal person, but never had issues with eating or sleeping.  I really think the whole human life revolves around satisfying hunger and once it is, then have a good sleep.  In between these 2 activities, we strive to work hard (make money) and do it almost everyday of life.  As I have gotten older I don't think I am any smarter or wiser than I was a teenager or a young man.  I just had a lot more energy to learn and do things, and now I have a lot more experience and have no idea what all the things I did really mattered to what I do now.  Only think that has mattered is the ability to keep doing things that will keep the reality of life to keep it going.

The old Sanskrit saying loosely translated into English "past is past" is very true.  I know I have the great ability to forget stuff quickly after January 2010.  I rely mostly on practice rather than memory, which I lost.  I don't dwell on not being able to remember every name, or every instance, every todo, or sometimes I simply can't remember.  I freely admit to having limited space in remembering, and it is really true.  It doesn't mean I forget who I am and what I am.  The reality is I am in the second life that my family presented to me, and saved me from a premature obituary.

I am still uncomfortable with distrust and dishonesty.  I really have difficult time saying "no".  I really don't ask much for help outside of issues related to work, and I am always happy to admit to something I don't no.  Many of these things that I practice make my life simpler (at least I think) by simply keeping it direct to what I feel.  I have no issues in admiring the simplest of things in life and expressing the joy of everyone's actions.  In my reality it is still the black and white life.  Either it is true or false.  In all instances I like to just say the truth and whatever the consequences it is just fine with me as I don't have defend it.  I like it simple.

Lately I have been having more difficulty in saying no.  I work really hard, and my body doesn't cooperate as it was when I came out of college.  I just admitted to my coworkers that I really didn't like to change organizations.  It is no longer work you are professionally doing, but work place management has become managing the changing management.  In essence you are doing the same work but your management is replaced or changed in such frequency, so are your learning to manage your management nuances in alarming regularity.

Professional life has been changing with alarming pace.  Gone are the days where one held on to the job for a long time (sometimes one employer until retirement).  Now it is commonplace to replace employers every few months.  I am still old fashioned (perhaps a little too attached to people) and a little bot reluctant to keep changing places.  It is not because of my inability to adjust, but it is because of my inability to say no.

It is May of 2024, and today is "MAY DAY".  I am thinking of my Sunday on the couch and if my little one is ready go to the mall for lunch and may be some shopping.  That the reality I like with regularity.  I don't have to dream of anything, as I am done with thinking of being uncertain, and I am ok with the daily reality.  The years have really thought me of what is real, and I am OK with it.

Words and wisdom, actions and reactions, love and affection, life and it's reality: all of them past really will not reflect what is future.  They are all testaments of what we did, but not necessarily what we will be doing.  Just think 1980 phone and 2020 phone, absolute unbelievable change to life.  Look at what google does to your information needs, and my favorite is the large horde of road maps I had in the car and now I just tell my phone to find my home.

The only thing that hasn't changed in reality for an individual is hunger and the need for sleep.  I already argued nothing will change that as a full stomach and a good sleep will make us think well and keep making them advances that we can only dream of.

Family Feud

Indian families are either very tight knit, or ferociously opposed to each other.  As much as family comes first is propagated, we constantly see families going at each other for reasons that are financial, political and personal.  2024 has enough political drama in Andhra Pradesh, we can easily convert the reality in a many movies, or a long drawn out daily soap opera.

The very popular YSR family is currently providing hot episodes of daily dose of acrimony.  It's not hard to imagine one family member's disagreement with other, but public and daily display of hatred in such a highly visible family is rare.  The current YSR family display of animosity is rare in public life.  This is specially unheard of that a bother and sister showing such acrimony in a public forum.

Is it politically motivated? It doesn't seem that the sister taking aim at her own brother, would have any impact on the upcoming general elections.  Within the state, country or NRI community believes she has any chance of denting the electoral prospects of her brother the current chief minister.  Her current public affidavit shows that she owes him a lot of money.  Her political and personal standing is only based on her late father, and to a large extent being on the same side as her brother, prior to whatever events that have lead to current acrimony.

It can't be money or properties as her current affidavit shows she owes her brother a large amount of money, which he has not publicly acknowledged (despite the daily public humiliation dished out by his sister).  It can't be property issues as nothing so far has been discussed by the siblings.  The entire observing audience know that she has no chance of winning over her brother's party or any contest with him. It's not money, it's not politics: Then what is it?

