Each To Their Own

Each to Their Own

                                    Frederika Menezes

The world is full of different kinds of life. There’re people, animals and birds, reptiles, insects of various types and aquatic and plant life. All these come in a grand variety and it is wonderful that to certain extent, all can co-exist without much interference from the other. There are for sure some times when one kind of life form causes trouble to another – it is natural I say. The world or earth we live in is part of all living and as such, all life forms must interact, interfere and cross the line with each other at some point or other. That is, after all, what being alive is all about!

However, we humans take the number one position for being alive it seems! I say this because a great many of us are rather too social not just with other living beings but toward one another as well. Oh, we are supposed to be the ones with brains and powers to think about what is right and what isn’t.

How many of us use those powers? Oh we use our brains all right but not always for the best.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not saying we are all bad but just that more often than not, the scales tip the wrong way.

Man is never happy until he has had his way with living, most of us I mean. That is fine – I, myself, am one of the kind but it does not mean that man can overstep all boundaries set by nature. I know I haven’t and never would – not if I can help it and many of us can help it but prefer to pretend we cannot.

What is it we, many of us, do by pretending to be unable to ‘help it’ in certain circumstances? Let’s see, we become civilized savages – invade animal terrains so we can claim them for our own selfish purposes which we are quick to point out that we’re are doing whatever it is for the benefit of all humans.

How very noble of us to be so concerned about our fellow beings! Really, though, what about those lives we have evicted and destroyed?

It’s a constant battle, this one and the losing side are the most vulnerable of the living beings – no guesses as to their identities, now are there? Sure, they might look tough and vast, vicious and capable of defense but hey! looks can deceive and do.

If we aren’t invading terrain, we are taking lives for our benefit.

Respect nature for one is part of it and if one doesn’t respect it, only means one doesn’t respect oneself!

All I have said thus far is about man vs. other living beings. Now, I wish to say a little something regarding man vs. man – might sound ridiculous but stick with me to the end if you aren’t laughing yourself to breathlessness. Okay?

Of all the stuff we folks bug each other with, the silliest and most irritating would be superstition!

Look, I have no problem with people believing in things – every one of us is not the same. We cannot all have the same thoughts, ideas, beliefs and that’s a boon. Imagine if we all thought alike on everything, what a mess!

Granted, there are some things we’d do right by if think alike on them. Things like Peace, Equality, unconditional Love and Respect toward our fellow humans, Understanding, yes well, these are but a few from the top of my head.

One thing that we should not do is compel others to believe in what we believe in or what we fear is right. Superstitious is something not everyone is and those who are must not and cannot force them others to see and think the way the superstitious do.

All brains aren’t wired the same way!

There all types of superstitions. I have to wonder how they, who are superstitious, get on in today’s world. My guess, they’re missing out on lots – this isn’t the Stone Age after all!

The best thing to do would be to keep one’s beliefs to one’s self – don’t spoil it for the non-superstitious ones because face it, this is one war you might never, ever win!

Hospitals and Smells

Hospitals and Smells

 Here’s something I’ve been dying to get off my chest – I hate hospitals! Yes, I know a lot of folks feel the same way but me, who when a kid, once dreamed of being a doctor to feel this way! Shocker! But not really because with time and as kids grow, dreams change.

Most of the time, they do anyway.

I know mine did.

What’s the deal with hospitals being painted white or another equally unimaginative color? No, I love white – just not on a wall and certainly not unaccompanied by a splash or many of other livelier, brighter colors.

The inside of my dream house, I tell you, every room would be painted in the warmest, most pleasant shades of every color in the rainbow.

A positive, optimistic vibe, to life!

Now, do you not think that someone who is ill could feel much, much better if she or he were surrounded by walls that convey cheer and the feeling that her or his health would soon be restored to the fullest?

Or if not that, then at least that the person and those loved ones, if any, could be surrounded by hope until it all fades away when the ill one passes on?

Why are ‘get well’ cards colorful? And why do they come in varied sizes? And those cards that come with words printed inside them, why are those words heartwarming and filled with negative – free sentiments?

Oh, if they do not come with such words printed on them, then why is it that we scribble all thoughts positive on the blank spaces inside the cards?

So many questions and just one answer: to bring a smile, hope and cheerfulness to someone who is in much need of it, to try and make the person forget her or his not being well, if only for a few moments.

If ‘get well’ cards can do that, imagine what soothing colored walls, with every color’s shade of the rainbow could do!

How many folks will then not like the hospital, I wonder! Of course, there is just this one other issue, one of many I must say. But let me talk just about this one now.

