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Monday, January 31, 2011

Celebrating Arthur Guiterman

Brief Essay on Man
by Arthur Guiterman

"Aspiring Man, by learned pens
Once classed as Homo sapiens,
Is now, the poor, deluded chap,
Correctly labeled, Homo sap.
"

Recently, I came across the poetry of Arthur Guiterman, and I couldn't help going gaga over his brilliant social commentaries, so full of humor, and so pithy. I confess that before reading him recently, I hadn't heard of him, so I searched over the Internet and found that Arthur Guiterman was an American poet, born in 1871, and died in 1943. His poems are best known for the modern humor and the easy rhyme that make them so very accessible for readers of all ages. He has talked of modern progress in his poems, and his philosophy branches out from the way of things as they were getting shaped up in the early 20th Century. His rhyming couplets are way too funny.
[Sample these: "First dentistry was painless;
Then bicycles were chainless
.....
Now motor roads are dustless,
The latest steel is rustless,
Our tennis courts are sodless,
Our new religions, godless.
"
or
"The grizzly bear, whose potent hug,
Was feared by all, is now a rug.
Great Caesar's bust is on the shelf,
And I don't feel so well myself.
"]
He genuinely needs to be read by you, my friends, if you are unfamiliar with his works. Celebrate his humor. Laugh Out Loud!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

When life feels off-kilter.....


I observe that the ones who are medically of sound body and mind, take being healthy to be such a given, a constant, that they do not spare a thought for the eventuality of being sick, being dependent on others, and realize how preciously gifted one is to remain healthy.
I have to admit that, when one compares one's life to the lives of people who have to struggle under the yoke of disability, ailment or infirmity, and then all of one's petty cares and concerns almost vanish into the thin air.
I certainly want to stress that a lot of our so-called petty cares and concerns grow from selfish exaggerations and false expectations. We need to streamline our wants and desires, and should attempt to declutter our minds. An assertive behaviour helps us gain the most. We should remember that we unless we take care of the overstuffed minds, we shall not be able to give adequate weightage to our relationships. Gratitude, humility, integrity and honesty must be emulated not just because these are virtues that have been celebrated over the ages, these are in-fact time-tested ingredients for a better life.
We should not take the privileges that we enjoy for granted. We should get in touch with our heart's desire, and prevent loneliness, or the feeling of being left out, to grab us all of a sudden. Being alone, being lonesome, becoming a loner - these aren't all the same. We need to rather fasten our grip on life itself, by improving on our stimulation and by nurturing our passion for life! We should initiate by just dealing with all the unresolved emotions, profitably.
If any part of your life feels off-kilter, just think about the ways in which you can restore its natural equilibrium.