There are only two siblings.  Until recently they were standing together, supporting each other, and shared the grief of loosing their father, and fighting the congress to maintain the legacy of their father and also create a political party that has created a formidable regional power.  What happened for the sister to turn on her brother?

I haven't heard anything that is already not in public domain to cause sibling hatred.  If it's not money is it the hunger for power?  Is it just ego? I am sure it will come out soon as she can't stop stooping to personal insults, and he is also at times digging into insignificant comparisons.  She will not win the elections for Congress as Congress is dead in AP.  Congress will never get a single seat.  Current political predictions show that her brother will once again come into power.  What happens then?

No one will listen to the personal attacks (as there is little appetite for them now).  There is no political future with Congress in the state in the near term.  The current political affiliates are not going to be together in about a month.  The brother and sister will remain siblings, and what will happen to all the public laundering of insignificant attacks?

The reality must be already set in to her.  It's not going to change the political landscape, and public apathy for the nonsense.  All of us have our own family issues, good or bad, but the public acrimony for political stage is unwarranted.

As it is politics has really become a nasty personalized daily attack.  The most educated and professional audience dish out the choicest abuses against political opposition.  I wish everyone goes back to achievements and policies of their respective party, rather than personal abuses.  It in fact would be more choice to listen to what was done and what can be done, and my favorite is a balanced budget.

I might be asking for too much with my wish list for politicians and politics.  I certainly think family issues in public can be curtailed.  I am sure everyone in AP knows what will happen with the 2024 elections, and the only predictions might get wrong is the majority.  The shadows of family discord will soon disappear and I really don't want to guess the consequences of what is being aired after this election.

Where is the Intelligence coming into AI?

I am the survivor of library learning, without calculator graduate, encyclopedia and national geographic information gatherer, William Shakespeare to Marx reader, road map carrying driver and a whole lot of world travel and other means of learner.  In each phases of my childhood and young to university learning, never had the luxury of a calculator to solve anything.  All my friends and family who were schooled at that time, and quite sometime after that didn't have the luxury of shouting at a mobile phone to find answers.  We did just fine with large volume of memorizing and solving whatever complex issues there are today, without the computers, internet, mobiles, google, Wikipedia and all the technology advancements from the days of a scientific calculator.  I am proud to admit that the first car I purchased was a Honda Civic two door hatchback, which allowed me to carry the massive IBM computer I need to work with, as the hatchback allowed me to open the huge opening to get the massive and heavy desktop into to the car for transporting.  The two or three jobs, that paid little (but I was very happy with the work, people I worked with and also completing the school) but the Civic allowed me to get around with small cost and also lug the machines around as needed.  My favorite part was working at a credit union just backing up daily data, which was in huge spools and took a part time job every night.  Those were the days when the computers were huge and the technology was really appreciated as advancements to computing were happening exponentially.  Population, migration, travel and data safety were all advancing in rapid pace.  I was a part of globalization, business development and travel by 747 and immigration for work.  Those were really great days when a pager was an expensive gadget, and a beginning of mobile phone the size of a brick was way beyond affordable.

It's amazing to be a part of Computing, mobile, internet and EV and all other technology and human advancements and each day something that makes devices smarter (although more expensive) and information readily available anywhere and anytime.  Gone are the days when you waited for the news paper or the evening news for updates.  Now we have everything available instantly on all means of devices.  I am yelling at my mobile that is connected to my car to get directions or weather reports.

Not to belabor the advancements, it is simply that technological advancements are faster than what I am able to comprehend, and many of them are still not in my sphere of utility.  I still rely on my kids to setup my mobile apps or connecting my laptop to printer through WiFi.  I am a user of technology with whatever is needed with work or life.  I am ok with being an end user.

Now the new Artificial Intelligence discussion is in the forefront of technology discussion.  Billions being invested and companies and industries hyping AI as the great new life changing new advances, and some even hyping that AI will replace human life to a level it will replace humans and might even destroy humanity as we know it.

Today Sravya came back from her school trip and said they they had to make a quick presentation on AI and it's impact.  I had to think of the two words "Artificial" and "Intelligence".  The word artificial is means it's not real and made up, and Intelligence is the learning of humans to betterment by learning from experience.  So a combination of made-up intelligence is the basis of AI.  In no way the initial AI advances are to be diminished, but the template for AI is learning from the experiences of human beings over thousands of years.  

