Sachin Tendulkar: The God of Cricket

Ever Since my childhood, I have been a great fan of Sachin Tendulkar. He is the most best cricketer I have ever seen or I would ever imagine. He is the only reason why I watch cricket, its just because I adore him more than I love the game. He has broken all the records you could ever imagine a  batsman can break. Highest number of runs, highest number of centuries, highest number of games played and many more. Just yesterday he crossed one more milestone, he made a double century in a One-day International for the first time since the invention of the game, so now he is the highest scorer in a game. I have read two of his biographies (he has four in total). I am amazed for the love he has for the game right from his childhood. He has come to the game when he was 16 years old. He has been playing for the past 20 years. People have been putting him in pressure to retire but he has his own way of answering them, by giving better and better performances every time. I just hope that he keeps playing as long as he can but I day he would retire I would probably lose interest in watching the game too.

(This article would never end, I would keep adding more and more stuff about him as and when I feel like)

Twins

Once upon a time, twin boys were conceived. Weeks passed and the twins developed. As their awareness grew, they laughed for joy: "Isn't it great that we were conceived? Isn't it great to be alive? " Together the twins explored their worlds. When they found their mother's cord that gave them life, they sang for joy! "How great our mother's love is, that she shares her own life with us!" As weeks stretched into months, the twins noticed how much each was changing. "What does it mean?" one asked. "It means our stay in this world is drawing to an end." said the other. "But I don't want to go," said one. "I want to stay here always." "We have no choice," said the other. "But maybe there is life after birth." "But how can there be?" responded one. "We will shed our life cord and how can life be possible without it? Besides, we have seen evidence that others were here before us, and none of them has returned to tell us there is life after birth. No, this is the end. Maybe there is no mother after all." "But there has to be," protested the other. "How else did we get here? How do we remain alive?" "Have you ever seen our mother?" said one. "Maybe she only lives in our minds. Maybe we made her up because the idea made us feel good." So the last days in the womb were filled with deep questioning and fear. Finally, the moment of birth arrived. When the twins had passed from their world, they opened their eyes and cried for joy - for what they saw exceeded their fondest dreams. That is birth ... and that is death.

Toyota Lawnmower

When the whole Toyota company is thinking about the solution to their major recall problem and the whole world is worried about whats going to happen to one of the major car making companies ever, one of our very own super humorous people came up with a funny video in you tube making a mockery of the stuck accelerator problem. I should not tell you more as you should enjoy the video by watching it yourselves.

The Mysterious Man

Part 1

“Who’s that person?” I asked my coach, as we were packing our kits after a very tiring game of hockey that day. My coach was a strong person, even after such a long day at game today, he was still ready to play another set. He was all wet though because of the sweat. He looked at me after I asked him the question. I never spoke to him about anything other than the game until now, he was rather surprised. He then looked at the old man at the corner of the ground. He was sitting alone on one of the few chairs there, a small bag was beside him. After a small pause my coach said, “I don’t know, I’ve been seeing him for a long time too, I don’t know where he comes from or where he goes to, I don’t even know when he comes and goes either, but I see him everyday. He is excited about every good strike and exclaims at every goal made. I don’t think he supports any one team or any one player I’d rather say, I guess he just loves the game. At his age where he can no more play, he might just want to see others play. Anyways you take care and see you at tomorrow’s game” My coach chuckled when he made fun of the old man’s age, I smiled back at him but I didn’t like it. I wasn’t completely satisfied with his answer too. I didn’t want to believe that a person’s love for a game would drive him everyday to a hockey ground and make him sit for hours together. I could feel the excitement in his eyes whenever a goal was made, could feel the pain whenever a close chance was missed, his concern whenever a player was hurt, I strongly felt there was a reason much stronger for his presence everyday at the ground.

