Reflections from the Village Bard
It seems that basic honesty is in short supply these days so this examines the reasons and how it affects the daily lives of people everywhere hoping that some people will learn to value honesty again. There was an old woman who dropped a packet of money in a supermarket recently and…
What is the purpose of our life and what it really means to us and to others are eternal questions that we always ask and most do not get a definite answer. I look at the purpose of our existence and how we can do something for others that helps them in their predicament…
Precarious living in unsafe slums where dwellings are easily destroyed The world we live in brings us closer and brings with it problems like viruses that can jump from people to people. But if we take simple precautions then we can avoid most of the problems.A female passenger flying somewhere declared that she had…
There is no substitute for hard and honest work. I give an example of a person who succeeded in making a living for him through hard work and honesty. There was a young man who did not have much in the way of formal education so suffered the fate of being unemployed like so…
Woman photographs wild animals Most people after their retirement are faced with the eternal question of what to do with their life, especially those who have been very busy with their work and did not spend much time with their family. I look at the way a person can balance his life between…
Okayers at a roulette table gambling away their money I would like to start with a story. It is a very long story but I have to tell you only the shortest version of it because of space. There was this gambling joint in San Francisco where all kinds of people dropped by…
Forgetting is a blessing We all have good as well as bad memories of people we met but our brain thankfully deletes the memories of bad people and their names because they never became our friends. This ability of our brain protects us from hurt feelings so it is a blessing. When I was…
A girl is in distress thinking she owes something to someone To say that you can repay for everything you receive as a help in life is to say that you put a commercial value to the help received that demeans it. To say that you do not owe anything to anyone just because…
Mental acuity Old age does not mean that a person loses his mental acuity. It remains intact in many people, but they do deserve to be recognized, loved and cared for.As we age, we notice that we lose some of our mental acuity in the process of ageing. We forget what day it…
A happy child Happiness is a feeling that varies from people to people and culture to culture. Some are happy if they find enough food for the day while others feel happiness in expensive gadgets or clothes so the priorities can be very different depending on where a person lives and his financial ability.…
Steam engines pulling railway coaches If you think of metaphors, there is no better way to describe your journey through life than a train journey where you get to meet all kinds of people and learn from them life’s valuable lessons. Our life is also a journey. It can be a long or a short…
Remains of King Ramses II in Egypt Life is never meant to be eternal so we are born, we live for a while happily or miserably and one day lie down to sleep forever. Our footprint on the wet sand is soon erased by the ocean waves but it does not mean that…
What’s in a word What is in a word? Sometimes it can change your entire life. Good words have a positive impact on someone who may be inspired by it and take measures to improve his life. Bad words on the other hand can have devastating impact and can demoralize a person so always…
A lonely woman Loneliness is not reserved just for old age. It may affect anyone in any age group for various reasons. We now live in the age of competition and stress, fast life and fast food. No one really has any time for you because each person is struggling with his own struggle…
He was a very good dog who was loyal, protective and took no nonsense from any one or any dog. He was aggressive to anyone he did not like including feral cats. He gave us a lot of joy while he lived. I miss him. Once we had a dog called Levko. He…
Terry Fox who died of cancer but raised money for all cancer patients The sterling character of steel in a person is appreciated by everybody so they look up to such a person as a role model the way people admire Terry Fox and his legacy. But the parents have a role to play in…
Dogs will give their life to their owner out of loyalty Loyalty is a wonderful word but difficult to find in anyone these days. It is given voluntarily and cannot be demanded using threats or intimidation so the dog called Hachiko shows us the way to show loyalty at the cost of his life. …
A child happily receives his Christmas gift from his loving parents When you give something to someone without love, it becomes just an obligation or duty like paying your taxes or the intent of doing a favor in return for a favor received in the past. Here I look at the idea of…
People in Japan prefer a minimalist life style A person who accumulates garbage around him Hoarding is a sickness affecting many people who mindlessly accumulate junk all their life and do not know what to do with them. I explore the beauty of minimalism with the example of Japan where it is…
A person suffers from angst of life Teenage angst affects many but there is hope. To have angst is quite normal but there are ways to overcome them. We all at some time or other have dreadful anxiety called angst about one thing or other in life and learn to cope with it…