I really think the greatest ever invention was the the "WHEEL" as it makes us move and move faster.  Now I am not going to worry about AI replacing me in anytime soon.  Remember that man has walked the moon and come back more then 50 years ago.  I have adapted to every advancement in technology, changes to weather, life in general, so advancements in AI doesn't phase me with whatever it might bring to life.  I really think it will be another technology advancement is only going to make life either easier or complex, based on what we choose it to be.

Just think of travel, technology, markets, migration, medicine, environment, politics and everything else changes, evolves and human beings continue to choose the way they live their life.  I am not going to worry about anything that was invented by any human being will completely replace a human being.  AI will be another phase just like any other technology enhancement to wat we are living with, just might be a little faster than normal.

I still think the invention of the WHEEL is the greatest of human inventions, and using the example of man walking the moon is the driver is what had make the continued and rapid advancements in technology.  Human brain can't be replaced, it will continue to keep coming-up advancements that both help improve our lives and also cause disasters.  There is little to believe that we will think of replacing ourselves with something else.  We are safe from AI, we have a lot of other things that we already have though of like, wars, politics, religion, race and destruction.  We got a lot on our minds that we have already created and AI will only amplify our thinking, AI will not replace humans, but will certainly amplify our thinking via using our own intelligence.

Decided and very little room for indecision

 Elections 2024 are as dysfunctional as they were held the last time.  Both India and USA are heading for another election cycle.  Before I harp on the process, just to remind everyone that India has Modi as the two time PM and very possible third term to lead the largest democracy and USA has unchanged Trump trying to become President again, against the incumbent Biden.  I only have voting rights in the USA, but I have to have something to say about my motherland India.

At least the last four election cycles have been quite even contests.  The electoral wave that democracies really speak of is really a myth as the deciders are voters who are unsure of who they will vote prior to the election, or who are still fully not entrenched in personalities and priorities of the political system.

Let's start with the USA, as only 2 parties: Democrats and Republicans are mostly in contention , although we might have some insignificant newbies enter the fray, but have not won any meaningful nationwide support.  I will refrain from counting the USA based new parties as they don't command the public attention.  Voters are already lined-up behind each of the 2 main parties, with few independents who might vote depending on their mood on election day.  No matter who the candidate is party affiliation goes to the ballot box in the USA, with may be less than 10% of the voters who might think of the candidates without the major political party affinity.

To make sure I identify my own political inclination in the state I live (Illinois) the presidential elections are guaranteed to vote DEMOCRAT, and I do the same.  I am a first generation immigrant, who work hard and focus on family and security, and my political knowledge i limited to just voting with the majority of my state and also aligning to my common man profile.  To reiterate my state votes democratic in presidential elections, and as do I.

The vast majority of elections since the time of Clinton (who I thought was fantastic president (out side of whatever his personal preferences were), and the younger Bush although he won the first time by hanging chads, have been quite based on personal attacks.  Obama is a Chicago native for us a very local leader, his entry into national politics really mucked-up the narrative along with the advent of social media and internet.  Although Obama was the last 2 term president in the social media age, he still maintains dignity and decorum of a gentleman president, although he is 100%aligned to being a democrat.  He remains a popular and prominent global figures as did President Carter.  They are fantastic examples of great democratic presidents, who maintained the decorum of their presidential office and continued with the aura of the job they held, and I like president Clinton as he is the last of the budget surplus and job creators that US has seen (ignoring his personal affinities).  I also liked Presidents Regan, Bush and Bush.  All of them representing democrats or republicans, until Obama's time remain presidential, and while in office and after the presidential office, became more statemen representing the USA on the global stage.  Then came Trump, and rest is well documented in social media.  We the citizens of USA decided once when he competed with Hillary Clinton, and now he is trying to become president again competing with Joe Biden who is our incumbent president.  If I have to guess who might be the next president of the USA between Biden and Trump, I will probably fail.  As with any political affiliation, I know all blue states and red sates will vote with their normal parties, and the small majority of undecided will decide the outcome.  Both men are at the age of great grandfathers, and 100% opposite.  I am unsure of voter preference as I don't hear anything different this time as I did in 2000.  The major difference is the attacks are more and more personal, and not reflective of parental preferences for how old men should behave.

2024, is different with jobs, economy, immigration and probably similar with war in different part of the world (Israel and the neighbors will continue) and Trump with a more vocal internet presence and a lot more legal issues he can deal with, while Biden has to deal with Trump and the rest of the world at his advanced age.  The thing I want to stop with media and internet is the constant barrage of negative coverage, comments and scandals.  I am sure I have survived the economy, inflation and life long enough but I really can't deal with the constant barrage of USA media and internet with the Trumpian sagas, that are unending and FOX news glorifying the groping, and Trump's un-truth media empire and also his whole family away from politics.  I would like peace and quiet, and the government focus on jobs, immigration and social security.