Every day as I entered the field my mind woule get diverted by his presence and I couldn’t concentrate on my game there on. One day I went upto him. “Good Morning” I said, I didn’t get any reply. I asked him if he came to see any of his people playing at our ground, asked him if he knew anything about hockey and many more questions. He didn’t answer even a single question of mine; he looked at me though, once or twice, but was silent all the time. His gesture made me more curious. He had a picture of a young boy beside him, the boy was in his game suit, his hockey stick held high, perhaps the son of this old man. I raised my voice, “Hello Sir, am talking to you”, he looked at me again, smiled for the first time, then he put the picture back into his bag, took out a pair of black glasses and put them on, a walking stick was beside him which he now held in his right hand, smiled again and tapping the ground with his waling stick, he walked away. HE WAS BLIND!!! All the time he wasn’t watching the game, he was just listening. I was shocked, I was speechless, I felt I made a mistake by shouting at him, he must have been hurt, this was the first time I saw him leaving the field, I hurt him. I thought about it all that day. I went to him to get some questions answered, but he left me there, with many more new questions in my mind. “Who is he, Is he really blind? He might have been a hockey player and lost his eyes in some accident, maybe he’s coming everyday to quench his thirst for the game but what was the picture of the kid doing there. I needed answers, I really did. So I went for my game next day, but was more concerned about the old man than my game. I looked around the field, I didn't find him, he was no where to be seen. He did not come, the ground seemed empty without him. Did I really hurt him so much? I was disappointed.

Part 2

I looked around for him the next day. I couldn’t see him but as I got ready for my game, I saw him. He was sitting at the other end of the field. I went to him and apologized and as expected he never spoke, I was so sad for not getting a chance to apologize. I turned around to move away, a smile came along in me as my heart felt lighter.

“Hey”, I heard. The Old man called me, finally he had something to say.

“So, you wanna know why am here to watch your game everyday though am blind. You wanna know why I cheer every person playing hockey though I don’t know him. No one ever asked me and I never told anyone. Alright, here you go”. He held the picture of the boy in his hand and showed it to me. “This is my son. He used to play hockey and I never liked it. I wanted him to concentrate on his studies, I wanted him to be more serious about his life but all he wanted to do was play hockey. I never encouraged him; I never understood that this was what he wanted to do in his life.”

“What is he doing now?” I asked.

He smiled again. “It was not until one day, when I wanted to take my son to a science fair. As always, he didn’t want to join me but wanted to play his game. He never wanted to come but I took him by force. I didn’t know then that I’d have to pay a huge price. We were on our way and then my car hit a curb, the next thing I ever saw was darkness. I lost my eyes. This pain  of becoming blind was never felt coz what I really lost was far more precious,;my son. My guilt never left me, I killed my son with my own hands. Had I let him play his game that day, had I encouraged his interests, had I the motive to understand his interests, I would have him with me today. I never watched my son play, never seen him making goals like you do. many people told me he was an awesome player but I never really cared about it. So, I come here everyday to hear you guys play, I visualize my son in each of you, I see him playing. I clap on every good hit and exclaim on every goal, I encourage you guys as much as I could. Its only this part of every day that I enjoy the most. Every time I am in this field watching you kids play, I feel my son is beside me, smiling and talking to me. And so am here every day, though blind, to watch your game with my minds eye and feel my son's presence and hear him talk again” Saying so, the old man smiled. I could never understand how he did it; he had pain filled completely in his heart and still he managed a smile. He got back to where he was sitting and took his son’s picture into his hands. I did not have a word to say, I silently went back to my game, got the answers for all my questions, those which I never knew were so in depth. The mysterious man was no more a mystery to me. I spoke to him everyday after that, tried to fill in the gap of his son. In him I saw a friend, a mentor and a father.

THE END

Without you…

My eyes sought to rest, they needed some sleep

and as I closed them, they showed me your picture.

My heart started to remember your words,

my mind began to fill up with your thoughts.

As music, they flew all through my body.

Your love has refrained me from sleeping,

asked me to stay awake, all through the night.

Every moment when I needed you,

You were just a phone call away.

With your sweet pleasant words,

You always kissed my pain away.

