Often when I look around, I see how different we are from our previous generations. And it is not just about a few people in our generation…it is in fact how the thought process of people has changed over the last few decades.

There are surely some similarities between people of any generation. A couple of centuries ago, the world was full of thinkers. They believed in radical thinking and invigorated people to think beyond the norms. Some were supported, some stoned. Nevertheless, they carved their names in history. Then came the age of the gatherers who wanted to accumulate as much as possible, more land, more money, more jewels, taking more than what was theirs. No surprises that that brought by the wars. The post war period saw the builders. After the world came down to ground zero after the world wars, they had an blank slate to start with. They were practical, peaceful and believed in strategic planning.The stood on their own, believed in the norms and thought of the future. And then came us – the doers. We do faster than we think. We believe in what we are, sometimes in more than what we are. We want everything fast – money, fame, success, assets. We believe in fast food, and quick results. Little time is spent in thinking. And though we think we have mastered it all and can imagine life down the decades, we are just passers-by. Because the next few generations will change the face of the world -yet again.

What will they be – dreamers who will dream big and think about all that has gone haywire? If they indeed are dreamers, they will be closely related to the thinkers. So will this sine curve repeat itself? Maybe on a different axis? Or are we limited by our thinking. Of course we are, because we believe in life as it is now. Who can tell about tomorrow? Only time will tell.

We are nothing but water in chains
Got used to living in constraints.
Could have, should have,
We play the blame game.
Rats ahead, rats behind,
All for money, power or fame.

Have we paused and wondered why,
We let the moments glide by.
And yet the realization of relativity makes us realize
Your every day mundane is someone’s moment in disguise.

Sometimes, I read old mail. I just sit around, reading all the email related to someone, or something. And then I remember what was, how I thought then, and how I thought my life would be now. With God’s grace and our parents’ support and blessings, I am where I would have liked to be. Even though I am not where I thought I would be at 30, when I was a teenager. I thought I would have a beach house, a driver, and an assistant! 30 seemed like a long time away at 13 and it felt like there would be enough time, and money would be super easy. Oh and for a long time, the first thing I planned to do with my first few paychecks was go on a cruise. I haven’t been on a cruise yet, but no regrets on that – we ourselves postponed that for a while and preferred to go for other vacations instead.

Back to where I started, when I go down memory lane, I remember what my priorities were then, and when I think about what they are now, I want to do it all. The old ones, the new and more! I would like to live the ideal life – starting my day with getting up at sunrise and going for a run with Vivek and Cocoa, then a good breakfast (pancakes, eggs et al), a great day at work, evening walk with my boys again, some gardening/crafts/jigsaw puzzle, happy cooking time, some good TV and dinner, and reading a book before sleeping. Sounds easy and perfect to me, and would probably even work for a few days like clockwork. And then it falls apart like a sweater that rips with one loose thread.

But surprisingly, it does not upset me! Because there is one thing that I have learnt about myself over time…something I did not know when I was 13. I absolutely love how these broken imperfections, shaky schedules, spontaneous changes, and lazy sundays hold on to each other to make one perfect life. The ups and downs shape the road and make the journey one hell of a roller coaster ride! Who says the roller coaster won’t go down again?? But thankfully from the time I started understanding time, there has always been someone next to me to hold on to and scream “Whoaaa” when the speed catches up again!

A few days back, the Mumbai attacks seem to have caught everyone’s attention. Indians in India and world-over had their eyes on it, but soon it caught up with all other countries as well. Sitting out here in San Diego, and having access to no Indian news channel through my cable company, all of us at home were pinned to the webcast on NDTV.com. Initially, as I turned it on for our parents at home (yes, we have family visiting…), I told them that we didn’t have a news channel that would update constantly, assuming that the feed on NDTV’s site, was just an old feed. CNN was still hovering over Obama’s favorite pizza and new pet. After all that disclaimer about the validity of the news, I realized that the news was in fact being aired live. Not only was it being aired live, it was also disclosing exactly what understanding the police had of the situation, what counter-attacks were being planned, and which informant was still inside the hotel. I was ZAPPED! Were they for real? They might as well have aired all that with a personal note for the terrorist groups behind all this.