The atrocious smell of disinfectants! And dirty floors, horrendous cafeteria  food, walls that look like they have been taken from a horror flick (and badly painted over in white!) but let’s leave these issues for another time maybe – or is it too late???

We have room sprays, eco friendly room sprays most of the time I may add, to spray our homes’ interiors – different scents and all delightful!

Wouldn’t it be really something if the whiff of a disinfectant while in a hospital – whether as a patient or a visitor, made one think of freshly baked chocolate cookies or one’s favorite jelly sweet or just about anything of one’s liking, except the disinfectant smelling like itself?

Ah my friends, my dream hospital presented to you!

Imagination getting the better of me, you think? Maybe! But hey, I have the right to express my thoughts!

Colors and scents play an important role in everyday healthy lives – it only makes sense that it will play an even more important one in the everyday of the not-so-healthy, hospital bound lives.

How many of you agree?

Where's the Music?!

For all those who DO NOT like the radio Indigo show every evvening from 5 to 9 - yeah I DO NOT like it now that's it has turned to a ...here goes - oh and I understand the great Joey D is no longer on the morning show...why, god! why!
I have nothing personal against these radio jocks who come on in the evenings - just that the drive has now turned into a drag (among other things!)

Where’s the Music??

                            Frederika Menezes

Its summer out here in Goa, India and while some make crazy decisions over summer, I have made one good one – to finally get to writing a blog!

I will write when the mood to do so strikes me – meanwhile, here you have it, my first entry!

I choose to share my thoughts (and maybe feelings) about radio shows – how they entertain, bug and of late drive me up the wall at such high speeds I fear hitting the roof would shatter it! My place does have a titled roof you see so…a lot of tiles would shatter but my frustration wouldn’t.

During the times of no television and scattered power supply, people still had the radio however rare. They were big models with a knob or two to get them turned on and tuned into the only station that gave both music and news.

Music, they played music! And what’s more, I am told that the radio jocks were pretty good – good voices, no ramblings like drunken lunatics or any of the sort of thing. No sir!

We are right now at a time where we get so many radio stations and they all give us various kinds of shows – they are catered to the so many varied tastes of the people around. Fine!

Forgive me if you think I start to drift anytime during this piece – I have my radio tuned into this ‘zoo show’ at one of the most popular stations in my little town.
At one point in time, not too distant past, this very program was called the Highway of Music. Like this show, there have been other superb radio shows on one or two other stations that gradually ran their course into muddy lanes and eventually got lost in forests’ trails of newer and wilder audiences that didn’t really appreciate the effort that went into getting these shows together every day.
In other words, they were eaten up by time.

Those who haven’t forgotten the great radio jocks who truly did splendidly over the airwaves and gave us some awesomely fun radio moments and introduced us to the best music at the time, must at times wish they were back on the airwaves doing it all again just like they used to.
I know I feel that way…especially when the ‘zoo show’ knocks me out cold. From sheer boredom and then brings me to in a fit of frustration.

While out cold, I dream I am listening to music, great music with short outbursts of a few seconds coming from the radio jock of my teen years – once I have come to, I hear zoo parliament in session. Music is reduced to what adverts and exciting movie trailers are – teasers!

Confused? It’s the show’s side effects – first, it’ll bore you and then frustrate you! I know I’m not the only one grumbling about the ‘zoo show ‘ but there are many who love the braying of the mule behind that microphone, the cackling of the hens who give the  impression that they are laying and hatching eggs right there in the studio of this otherwise superb station, the other visiting chimps, orangutans, giraffes, horses, wild boars – well, you get the picture. All these have been trained to do humans’ jobs of radio entertaining but development is microscopic.  This circus has no more business but to ruin our listening pleasure – oh, where are the menagerie caretakers?!

The Highway of Music has been hijacked and none of the hijackers want anything but to bray and cackle on air with or without the rest of the circus acts – mostly with!

Those hens must be very good in laying eggs. They do it every day – the mule truly is a beast of burden, it plagues a good many of us by throwing the trash it eats up – the mule spits it all out on air and we got to listen to it barfing so happily.

To a radio music lover , there isn’t a worst kind of air pollution than this!

Why do I tune into the ‘zoo show’ every day if I hate it so much? It is for the same reason many others who are of like mind to me, do – we hope every day that the Highway of Music will be freed from the control of the ever annoying mule, the cackling hens and the assortment of other circus animals.

So far, it’s a futile wait and the ‘zoo show’ goes on…