ALTER IDEM

These are turbulent times - easily, the worst in my over two score years of existence. There is impatience, unrest, vehement pro/ anti news & views - here, there and everywhere! Often, I have wished that I could live far away from all of this - somewhere in a cave under the deepest sea! On second thoughts, I could settle for transforming myself into a child again!  Thoughts that came to me yesterday when I passed by these children on my way elsewhere... Schools in Karnataka were shut yesterday - for Kanaka Jayanti . These kids had spent their morning making a small cart of sorts, using old bicycle tyres and sticks. They were on their way to the periphery of the forest nearby to collect firewood. When I caught them, they were thoroughly enjoying the tough time the calf tied to the yoke was giving them! It was quite obvious that he was in no mood to pull a cart on a  sunny afternoon.  After appreciating their cart and exchanging a few pleasantries, I waved my byes to them

The year between the sixth and the seventh b'day of Alter Idem has simply flown by! I could manage only three posts in between. And, I am yet to score my century!  I have noticed that it is not ONLY me. Most of the blogs that I follow have been going through this inactive, rarely- updated phase. No doubts.... we have been charmed by the likes of Facebook, Whatsapp, etc! Speaking for myself, social media has also reduced the quality time I used to keep aside for reading - something that I'm realising now, when I have to come up with an interesting short story for the birthday post.  Thank goodness, my resolution for the anniversary post is to share a story that has stayed with me long after I have read it! This year, I'll share a lesser known story from the Indian mythology - of how a tree came into existence. I had read this story in a book called 'Brahma's Hair' by Maneka Gandhi. The book is a collection of myths and stories from all over the country -