The 5 Pillars Of My Life…

                        Today Deecember 27 2009,Sunday must be just another day I thought when my dad woke me up in the morning only to realize that today my mom was going to Kottayam to visit her relatives…So I was entitled the duty to see her off at the railway station today morning.After seeing her off I thought how would this day be???I knew I will have to do everything right from making tea to washing the dishes(which I hate…).So coming back alone through the deserted alleys of Trivandrum I realized that my life was so much dependent of a few people and I guess its about time that I mentioned about them without whom my Journey Called Life will be incomplete…

The 5 Pillars Of My Life…

This seems to be a frequent dialogue from movies but still it applies perfectly to the most important people in my life…

Now look at the picture-"The 5 pillars supporting my life…"

Now you would be guessing what happened to one of them??

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 Just continue reading and you will know…

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         So till now my life or else my Journey Called Life is supported by 5 pillars…So here goes…

Now the first pillar is my Dad…

My dad or dada as I call him is the person whom I admire the most. He is an ex-navy and I have always tried to be like him. The stories about his various adventures were I guess were well beyond the definitions of adventure for me and these stories are those which have always fascinated me and made me believe that life will have something for me also. I have always tried to walk, talk and shape my character like his but I’ve failed miserably (…Hope someday I will be like you Dada…).But one thing that I guess I have learned from him is to value relations of the heart more than artificial relations like same religion, same bloodline and such stupid things .More than just namesake relatives he values these relations more.

 People even after just talking to him once value him and respect him a lot (I had thought it might be due to his beard so I also tried sporting a beard but nothing changed in my life…) I guess it’s an art which only a selected few like my dad could master. So in short he’s sort of superhero for me…So thank you dad for inspiring me to do something and giving me all the support that I needed…

      Next comes my Mom or Amma(as I prefer it…)

Days like today when she’s not around are the days when I realized her true value (It’s not bcoz I have to do the household chores).The vacuum that she has left no one else can fill…It’s very well said that I respect and admire my Dad but I love my Mom (It’s not that I don’t like my dad…But Mom’s somewhat special…)

She’s a person who had sacrificed her well paid job in Europe to look after the family (It kind of requires some strong will to do such an act I guess…).I had always hated it when she keeps on calling me when I was late or else when she read my diary (now I use double protection…) or else when she used to say something in front of my friend’s as if I were a child (totally embarrassing moment’s…).And finally the biggest problem I see in her is she thinks with her heart and not with her brain…But in spite of all these I love You…

         But she’s one of my good friends and my favorite time pass is probably annoying her (I mean ‘chori’ying her…).

       Next comes my sister…

The person with who helps me polish my fighting skills and whom I annoy the most but secretly she’s my favorite. I don’t guess she respects me a lot (because more than cheta she calls me ‘eda…’ ‘patti’…) but I know she loves me a lot…

Actually it’s difficult to say whether I enjoy annoying my sister or my mother more. And usually mom teams up with me to irritate my sister…hehe…And sometimes they both team up to irritate me…And the next thing about her is she’s mom’s most trusted spy…

I used to hate it when I had to do compromises just because I was born 3 years early. Then waking up early to drop her to school (which unfortunately happens to be near my collegeL) and again picking her after extra classes. But now I guess these small responsibilities has a hidden joy in them (But it takes some time to realize it…).

Now about the pillar which used to support me but now support’s my life from a distance with only prayers to give and nothing else…

This pillar was the one which I had considered the strongest …but my fate… it’s being forcibly (very very forcibly…) separated from supporting me by some factors which are beyond my control (and that’s the saddest part I can do nothing about it…Just wait…).But they fail to understand that in your attempt to separate my life from it you can eventually destroy the pillar itself.

