Skip to main content

Alter Idem's sixth!


 Alter Idem turns six today!

  I started out by sharing a short story. That's why, I mark the birthday of this blog by sharing some short story that I have read - usually, the first one that comes to my mind as I begin to write the 'Birthday Post'.........

 Last month, I came across an anecdote - A friend wagered Ernest Hemingway to write a short story using six words only...... and, it had to make the readers sad. Of course, EH won the bet - and, here's the short story...

                                         For Sale : Baby Shoes. Never Worn.

There! For the first time, I have shared an entire short story... as it is!!

  I'm sure Ernest Hemingway didn't have to think very hard to come up with this one. He is a master story teller who can convey quite a lot with very little words. Take this story, for example....

 Initially, it conveys the enthusiasm of soon-to-be parents. But, then.... what happened??

 Did the pregnant mother die?  Was the child born without feet?

  Did the baby die soon after birth and the parents couldn't have another? 

 Or, did the brat refuse to wear the shoes and he/ she outgrew them?

 Whatever the reason, to consider selling baby shoes in the second hand market brings the picture of someone who is really desperate for money .......... a sad story however you look at it!

    **********************************************************************************

 You know, every year, as I begin to write the 'Birthday post', I'm reminded of the 'End Poem' by A.A. Milne. This is how it goes.....  
                                                      
                                                     When I was one,
                                                     I had just begun.
                                                    When I was two, 
                                                    I was nearly new.
                                                   When I was three,
                                                   I was hardly me.
                                                  When I was four,
                                                  I was not much more.
                                                 When I was five,
                                                 I was just alive.
                                                But now, I'm six,
                                               I'm as clever as clever.
                                              So, I think, I'll be six now...
                                              forever and ever! 

 For some time now, I have been thinking of saying bye-bye to blogging, and, thanks to this poem, six seems to be the right time!

 At six, I have published only 93 posts. And, I do not want to throw away my wicket before scoring the century! For the moment, that keeps me going.........
Labels:

Comments

  1. https://wordpress.com/home/mukhamani.wordpress.com17 November, 2015

    Just those words and the express so much.
    Please continue blogging:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Soumya18 November, 2015

      Yeah.... and, thanks for the words of encouragement :)

      Delete
  2. Prateek Suryaprakash21 November, 2015

    Congratulations on the sixth!
    Beautiful story indeed :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ash gourd & beliefs

Whenever a farmer comes to my doorstep selling vegetables, I buy them. The other day, one of the regulars dropped in. This time, he had only ash gourds. Since my own ash gourd vine was looking good, I had to tell him that I didn't want any. He then expressed a desire to see the vine - to check out the variety, etc... Soon after seeing it, he told me that the vine would produce only one gourd and that I should be offering it to some temple instead of using it! Well! I hadn't heard this one before! Though nobody knew why, every single person advised me against using the ash gourd if it turned out to be the only yield from that vine. And, 'Give it to some temple' was the final line that everyone added! You know, as far as vegetables and beliefs go, the ash gourd is one that has many attached to it... each one of them, meaningless and without logic. My mother believed that a whole ash gourd should not be cut with a knife by people whose parents were alive. Fortunat...
20 comments
Read more

Ganesha's water-pot!

You will not find this place on the tourists' list of places to visit in Chikmaglur. However, you'll find it on my list of favourite places in Chikmaglur. Let me take you there..... A half-an-hour's drive from home will take us to the not-so-sleepy town of Koppa. From here, onto  the road to Kesave village.  About 3-4 kms on this road, to the right - a rusty arch and the mud track beyond welcome us. Blink, and we'll miss the place! We are now on private property. This part of the estate is open to all. Because, it is here that the river Braahmi has her origins. The Braahmi is a small tributary of the river Tunga. Infact, she joins the Tunga within 20 kms. from her place of birth. The presence of an idol of the elephant-headed God lends some piety to the place.    Someone has done a neat job -  making it seem like the water is gushing out of a water-pot. This, and the presence of God Ganesh... the place is locally known as 'KamanDala Ganapati'. Lik...
69 comments
Read more

Plant Mythology

 One thing I like about Indian mythology is that we have very beautiful stories about how rivers, plants, flowers, etc. came to be. The stories are so reassuring that sometimes, I wish science and its complicated theories didn't exist! According to Indian mythology, all plants have been created from the hair of Lord Brahma. I had read this in a book called Brahma's Hair by Maneka Gandhi. The book is a collection of myths and stories from all over the country - of about thirty sacred plants and trees, along with some historic and botanical details.  The book has very few stories from the South. Some flowers and trees that have mythological and religious importance here are missing. Of course, writing an exhaustive book on this subject would be quite a task! Recently, I have been curious about the mythology behind some flowers common to my surroundings. The plant is a parasite and is always found attached to the branches of huge trees.... The flowers bloom once a y...
Post a Comment
Read more