You took me off to a new world,

where I used to dance with joy

and then laughed my heart out.

I’m wandering all around the house at night,

Coz that time was always spent with you.

Can’t concentrate on doing other things,

all crammed in my mind is you.

Didn't knew you’d be missed so much,

If ever had I, would have never let go.

Now I just plead you to be back soon

without you, I don't know what to do.

I knew that I love you, realized its depth

when you have gone so far so long.

Without you, everything seems so empty

Everything so wearied out; sans life, sans soul.

I need you is all I can say now,

Can’t imagine myself without you,

I won’t get used to staying without you,

Can’t move a day without your words,

Can’t wait to listen to your ambrosial voice

I need you, I love you, I miss you

like never before and like never after.

The Lady who cried at the Beach

It was one of those fine mornings that day when I was walking along the shore at one of the best beaches I have ever seen. The circulating air was so fresh and the sound of the waves did make my mind very calm. That moment was serene and very peaceful. Far enough I saw two women engaged in a serious conversation, one of them was in her bridegroom's apparel. I moved closer and realized that she was crying. Neither her presence at that place nor her emotions matched her costume at that point of time. I could not make out if the other woman there was also crying as I was facing her back. She wore a black robe and had curly long hair. She did not hold any interest for me as I was more curious to know why the lady in white was crying. I moved closer so that I could listen to what she was talking. Water from the waves was now touching my feet and I try to avoid this every time I am at a beach, but today I had no other choice as my curiosity gained control of my weakness. She was talking about sacrificing her marriage for the happiness of the person she loves who apparently is the person whom she was supposed to get married to. I know it is quite complicated but what can ever be simple when you try to understand two woman talking. She knows about his feelings to this other woman who also loves her fiance very much. She is not happy about what she is doing but she needs to do it for the happiness of others. Her conversation did not tell me if the lady in black is the woman for whom she is sacrificing her love or it is someone else. My answer to this question could be in the expression of this other woman. Since I was behind her, I could not see her face and so I went past these women swiftly and then turned around a little bit to see the lady in black robe. Her expression was the exact replica of the Monalisa smile. Her expression gave me no details of what went on in her mind. There was a faint smile when I looked into her eyes but that vanished as I observed her lips. I would have understood that she is not the person for whom her fiance was cheating on the bridegroom if atleast she was crying, but her expression was so misleading that I could not get any clue about what was happening. And so my story remained incomplete.

The Monalisa's smile is one of the major mysteries of art today. At first when you see the picture you would feel that she is smiling and as you go on observing she would appear gloomy. Her expressing is called the vanishing smile. Scientists have come up with an explanation that your analysis of that portrait depends on which part of your eye sees it first. Though the science behind it is known no one has ever produced such an art until now. Scientists also say that reproduction of similar art work could be produced if the artist can paint a picture without looking at it. Wonder how Mr. Da Vinci did it.

If only I could…

As you walked past me that day,
I watched you continuously,
desperately hoping you would turn to look at me.
You did look at me and then said Hi,
I wished you the same but I had much more to tell.
If only I could tell you how much I wanted to talk to you.

Every moment I wondered where you are,
And every other moment, I wondered what you’d be doing.
I used to see unlimited glimpses of you in my dreams.
Whenever I looked straight into your eyes,
Mine constantly told yours, how much I loved you.
If only I could tell you my feelings through words.

A fear I used to have inside;
never allowed me to tell you anything.
I just wanted to see you all the time.
When you smiled at me, I felt I was a winner.
I needed nothing else, but to stay with you forever.
If only I could tell you how much your smile meant to me.

As time flew, I searched for excuses to talk to you,
I yearned for opportunities to express my love.
At times I was all set to put my heart before you,
but the moment I saw you, I forget everything.
Looking at you, I felt myself carried away
to distant places, sometimes Paradise, sometimes Utopia.
You were so captured in my heart, and without your thoughts
in my mind, I would be deprived, forever for life.
If only I could put my emotions before you, at least once.