I hope USA puts an end to harassment of general public, and let us live in our daily routines worrying about our children, families and friends and future of our next generation, rather than the insults of really old men.  God bless America and it's people, and wishing a life that will return to the old days of Regan-Carter exchanges "It's the ECONOMY stupid".  GOD BLESS AMERICA.

Now turning to India in 2024.

India at this time has Modi's BJP and INC which is the old Nehru/now Gandhi family parties, with dozens of reginal parties.  I still like Modi.  He has no personal family affinity, which makes him my favorite kind of politician.  After 2 terms, he is still devoid of any personal scandal and money matters, which makes him a favorite of scam free voters.  Although I don't have voting rights in India, he will continue to be my choice for now.  At the national level (although he is creeping up in years, work seems to keep him in good health) I don't see an immediate alternate to him as the national leader within his party or the opposition.  There is really no national party that has the agenda of Modi's BJP with any substantive issues, except the hatred for Modi.  If you look at Modi's agenda it is streamlined with the economic growth and global image of India, which are regularly publicized.  Modi is also an effective social media user, who is good at voicing his personal and party's agenda.

I don't believe there will be a change in India's national leadership.  It will be unlikely with Modi leading the charge in the foreseeable future, but again Indian voters like regional/caste/societal politics.  It I am a betting man Modi will be back in 2024, and he is to wishing him a successful third term.  I am really OK with a man who has no personal affiliations to worry about leading a nation.  JAI HIND.

Old Principals of Democracy

In the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia, US constitution was written envisioning the great democracy as have experienced.  Being a first generation immigrant the ability to live freely, speak freely and act freely is what I believed is what I came into prior to email, mobile and Internet invading the world.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_the_United_States#:~:text=The%20Constitution%20of%20the%20United,powers%20of%20the%20federal%20government.

I would urge everyone to read from the link to appreciate the almost 240 years ago wisdom of the white men who were all also immigrants ( I don't see an Native Indian as a part of the group who wrote and ratified the constitution, and I didn't expect one).  I try and make sense of the current scenario verses what was meant to be a freedom of choice document.

Despite my global travels and my own experience with my mother land of India prior to coming to the USA as a student, I don't know any other two places on earth where I would have had the life I have had.  India the largest democracy, that survives and USA the greatest democracy that survives.  I use the survives with great care, as I have had a long enough life to experience the political and technological advances of the last 40 years to experience the impact of both with people's behavior.

From the beginning of time there is a definition of good and bad.  Religion is thrown into the mix and evolution of various religions have also impacted the definitions and interpretations of good and bad, and also continue to be radically different in different parts of the world.  I am a Hindu by birth and will die one.  I see god in everything and pray every day (probably more than once a day in the name of god).  I only pray for peace and family and I ask nothing more than that.  If I leave my personal beliefs alone, I also am quite appreciative of the small town I cam from in India, where you rarely saw the religious strife that is so prevalent in the world today.  My town still lives peacefully, and in allowing space for everyone, every religion and every people to do their own thing.  I don't see the world doing the same thing.

I am not sure what is causing the constant political, regional, religious and communal strife globally, but the effect of the CNN in 1980, email, internet and mobile communications have become a free for all and free publicity platforms for promoting and executing agendas that were difficult to reach people prior to these telecommunications becoming cheap and available to the global audience.

Simple a Musk tweet (X) of whatever opinion the rich man has becomes a talking point.  If I take a 50/50 yes or no, half the audience like it.  Don't really think almost all of them do anything about it, but it only requires 1 of the 50% to act on it.  Same applies for Trump, who went on to create his own platform and even went on to create a public company with it.  I know there are dozens of billionaires and their large group of followers, who are quite influencers with every word they post on social media.  The same goes for television channels who take extreme sides with politics and religion.  There is no debate to moderate, just extremes on opinion. People of the world have access to all this, and they already have chosen the medium they would like to receive the dump of information from the many choices of transmission they believe that they are aligned with.

