Warrier's Collage 26072020 : First Time

Good Morning Please see A (1) Your views are welcome M G Warrier M 134 Warrier's Collage on Sunday 26072020 : First Time A Interaction 1) Madan Gauria There is no doubt that your Collage has become a super hit item in the Group. But I feel it has become too big having so many sections and subsections. When something becomes too big people loose interest. In addition you reproduce articles sent by other people, although with due credit to them, which members have already read. While going through your today's Collage I find there are too many parts. It has become a blog in itself. A person is confused as to what to read and what to reply. For example your today's Collage has so many parts as Prayer, Good morning message, Interaction (3 items), Commercial breaks (3 items), Warrier's views (1,2,3 and 4 with (a) to (h) sub items), Times blog (2 items) and D (Kuber Ross Model). I feel you can maintain short and crisp original character of your Collage with few links/items and send other items separately. Instead of reproducing items from your own blog, you can provide a permanent link to your blog at the bottom of each mail to enable people to access it directly. Sorry the mail has become too big. Please don't take it otherwise. It is only a suggestion. Final decision will be yours. (Thanks Madan Ji. The format, is, as you said, meant for www.warriersblog.com It's still at experimental stage. Suddenly pageviews at my blog has shooted up, 400 plus yesterday. As you'll appreciate, individual tastes vary widely. And my readers are from all age groups, stationed in different geographies. I cannot afford to cook separately for different groups. Your suggestions have been noted- Warrier) 2) S Nallasivan In marketing the container is more relevant than the contents. Your Collage has been a wealth of information with appropriate links to access it and enjoy visuals in youtube. I was actually wondering why not Warrier tried to make his Collage more colourful and attractive enticing even a passing onlooker. Now you have done a good thing. You have changed the size of the font and the Collage has a new coat of paint with eye catching colours. Now I guarantee you many more new students would join your "college" curriculum. (No words to thank you, Nallasivan. Besides sharing in our 2 groups, I'm sending this daily message to all my contacts except VIPs and posting at my blog. I'm getting 'unmanageable' number of responses from friends and family/ relatives. Today I wanted to make it an Interaction-Exclusive, but changed my mind later. Regards-Warrier) 3) K Ramsubramanian, Mumbai " Very interesting. Narayanan, next article is awaited. I am aware of Scooter theft. I also know your acquiring a lambretta . VB (Babusenan) is unique. Corona and stay at home make us adventure into culinary treats. Hope we take care of our weight too." (Thanks MGW) 4) R Jayakumar "You say that readers are not taking your writings seriously. It may be true in my case. I joined the Exrbites email group in 2017. I was trying to poke my nose in every thing in the group by attempting to respond to each and every mail and ended up erring myself in my writings. I failed to realise that it is a club, mostly for Senior retired officers, to share their experiences and knowledge with others. I remember that I had addressed you as Mr Warrior one or two times by auto selection of words. Soon I realised that you must be addressed as Warrier and not Warrior, though the latter name also fits you perfectly. I have been going through your daily message titled Warrier's Collage for many days and also have sent my comments on a few occasions. Believe me, till yesterday my mind was automatically reading it as Warrier's College and not as Collage. In all my replies, you noticed it or not, I used the word College and not Collage. Because my mind automatically took your new creation WC as a Wealthy Collection of knowledge which you wanted to bring before your admirers and fans every morning. R Jayakumar" ( Thanks. I just used the word seriously, twice, in a lighter vein. Interaction in the group is just exchange of thoughts in a relaxed mood. We have done enough serious work in office and now it's fun time. Relax-Warrier) 4) Dr T V Surendran, Mananthavady "Sloka Maanikyaveena I knew during my child hood., but forgotten. Thanks for reminding. Sri Babusenan's Sadya is interesting, though, Thrissur delicacies taste better than ..... Travancore😄 Apologies to Mr. Babusenan" (Correction : In yesterday's write-up, I wrongly used the words 'Bengal gram' for 'green gram'. The mistake is serious as it greatly affects the taste. I am happy to give the readers an occasion to be divine. Regards V Babusenan ) POSTSCRIPT : Collage ... The definition of a collage is a piece of art created by combining photos, clippings or small objects onto a surface. An example of a collage is a picture of a flower made with many pictures of friends and family. Our friend Jayakumar is not alone in assuming Warrier's Collage, as College. There is a reason for such an assumption. Our brain is unique in a way that reads and reckon what it wants and I vouch or even take an oath that my perception was College. Shri Warrier too gave a misleading statement that there would be no college (collage)on a certain week end. Besides our friends from God's own Country, call a College, a COLLAGE! Whether it is collage or college it has gained more popularity and the Letters to the Editor (who else, Warrier, of course) posted by Warrier promptly has added charm and goad one to read the Collage or read in the College and respond with the same eagerness when their names appeared in the page earmarked for the active and enthusiastic readers of popular dailies. S.Nallasivan B Lead Article : FIRST TIME* Vathsala Jayaraman First time always comes with anxiety, excitement, fear, shyness, expectations, and mystery. Yet it always becomes memorable. Every one has ever so many firsts in their lives. The first day in the school, the first day a sibling is born at home as a competitor, the first day at in-law's house ,first time you hold your baby in your hands and so on. Yes, the first time is ever memorable-success or failure. The first failure teaches us a lot. For students who always stand first, switch over to the next rank will be a great lesson humbling them. The first miscarriage that puts an end to all the dreams, giving a warning signal about future pregnancies. The first cancellation of the interview about which you had lot of hopes, the first rejection by a girl or boy during marriage proposals, the first cancellation of a fixed marriage. The first cancellation of a railway/air trip. Mistaking 0.30hrs flight to be the mid night flight of