And now after moving away from you,
I feel the pain for losing the opportunity.
If only I could talk to you about my feelings,
If only I had the strength and the courage to stand before you,
If only I could tell you how much I yearned for you,
If only I could tell you how much I loved you,
If only I could, If only I could.

It was in Your Eyes

It was a bitter, cold evening in northern Virginia many years ago. The old man's beard was glazed by winter's frost while he waited for a ride across the river. The wait seemed endless. His body became numb and stiff from the frigid north wind. He heard the faint, steady rhythm of approaching hooves galloping along the frozen path. Anxiously, he watched as several horsemen rounded the bend. He let the first one pass by without an effort to get his attention. Then another passed by, and another. Finally, the last rider neared the spot where the old man sat like a snow statue. As this one drew near, the old man caught the rider's eye and said, "Sir, would you mind giving an old man a ride to the other side? There doesn't appear to be a passageway by foot." Reining his horse, the rider replied, "Sure thing. Hop aboard." Seeing the old man unable to lift his half-frozen body from the ground, the horseman dismounted and helped the old man onto the horse. The horseman took the old man not just across the river, but to his destination, which was just a few miles away. As they neared the tiny but cozy cottage, the horseman's curiosity caused him to inquire, "Sir, I notice that you let several other riders pass by without making an effort to secure a ride. Then I came up and you immediately asked me for a ride. I'm curious why, on such a bitter winter night, you would wait and ask the last rider. What if I had refused and left you there?" The old man lowered himself slowly down from the horse, looked the rider straight in the eyes, and replied, "I've been around these here parts for some time. I reckon I know people pretty good." The old-timer continued, "I looked into the eyes of the other riders and immediately saw there was no concern for my situation. It would have been useless even to ask them for a ride. But when I looked into your eyes, kindness and compassion were evident. I knew, then and there, that your gentle spirit would welcome the opportunity to give me assistance in my time of need." Those heartwarming comments touched the horseman deeply. "I'm most grateful for what you have said," he told the old man. "May I never get too busy in my own affairs that I fail to respond to the needs of others with kindness and compassion." With that, Thomas Jefferson turned his horse around and made his way back to the White House.

Signals

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied. 

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we shouldn't lose heart,even in the midst of pain and suffering, your trouble might be your boon in disguise.

Footprints

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonging to him, and the other to the LORD. When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. This greatly bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it. "LORD you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me." The LORD replied, "My precious, precious child. I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

The Refiner of Silver

Alachi 3:3 says: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” This verse puzzled me in the Bible and I wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. 

That week, I called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. I didn’t mention anything about the reason for my interest beyond my curiosity about the process of refining silver. As I watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. I thought about God holding us in such a hot spot then I thought again about the verse that says: “He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.” I asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. the man answered, yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. I was silent for a moment. Then I asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?” He smiled at me and answered, “Oh, that’s easy— when I see my image in it.” 

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

The Bygone Apology

He was sitting alone, under the shade of a tree,

The scenic overview being the most colorful.

He couldn’t enjoy the beauty as he missed a love;

this made him torn and more gloomy.

He knew he made this himself,

lost his girl, with mistakes of his own.

She was an angel for him,

A sweetheart he could never find again.

He was her first love,

He was her treasure,

Love for him, she had a plenty.

His chapter in her book of life,

being her most memorable.

He would have been the reason for endless tears;

Stamped on her heart, jaded her dreams,

held no respect for her emotions.

He was a fool to miss her,

and his being lone, is his denouement.

Once he craved for her love,

now he seeks her apology,

His mistakes unlikely trivial; he knows;

Under the light of other’s wisdom,

he lost the brightness of his star.

He still remembered her relation

Changes she brought in,

still revered and held atop.

He earnestly hopes, for the person of her life,

To be more loving, more caring

And far more better,

than what he has been, for her.

Under the shade, he now remembers,

the bygone apology, he has for her.