Now only time shall prove how strong the most beautiful pillar of my life was…

I had always thought that I was sort of blessed when this pillar came to support my life (…which was totally by some co incidence…)…Whenever my life was about to fall it’s this pillar which had supported me the most…And when the separation had started I thought my life would come to an end had it not been for my central and most important pillar… (But the day when this pillar is fully separated even my central pillar won’t be strong enough to support me…That day will surely be THE END of My Journey Called Life…).I guess many of you could guess what this pillar means to me but more about it I will tell you later(Sorry…But can’t help)… So again thank you for teaching me what life really is…

Then comes the central pillar my Friends…

Now the true value of it I realized (as I said above) when one pillar was being separated. It had supported me the most and that too whenever I needed it the most…And there’s no need I guess to say anything more about this pillar because what I’m today is because of you. I am lucky to have a handful of good friend whom I would like to mention here Vishnu,Sai,Jayesh,Shijil,Amal,VishnuChandran…Thank you guys for everything.

So here goes ‘The 5 Pillars of My Life’… I guess everyone’s life is supported by many pillars and for me 5 is just the beginning now when I continue my journey called Life I’m sure many pillars will  fall and  new one’s have to take their place…But I guess that’s what life is all about. For me the very essence of my life is uncertainty…I guess I have started to learn to live with the twists and turns of life…And hope many more pillars will come to support me in the future…

Now about my journey…It has reached a destination from where I don’t know where to go. Now I find many path’s unfolding before me. In short life now has become a big question mark. Now my situation is clearly depicted by the following pic…

“Stuck in an Inferno without knowing where to go.” If  someone could help me your advices are always welcome…

And hence I Continue My Journey Called Life…!!!

And finally 2 beautiful pictures from Allapuzha just to show how beautiful things can be... 

From a poets view whom I met there "the sun shone on the lake like a necklace embracing a beautiful bride......" 

The Joy Of Blood Donation....

Now today I would like to share some of my experiences of blood donation...I won't be able to give much insight about blood donation in pure medical terms but still...

Why are we people afraid of giving blood??
Today of of my comrades Aghil came to me in the morning saying that his classmates cousin(who is a 6 year old boy) who was suffering from leukemia and was undergoing treatment at RCC was in dire need of blood.
 So we set out on the task of finding 4 people with A+ve group from a college of about 900 students ...But guess what we could find only 1!!(That to thanx to Sherly teacher who requested her students to donate...I thought when will our other teacher's come out of their textbook's and teach their students about their social commitments??)

That one person was a girl even when the so called boys of our college sat like idols she showed the courage to come out...Now with her and one of her classmate also willing to donate we went to RCC...But all we all knew that the boy wouldn't survive and all that we could give him was some hope...

Now back to the question... Why are we so afraid???
Nothing will happen to us if 500ml of blood is taken from us and that too for a good cause.
The first time we give blood we will be a bit scared but after we wont even feel tired after donating blood.But every time we give , we will have a special feeling , a feeling that we have helped someone.And that feeling is priceless.Today right after donation I was able to continue with all my regular activities and could even pursue some of my bad habits without any difficulty.

The most common reason for not donating is "there is nothing in my body to take blood from..."
I would like to enlighten all these ignorant people to the point that after conducting a thorough fitness checkup only will you be asked to give your blood(Extra care is taken in case of girls...)

In my opinion the problem is not with our bodies but with our minds and our attitude.If your life is not of any use to your fellow beings its better to drown yourself than to be a burden on this earth.

Just remember anything can happen to any anyone at anytime...Today its was they who needed it but tomorrow it can be you or your loved ones.If you don't give today, tomorrow you wont have any right to ask others.

Some of us a genuinely ignorant about blood donation but others being fully aware tend to be ignorant.I believe it's the adults who have to show us the way. It starts with our parents and teachers...Its they who have to teach the coming generation...Its they who have to mold them into good social beings rather than letting them be just a mass of flesh without any good to the society....

I don't think that all that I have said above will inspire someone to give blood only if we have a genuine urge to help others will there be any significant change and that urge must come from within.If that doesn't come naturally it will definitely come when your loved ones are in need.But why wait till that.lets start from today...
Now somethings that are of use to the genuinely ignorant but people who have an urge to help others....