next day and the sense of embarrassment when you look small in the eyes of others, the first appointment letter, the first birth day greeting card;the first time when you see the new born son/daughter of your own, the first time you are ridiculed of your senility; the first time you are insulted by your own son or daughter; the first death we face in our family; the first severe illness affecting our near and dear ones,............. The midnight I knew about the major accident in which my husband was involved; the moment I knew he was in coma; the first word of his recognition; the first step my grand daughter took; the first word she spoke; The list is endless.Whether success or failure it is a valuable experience that moulds our character for betterment and refinement. The most memorable First remains landing in America. Disembarking, and going down that flight of stairs. Felt like Columbus discovering America. :)It sounds funny now. Even senior executives find it difficult when they present a project about new scheme of things. Resistance to change is a very common trait most people have. They take it too personally that their existing practices are criticized or out of sink with the business. Many people say that they have not gone to any doctor for the past 60 years and that is the first occasion they see one. I too have not seen flood waters entering the house for the past 54 years. Dec1,2015 was the first and worst unforgettable experience. It is said the 'first experience' teaches great lessons. But in reality,for many people everything is the first experience. It has to be looked at from various other angles, each time. The experience will be the same. But blunders committed are of different types. Even with so many “Firsts”, I still feel nervous and restless. Maybe it is the nature of “First”. May be these “Firsts” help us to prepare for our ultimate “First” – Death, for which there are many questions that come to our mind. When will it happen? How will it happen? Who will be near me? What will happen to my children, grandchildren, my property, etc.? How will people remember me? What will happen to me after death? Of birth and death, I have nothing much to say. I was born only once in this birth and I held the center stage on that occasion but I just remember nothing of the first and only occasion of my being born. Death when it happens will be my First Time again but I won't live to tell you my experience! *Article received from Vathsala Jayaraman via Group email. Cycling https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/pedalling-on-a-dream/article31129733.ece/amp/ I tried to learn cycling in my 30's, after buying a scooter. Someone told me, it would be easier to handle scooter, if one had cycle balance. C. My Story Friends ask me whether I am not buying trouble by being too liberal about disclosing "secrets" of personal life (my own) via my writings? My answer is simple. Those who know me, know facts. Those who don't know me, will not know the extent of fiction in my stories. Either way, so far, safe. Here we are on "first time" experiences. Thank you, Vathsala Madam, for opening the subject. This is not the first time, you are appearing in my Collage as a guest faculty. But, today, for the first time, you have delivered the "Key Note Address". I have a long list of first time experiences. First I'll list some of them and out of them, will try to elaborate on a couple of experiences which I have stored in "Vault B" now. a) I had resigned my job in AG's Office. When I reported in RBI for joining, someone shared a secret : X and I are likely to be "made medically unfit" and rejected by RBI. The person claiming anonymity, confided the reason also. b) Near death experience, when a branch of a tree fell on me and my scooter on the road. c) First time in the Mental Hospital accompanying a patient (a close relative) d) Staying in our newly built house in Thiruvananthapuram for the first time (July 10, 1977) e) When I fainted. Subbaraman Sir, responding to the article at B observed : "If we believe in 'punarapi jananam...', death will not be our first experience. The problem is, we don't remember the earlier experiences". The point is well taken. However, any pursuit of purpose of life (Buddha) or clarity about death (Nachiketa) ultimately takes the seeker to the need to attain "Self Knowledge" only. Today, the book on my table is "Aparokshanubhuti" (Self Knowledge) by Shankaracharya. In 1987 it was priced ₹5.90 ( Translation by Swami Vimuktananda, 1938). The book has 144 stanzas (78 + viii pages). The last stanza says : "For those whose mind is completely purified this ( Raja Yoga) alone is productive of perfection. Purity of the mind, again, is speedily accessible to those who are devoted to the teacher and the Deity." And, on "Self Knowledge", the briefest and most elaborate explanation, by whichever route you approach, is "Tattwamasi". "Shivoham", "Aham Brahmasmi", "Brahma Satyam Jagat Mithya*, all point in the same direction. Coming back to my experiences at (b) and (e) above, the experience of the falling branch was the same as that of the spider when you killed it with a traditional mop. Scooter and I fell on the road, as branch of the tree which was being cut forcefully fell with a Tsunami noice on me. Very soon I got up and was standing on the footpath (near Vellayambalam in Thiruvananthapuram, 1974). I didn't know when and from where some 15 to 20 people surrounded me or who kept my scooter straight. Then I looked at my right arm which was swollen. A colleague who came in her car saw me and took me to Medical College Hospital. There was no fracture and we were back in office by 4 p m. I presume, when I die, the experience will be same as the trance of 3 to 4 minutes between my applying break to my scooter and I noticed my swollen arm. Fainting was a simpler joke at home. One morning after breakfast I swallowed a BP tablet prescribed by the physician previous day (2017). After few minutes, I was seen reaching out for water bottle and sitting down (falling down?) on the chair unconscious. As per information given, my wife shouted through windows for neighbor's help which was not forthcoming. She didn't get concentration to make phone calls. As a final effort, she tried to "wake me up" and I was alright, though not aware of what happened in between. BP had gone down. Evening we went to a different physician who got a ECG taken. Didn't find anything abnormal. Again, post-death, I believe, it'll be a longer "fainting" experience! *Listen : https://youtu.be/hXpKMqim9ws Swami Brahmavidananda explaining "Brahma Satyam..." Read on, opening the link below if fear still persists : https://www.speakingtree.in/article/face-your-fears-most-are-unfounded