Anger Ruin Lives!!!

Anger ruin lives.... Anger is like a hot rock that we intend to throw on others. But in the end, the only person it burns is us. The action undertaken in anger and the harsh words spoken in anger leaves scars long after the emotion has subsided. Of course anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one. Sometimes we do things or say harsh things in anger which hurts both the giver (of course later) and the receiver. We say a lot of things in anger which we don't mean but sometimes they leave a scar on the other person. And by the time we realize its too late.

Here is a short story I came across on how anger is a bad thing and how it effects to the person around us.

There were 2 friends, call them X and Y. X had a very bad temper and will say whatever came to mind when angry to Y. So one day Y gave X a bag of nails and told X that X should hammer a nail in the fence whenever angry. First day X hammered like 30 nails into the fence. Over a few weeks X managed to control anger and the no. of nails into the fence gradually decreased. And a day came when X didn't had to hammer a single nail in the fence.

So X told Y "I'm able to control my anger". Now Y suggested X to pull out one nail each day X didn't loose temper. The days passes by and finally one day X told Y all the nails are gone. Y showed the fence to X and said, " You have done well my friend but look at the holes in the fence. It can never be the same. When you say things in anger they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there."

X realized how Y felt all the time whenever X lost temper and said harsh things to Y. X said "I hope you can forgive me for all the scars I left in you." Y smiled and replied "I guess I can." And after that day X never lost temper on Y again.

Well that was the end of the story with a happy ending but I don't know how many times that happens.. :). Well the point is if you are angry on someone try to pacify your anger. Don't say harsh things to the person. Even if you don't mean it, it leaves a scar just like the holes in the fence and by the time we realize its too late. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

Well I have to admit there were times when I lost my temper too.. but I hope I haven't left any holes. And if I have please forgive me.

Why on hell did I stop drinking soda?

No idea why I suddenly on 01/01/2009 decided that I will not drink soda for a year. Well before that I used to drink so much soda. I told myself "No Soda". My motto "No Soda". Whenever I saw soda "No Soda".

Well the thing is I was gaining weight. So decided to cut down on calories (Well guys who know me very well, try not to laugh). So the new year resolution was "No Soda, No Potatoes". Well yes, no potatoes either but that lasted only for may be a week. (Big fan of fries). If given a chance I would have taken the place of Morgan Spurlock in Super Size Me. :)

Anyhow that thing aside so I decided not to drink soda. Said to myself, "Let's be strong Gokul. We can do it." Lot of my friends encouraged and made fun of me. Some said good for you. Some said well we will see how long you can stand. Some said I bet u can't pull it off. One even said as I recall, "Who on Earth stops drinking soda, you should go to Hell."

Well last night its over. So after 5 months and 18 days I finally drank a Pepsi last night and need to tell you guys, it was like "WOW". Really when we don't taste something we like for a while and have it after a long time its just awesome. I was thinking, "Why on hell did I stop drinking soda?" Anyhow I wasn't going to drink soda for another 6 and half months but I was sick for a couple of days and my sister-in-law suggested I should have a soda that will give me some relief. She even brought sparking soda for me. But I thought I better have a Pepsi.

Well the point is when we miss something in life that we love a lot and we get it back its always very special. The pain and suffering we go through in the process simply worth it. Mark my word.

Weird, Sad, Bad.

Well I was thinking what to write in the post. Nothing much to write so I decided to share some of the things I came across in news in the last few days that felt weird, made me feel bad and above all sad.

Here are the top 3.

1. Man throws a 3 month baby from moving car on the interstate killing the baby. What kind of monster can do that? This happened in Tampa, Florida. Check the link here.

2. Teacher kills a 10 year girl hitting her with a duster to her head. Well punishing kids is a common thing in Indian schools but shouldn't there be a limit to it. This happened in West Bengal, India. Check the link here.

3. Son kills father for not voting for the party he voted for. Well what can I say? Killing father for a vote, I wonder what kind of crazy people(fans) are there. This happened in Andhra Pradesh, India. Check the link here.

There are lot more news like these which makes me think why do people do what they do? Just felt like sharing some little facts.

Litlte Johnny

Hi.. Sure laughter is the best medicine. And for that reason I am introducing to you little Johnny. He is a 3rd grader just like our South Park kids.. but of course better than them (No offense intended to South Park Fans :P) . Little Johnny will appear once in a while to make you laugh with his day to day life at home and school. So have fun.

Well Johnny is a very very naughty boy. All the things he say are purely his own. I am not responsible for his bad behavior.

Here's his first one

One day at school Teacher was telling the class the story of Mahabharata. The chapter was about the birth of Krishna.