Source: Blood Donation Myth's and Fact's-How real are your blood donation fears???
by Dr.Vasundhara Atre

A single donation could save the life of three people. The blood can be given as whole blood or separated into three different components- red blood cells, plasma and platelets, which can help different types of patients.

Myth: Being a vegetarian, means that the blood does not have enough iron and cannot be donated.

Fact: Vegetarians can donate blood. The iron needed is taken from body stores and once a balanced diet is maintained is replaced after donation. This usually normally takes a month or so.

Myth: Giving blood hurts.

Fact: The pain experienced is no more than a needle prick. The slight soreness that maybe where the needle was is just a reminder of the good deed done.

Myth: HIV or other infections can be contracted from donating blood.

Fact: A clear procedure exists for taking blood from each donor. Sterility is maintained at all steps. A sterile, new needle is used for each donation and is then properly discarded. Use of sterile equipment and technique limits the chance of infection.

Myth: Giving blood is time consuming

Fact: The time taken for a single donation session is normally not more than an hour or so.

Myth: There is limited blood in the body and it is unhealthy to give some away.

Fact: Only about 470ml of blood is taken during a donation session. There is enough blood in the body to donate it without experiencing any ill effects. The body makes new blood after donation. 

Myth: Age is a deterrent to blood donation.

Fact: Anyone above 18 up to the age of 60 who is fit and healthy can give blood.

Myth: Heavy people are healthier and have more blood to give.

Fact: Being overweight makes people less healthy. Overweight people do not have more blood.

Myth: Health deteriorates after donating blood.

Fact: If you are healthy prior to donation, your recovery is complete in a day or two. It is advised to rest a while after donating. Drinking enough liquids replaces the lost fluid within a couple of hours. The body produces new cells faster after a donation. All the RBCs are replaced within 3-4 days and WBCs within 3 weeks.

Myth: you cannot take part in sports or other physical activities after donating blood.

Fact: Giving blood does not interfere with ability to perform physically. Advice to avoid heavy lifting or strenuous workouts for the rest of the day is given after the donation. You can get back on track the next day.

Myth: Taking medication means that one cannot be a blood donor.

Fact: Depending on the medication being taken, it may halt donation for a period, though in many cases it won't prevent a donation. The person in charge or the nursing staff should be informed before donating.

Myth: When there is a requirement, blood can be manufactured.

Fact: Blood is not something that can be manufactured. It can only come from healthy human beings.

Myth: Blood donation can tell if one is HIV positive.

Fact: HIV antibodies can take months to develop after infection with the virus. Those recently infected may have a negative test result and yet be able to infect others. It is better not to donate blood if at risk of getting HIV or other infections.

·      The Kansas University Medical Center found that men who participate in blood donation experience 30% fewer incidents of heart disease and stroke compared to people who did not. ·      In 1998 the American Journal of Epidemiology published that blood donation can reduce the overall iron levels in your blood which may protect against heart attack. ·      Blood donation forces your body to replace the lost cells with fresh blood cells. ·      Men do not have menstrual periods, so they store iron in their bodies which is usually more than what is needed. ·      A healthy body replaces blood within 48 hours and creates new RBC’s within a week.

 

Its better to start late than never.Here is a link which I found could be useful to begin with
http://www.indianblooddonors.com/

I don't know how much this post was able to inspire someone but if at least one person starts to donate blood due to this I would be happy...Remember we are the youth we have to take our country forward we can't allow ourselves to run away from our social commitments.We have got only one life life and its we through our actions who have to make it worthwhile.

Back After A Long Break....

Its been a long time since my last post...I had stopped blogging bcoz my life revolved around my college and my college lyf revolved around my friends after the fights with them I didn't feel lyk writing anything about my life secondly after reading a few good blogs I came to know my standard of blogging....I don't know if anyone checks this blog or not but if someone passes by I would like to share with him something......