Where on one hand, these terrorist groups operate with the highest level of anonymity and light-footed movements, here we were trying to counter them after declaring our next moves to them. Did this make any sense at all? All that the common man wanted to see was what was going on, not how many commandos were landing on which roof.

I have seen the media in India get really smart over the last few years, holding people answerable for what they did. This was us seeing them go down the curve. It was like someone smart decided to play stupid. The media can be a strength for anti-terrorist efforts but here they were fighting their own war against the next best news channel. And the one to lose as always was the common man!

Have ethics and sensibility become a choice in today’s working world? Do people consider the consequences of their behavior, or is the universe a chaotic mess of irresponsible actions? Will the media ever realize its inherent power or just keep cribbing about not being given its due respect?

One big buzz in the US right now is the upcoming elections.

The question that rules this election is who can turn tables around in this mess created by the Bush administration.
Answer: Who knows!

Logically, it makes sense to trust a Harvard Law School pass-out (read: Barack Obama) to deal with a messy economy. But what can turn things around is not only education but also sense and sensibility. McCain addresses his audience and says he would bring their taxes down, but take a look at the other end of the podium and you will find a room full of rich folks – he is not lying, he does plan to bring their taxes down. Obama wants regulation to handle the infamous economics of the Wall Street. Does that mean he would support bail-outs? Neither seems to have a well-laid plan to turn the swamp around into a pretty lake.

McCain made the biggest political decision to turn the elections around by choosing Sarah Palin as his VP. When he got worried about his experience ticket, he brought in Sarah Palin to target Hilary’s followers and move onto the Change boat! Is Sarah Palin McCain’s security blanket? Distracting the crowds from the main issues seems to be working. This does not imply that I do not trust Palin’s jurisdiction. She has done some incredible work in her town, and that is worth a mention. Getting her into the scene was one of the smartest political moves on behalf of the Republican campaign. She is a complete scene of good work, controversies, personal issues, stage presence, articulation, and what more, she’s from the gender that matters in this election! She may not have been the most obvious choice for McCain’s VP, but may just be his ticket to the White House and in the run, she may do a decent job of her position as VP. Experience does not guarantee quality;did the Bush administration do any better after their experience in the White House for 4 years? However, her ignorance of international affairs and the proximity of her home to Russia need a lot of work. (BTW, I learned yesterday that her claimed trip to Ireland was in fact a refueling stop.) But with her “being a heartbeat” away from the Presidential post, can she run the United States of America if need arises? Can she deal with Russia with neighborly love?

Obama’s choice of Joe Biden meanwhile, seems to be based on comfort level and making up for his negatives. He chose to do the right thing but missed “the sensation boat” by not choosing Hilary Clinton. That combo could have changed it all. Sarah Palin may not have got her stardom and McCain may have picked someone more experienced, like another Joe Biden to highlight his “experience” even more.

The voters hear more about the campaign mudslinging, rather than the real causes.
Are they helping the people decide on the right vote or pushing them towards the wrong vote?

A couple of weeks back, we went to Seattle for a small break. It was beautiful and it reminded me of some mountain getaways back in India, where you would find whole townships built around lakes. The greenery, the rain forests and water all over – it was very nice. The first two days made me wonder why we were not staying there, and the last day made me realize why. It poured cats and dogs, and the heavens cried! Before this trip, I had been cribbing often about the lack of rains in San Diego and missing rainy days which made me curl my feet up on the couch with a good book and some good tea. But I saw enough rain to wash my cribbing away. Traffic was stuck everywhere and we couldn’t do much. We stepped out in the rain and I enjoyed getting wet. I was so glad that we were sitting in a rental car after that, and not in one of our own 😀 (I know, I know…)

We went to Olympic National Park one day, but couldn’t make it to Hoh Rain Forest for lack of time, but went to Hurricane Ridge and hiked near Marymere Falls. I was kicked about being on a ferry with our car on it et al. We really wanted to go to San Juan Islands, but realized that they have started spot checks for immigration papers, and we were not carrying ours at that time. The prettiest of all however, was Mt Rainier. With meadows and a snow-clad mountain, though it was raining and the hike was steep, it was worth it all. It was one of the most beautiful hikes I have done.