Jus think in the USA we are either going to get Trump for republicans and Biden for Democrats.  There is no other choice.  Both after their 80's well past the retirement age, and both men who have outlived their peers and generations will lead the nation coming next year for another 4 years.  If Biden succeeds, I am sure Trump if he is around will try again for another term after that, and Republicans will support that.  I identify as a democrat and immigrant, but if we saw the Carter, Regan, Bush, Clinton, Bush and Obama, prior to the last last 2 presidents, the decorum of candidates was so much to be desired and they didn't have much of the impact of the telecommunications we have had in the last 10 or so years, and they were all civil to the office of the presidency until Trump and Twitter became synonymous with the communications of the presidential office.

Trump and Musk are freely expressing their views that democratically suit them.  As is the billions of people who regularly post, edit and follow the social media and electronic media.  The technology and medium is available, and easy to follow.  The extremes are opinions of individuals and now can be transmitted with very little expense, but reaches everyone who is a believer.

Now if I go back to the old principles of democracy, there was no way to establish the guidelines for telecommunications and electronic medium, although the US constitution survived (and continues to survive) the pre-telecom era, and to a large extent the CNN era.

I have no conclusions about what might happen as as a single voter, I will continue to exercise my right to my civic duty.  I will encourage everyone in my sphere to make sure they vote their choice.  Di I believe that democracy will survive? the answer "YES".  The 200 plus years of the USA's greatest democracy has withstood civil war, slavery, world wars, and the advent of telephone and air travel, and I am sure we will find a way to survive the social media.  At the end of the day human beings will make decisions that impact their own safety and self-being.

"GOD BLESS AMERICA AND GOD BLESS DEMOCRACY".  All said and done, freedom of choice is what makes life as complex and as simple as we choose it to be.

Life's Choices - None too difficult to make

 I am all for freedom of choice.  I don't know any other world that didn't allow me the choices I have made in my long and often peaceful life.  I like the way I live, its simple and uncomplicated.  Whatever choices I have made and I continue to make are simple and serve the purpose of a common man with vey common interests.

I rarely get agitated, and if I do I let the agitator and people surrounding know quickly that I am, and leave the company of those who agitate me quickly.  I don't really let anything I dislike be on my mind very long as I really don't worry about things that bother me.

I have had same friends from my childhood, and I miss them dearly as they are all scattered, and I rarely get to see them in person, but time and distance don't matter as I know they will always be there for me, to eternity.  I have grown up being away from much of my family and friends, and I have lost and continue to loose elders in my family as I myself is one.  Such is like, choices to where you live and how you live will also force you to choose the distances.  It's alright as I know no one I care about will think of me any differently because of my life's choices.

The attachment to my ancestral home and town, and the attachment to my whole life away are often in sink and not in conflict.  I still am a common man from small town in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, although I have spent little time in my birth place, it still is in my everyday life.  I like the same people, same food, same thoughts, same everything, but I chose to live more than 10,000 miles away.

There is a Ram Mandir in my colony home town of Proddutur, AP, India.  There is a Ram Mandir in Lemont, IL near my now living place.  In fact along with my family I visited the HTGC Temple today.  I saw my cousin and his wife, and a whole of members of my extended family at the temple which I have been associated for more than 2/3 of my life.  It simply is my place and my temple and my people.  I don't want to forget the best part of the visit is visiting the Temple Kitchen for Masala Dosa.  There is no way to feel that I don't have my own people and community right where I live, they are here and they are there, they are everywhere.

After and during the visit to HTGC (www.htgc.org) and every time I do visit any temple around the area, it really takes me back to the initial days of life in around Chicago.  Nothing has changed with all the Aunts and Uncles, Elder brothers and Sisters and people who have been a part of the community and my life; they are all the same.  None of them are tiring in their dedication to serving, none of them have changed their attitude to giving and serving, they never look tired (even if they are they never show it) in serving fellow citizens, all with the same love and always support.  The kindest thing you will hear is each of them checking on you and your family with utmost care and love.  Not a single one of them changed in just about all my life, just no change.  I really think GOOD and GOD go hand in hand, and in choosing my life and where it is I truly think there is no magic to life anywhere else, it is here.  I truly hope it remains just like this for the rest of my life.

Although I never spent extended time with my Mom and my Grandma, they had the same care and affection to anyone they met.  My community shows me the same.  It is truly incredible that you might not see them often, but the few minutes you are with them, reflects the shared empathy to life and the care they pass on with the simplest of words.

I don't wish for anything to change.  I am not even sure how anything would have been different if I chose to live elsewhere.  It has been here and I am deeply attached to whatever it is.   The choices have been simple and will continue to be simple as the community, people and family is all that can comfort you, and it is not too difficult to choose.  Life is where you are and the choices you have made, good folks around you simply make it simpler.