Yesterday was a very beautiful day...I had a great time with my 2 best buddies vishnu & sai... We went to sankumugham beach...All of us had many problems in life and we wanted to forget everything.Sankumugham has always been very treasured place for me,the beach has always helped me to overcome my sadness...

So we started with a cold coffee from ICH... Then we sat shared all our problems our dreams...Then we decided to go away from the crowd , we walked towards nowhere; I guess we walked up to vettukadu church.We were the only ones on the beach & we really enjoyed that fact.We laughed, played , wrestled with each other.I was very happy...But then life always had surprises for me. I learned a great deal of lessons yesterday...

While walking back with the prospect of having a very good dinner from ICH I found that I had lost my watch...I couldn't believe it.The watch was with me from my 9th std it had almost became a part of my personality with some of my frnd's identifying it as "പില്ലയ്േഡ കൂറ watch ".It was a great moral and emotional loss for me. All my sadness and memories of losses which I had tried to forget came back flooding my mind.I went into a state of depression. I understood one more thing about life...

"Never to have any emotional attachment with anything, because when we loose it, it hurts a lot..."

The watch can be replaced but there are some losses which no one can replace...Things that we believe that we will never loose in life just slips though our finger's in the split of a second.And it takes a great deal of effort to overcome the pain of such losses which at sometimes is impossible...

So we have to be ready always to face what life has in store for us. Because life is like a Pandora's box.We don't know what comes out of it. These losses come uninvited and at times when we least expect it.But personally I feel its better said than done. Because only experiences can teach one how to prepare oneself to face it.So the best way out I believe is not to have any emotional attachment with anything that we feel we have chances of loosing.[But remember man is an emotional being...]


Some say that fast and sudden decision's are bound to fail. But when life can change in a second decisions also have to be taken in a sec...

Yesterday was a day which proved that fast decisions were best.Some may find it childish but still...
We were going toward's ICH for dinner, that's when we saw our new low floor bus, Vishnu said "aliya namuku keram" we just looked at each other for a sec and then said "Aliya oodu..." and ran after the bus.The police stopped me and asked what was going on hehe...But we reached the stop in time and could board it.The ride was simply fabulous except for the ticket charge...

Then came another surprise....

I bought the ticket and we were enjoying our ride, that's when sai wanted to see the ticket. So I opened my purse and gave it to him, but when i saw that my purse was empty I remembered i had forget to take my balance 50rs from the conductor...

So with no hope of getting back the money since we were near our destination I told the conductor what happened...
He could has easily denied me my money and I had no voice for arguing. But he gave back 50 rs without a second thought, And That is what I call trust....
Did he have the need?? Couldn't he think that we were lying????

He was a stranger whom I may never meet again but we had a relationship built by trust. Similarly in any relation trust is very important. We may find 100 reasons for not believing a person. But if there is trust those 100 reasons cant change our belief...
Loosing someone's trust is easy but winning it is very very difficult.Relationships built on the foundation of trust are very difficult to break....But most relations break for reasons that we are none of them are responsible for....


So we continued our journey we took tickets for East Fort but when the bus stopped at Overbridge sai said "Aliya lets get down here as there wont be any good hotels at east fort..." So we got out and walked towards thampanoor. But when we neared the threatre sai said"aliya come lets go & watch Paa..." I didn't have to think twice for an answer & we ran towards the threatre[as it was already 9.30] with vishnu comming very reluctantly... But we saw the movie a superb one...

After the movie and a dinner from KSRTC canteen at 12 in the midnight we were out of fund's to go back home in an auto. So we walked... This midnight walk I will never forget...Then we went to sai's house slept there after putting "Everynight in my dreams...." song to play again and again, we all went to sleep.Except for a few kicks from sai which vishnu conciously avoided by sleeping on the floor everything was fine....


So many lessons learn't in just a few hours....That's life... Remember keep your friend's close to your heart because in the long journey when everyone else has deserted us only they will be with you.I am lucky that I got Sai and Vishnu as my friends. This post is dedicated to you guys who were always with me when I needed you the most........
And hence I continue my journey called life......


------Subin