Also deer are plenty in Seattle, we saw so many all over the place. If Califor>nia is the bear country (we don’t see any though!), Seattle surely bags the deer!

All in all, Seattle was great…a pretty place to visit. I probably would not want to live there, coz of the rains. I already have a tough time waking up, and with a gray sky outside, I would be cozy in bed till 10 every morning!

We will probably stop by another time and visit San Juan Islands, and club it with a trip to Canada. Till then, this is what I will remember Seattle with…

Last week, we went for a hike up Mt Woodson here in San Diego. Don’t bother looking, because it will not be anywhere close to the most mentioned hikes. As luck would have it, it was the hottest day of the long weekend. Hiking up felt awful in the beginning, but it got more comfortable as time went by – mind it, I said “more comfortable”, not “more scenic”. It was rocky and hot all the way through. What really kept us moving was to finish what we started, and knowing that this was no big feat. After finishing the Half Dome in Yosemite, I cannot think of giving up on any other hike.

Anyway, I decided not to let the weather be the ruling factor in my perception of the hike.

After reaching the top we saw how beautiful it could have been. We saw black, burnt down trees – so black and so stark that they almost looked like pieces of art. On an earlier day, much before the fires blackened San Diego, we had hiked up another local mountain called Iron Mountain, and it was such a beautiful and foggy day, that it was a hike to remember. Ironically, the hike up either mountain was not too different, but the differences created by wildfires were striking. Man and his needs have threatened nature in more ways than he realizes. Fortunately enough, the area was silently trying to recuperate from the disaster. Darwin’s concept of “Survival of the fittest” hits us time and again in life.

Another day, it is going to be a beautiful hike…till then, we need to use some filters for our cameras as well as eyes. And like all bad things in life, looking at the situation with a different perspective just makes the wine taste sweet…

Today, our fire alarm went off after dinner, and we reluctantly stepped outside. This has been happening every few weeks, and happens multiple times on the same night till fire engines arrive. Every time, it’s a false alarm. It is very uncomfortable being forced to leave your home when you don’t want to – whether it is for a false fire alarm, or for a wild fire creeping stealthily into other homes. Last year, we were evacuated from our home because of crazy wild fires all over San Diego. It was like the fire was creeping in on us from all sides. And even when friends are nice and hospitable, being forced out of one’s own home is very unsettling. We just needed a reason to get back home to pick something or the other. People said that we should treat it as a vacation from work, but it is really a vacation if you choose it.

Cribbing about the faulty fire alarm today reminded me of last year and what made that seem petty was the fact that at this very moment, millions of people have been displaced from their homes because of the hurricane season around New Orleans. They have been moved to shelters, knowing that when they get back a lot of their memories may have been washed away from existence, and when their kids grow up, they would need to tell them about things they otherwise could have seen – family pictures coming down generations, the box of a baby’s first things, recordings of get-togethers, and so many more. And surprisingly, something made even this seem petty. The fact that millions of people back home in Bihar have not even been evacuated or rescued. They are waiting for dear life, standing on their roofs, because their whole home has got drowned in water. They are standing there, not knowing which kid to keep an eye on, and whom to save in the family – an old parent or a young kid. Does life really have to bring men and women to such choices? These are choices we talk about hypothetically, and here, there are people who live these very choices. There are no bad answers in this case, as is in most choices in life. But don’t all our problems seem minor before this question? Where does all the education and knowledge help, when the most difficult choice is made by an uneducated man. Then, is education really worth the hype. Is knowledge all that prophets propagate? Because if he who wrote sayings that mark the wise, ever went through the trauma of that poor family, he would not have words to share. Penance and sacrifice are difficult, but a choice. Fate is not a choice.

And yet we smile when see the sun rise and go places to see the beauty in a sunset, because as a species, we humans are resilient.

The trodden path is known to all,
We will tread there if that’s where we belong.