Teacher: The Voices from the heaven told Kansa that child of his sister will kill him. Kansa locked his sister and her husband in the dungeon.

Little Johnny raised his hand from the last bench. Well little Johnny was well known for his dirty mind. But the teacher thought what can he possiblly have in his twisted mind.

Teacher: Yes, what is it Johnny?
Johnny: So Kansa knew before hand that his nephew will kill him.
Teacher: Yes he did.
Johnny: Then why on hell did he put his sister and her husband in the same cell?

The teacher fainted.

My First Baseball Game

So this trip to Baltimore has been a little productive for me. I have been on my first train ride, first cab ride and last night first baseball game. I went to a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees last night here in Baltimore and that too for free.

Well we are staying at this place in Baltimore called the Children's House. They had some tickets and offered us and we went. It was under lights and it was awesome. The game was almost a sellout. So much crowd. People shouting, drinking, cheering, booing, all kinds of people. Well we got almost the perfect seats. Nice view to the ground. I wish I was watching Cricket for a view like that.

Although there was a baseball ballpark very near to where I went to school in Arlington, but never really got a chance to go and see a Texas Rangers game. Always thought can go some other time. But somehow we never had time to go or something. I guess if something is near to our place we just keep it aside or later (Well my roommates always thought I never came along anywhere with them which of course is not true).

Anyhow, so went to the game last night. Had a lot of fun. Took some nice snaps. Cheered with the home crowd (Well now I am having a sore throat, hadn't have shouted that much). It was fun then and pain now :).

So now next game to go is to an American Football Game. Hopefully I will in this year. And hopefully Dallas Cowboys.

Hospitals, Depressing Place on Earth!!!

The last few weeks have been very hard on our family. As you guys know my nephew, Srikar is at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore for the last four weeks I too am here at the hospital with him and his parents. The atmosphere of the hospital, as all of u know is some what dull. There is always something going on. Siren of ambulances going on, people moving around in beds, wheel chairs, its very scary.

One such experience is this post. After Srikar's surgery he was moved into the ICU. Well it was not just an ICU it was the Pediatric ICU. Yes, only kids. The first time I walked through the doors of the PICU a chill ran through my spine. There were rooms to the right of the walkway. Srikar was in the last room. I had to cross all the rooms. All the doors were open. Seeing kids like that I can't tell u guys how I felt. It was a horrible sight. Kids like newly born were all hooked up with God knows what. Wires, tubes, IVs, somethings that I don't even know. I walked slowly to Srikar's bed. He too was hooked up with lot of wires and tubes.. We counted. There were 10. A second wave of chill hit my spine.

Well people say that graveyards, cemeteries, funerals are the depressing places. Well I feel hospitals are. I rate hospitals as the most depressing and disturbing places on earth. Seeing small kids with all those things hooked up to their tiny bodies just seemed wrong. At this small age? What did they do? The other day a Dr. who came to see Srikar said,"Hospitals are not good places." Well even doctors feel it. I don't think any other place is as depressing as a hospital's PICU. That too when you have to go visit someone in there. I wish I don't have to go to a place like this ever again. May God keep everyone healthy and away from hospitals.

The White House !!

Couple of days ago I went to Washington D.C. with my cousin. We had some time so we decided to go and see the place where the world's most "powerful man" lives... Yes the "White House". There were a lot of people taking pictures of the White House. We were standing there taking pictures and suddenly we heard some slogans. In the park on the other side of the sidewalk I saw some people wearing the prisoner's clothes, the orange ones and faces covered with black masks.

Seeing all this was like a new experience to me. People actually protesting that too infront of the White House. The place started getting busy and crowded. SWAT teams came into place. Police cars, Secret Service Vehicles, everything was like I am in a movie. The people protesting which was about closing of the Guantanamo Bay started moving towards the White House. The stood right outside the wall and the SWAT people started moving other people away from the sidewalk.

I was also on the same side of the sidewalk when a SWAT person shouted, "This sidewalk is closed. Move to the other side." I was thinking," Oops !! This is going to be fun."

Everyone except the people who were protesting started moving to the other side. In all this there was this guy holding a board that read "Indict Bush Now". Now only the people in the orange suits were on the other side. Now from no where a bus came into the scene. Its all happening right there, like in a movie. Now there was an announcement. "This sidewalk is closed. Anyone on the sidewalk will be arrested." No one moved. They started arresting people. Putting handcuffs, removing their masks, taking pictures, all happening right there.. and I was taking pictures.

Oh.. what a day.. saw the White House, the action, the suspense and the drama. Of course, no Obama.