My neurons are half made !

                   It is time since I had a good read. I chose a corner for the study. Needless to mention, a corner with a window by my side, brightening up  what I had to study. My eyes! I can focus them . My mind , I can , if only my ears were more careful in selecting the sounds it could allow. The screen  sieved the bright sunrays and displayed the perfect hem, always unnoticed. The temple nearby throngs with sacred chants. The never ceasing motor drills the ear. I badly wished I were deaf. What was the solution? Acceptance- Because the acceptor is a single person - a trivial minority? Resistance- To enrich the already resistant tolerance? Focus- On why is it difficult to perfect things here? And now, Thoughts are even more louder than this noise. " STOP", I said to myself. Be the subject instead of the reader. And drown the rest in it ! Every moment my neurons were about to establish their connections with the other side, I see them swooning. The afferents, though in millions, failed to converge. They were half made and thirsty. Waiting for the monsoon to see them grow!

The child who grew up on his own!

On a sea shore in an island
He made his first foot print on land
How he came to be isolated there
Not any one knew, but it was not fair.

While the children needed help for their walk
He was already running, but unable to talk
What is the need for a language when there is none
And when nature and you are one.

Smile was his all day wear
Not a moment when the wear could tear
He tamed the fire and turned the waters
He learnt by himself how to slaughter.

What was his use for guilt, shame or pretention
When he viewed the monkeys as a competition
It seemed as though the sun rose for him
And when he got tired it became dim.

To which school  did he go?
To Which God he wanted to bow?
What were his dining etiquettes?
In cities, he must have been stamped a delinquent.

Parenting ,though is an art,
Is not only your effort.
The spent attention sought again.
The sought attention spent again.

Care for the child when dependent and
Encourage the need to be independent
The disasters which have to be suppressed
Were the desires which were once suppressed.

The left alone child whom we left alone
Isolated the world of him
Him, Whose brains must have passed
All the Benefits of evolution.

A must read article- What every man should know! ( Mishaps for Children at home)

         As human beings, we all know that we keep fighting for survival directly or indirectly every moment. And now, please add on these tips to your encyclopedia of tips for survival  ( Not for politicising in work place) when the human life is endangered.



AT HOME:
 The common accidents that can happen to a child and the first aid or sensible measures that have to be taken are mentioned here.
1. A child swallowed a foreign body- 

•      If the object is still in the mouth, well, you can always take it out gently with tact. Encourage coughing or spitting it out)
•      If the child has got it in the throat, ( try encouraging coughing) It IS BEST TO KEEP YOUR HAND OFF THE MOUTH,   LEST YOU PUSH IT FURTHER INSIDE. In these cases it is best you adopt the HEIMLICH MANOEUVRE. ( Kindly spare time to google it. As images are copyrighted I cannot display them here. IT IS REALLY A LIFE SAVING PROCEDURE. YOU WOULDN'T KNOW WHEN IT WILL BE USEFUL.TRY DOING IT ONCE AS YOU LEARN IT)

        And remember to keep your eyes wide alert for potential foreign bodies. A moment of attention can avoid a life long regret.

2.  A child is bleeding through his nose. 

   The commonest mistake one does is to make the child lie flat. 

Make the child sit comfortably, ask him or make him/her lean forwards, pinch the nose ( both nostrils together) and encourage him to breathe through the mouth. maintain the nosepinch for atleast 5 minutes. And release it then only to see if the bleeding has controlled. if it has not, repeat it for 2 or 3 times. If in vain, take the child to the nearest physician. 

WHY s? 

Not the lying down position , as the blood can get into the airway ( You always knew that an airway is supposed to be for the air only!) and that is why the leaning forward position. 

Pressure to be applied continuously- for the time to be taken for the bleeding vessels to be sealed effectively. 

AND THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF A BLEEDING NOSE IS FREQUENT NOSE PICKING. Try avoiding that with your child.    

3.  A child has fallen down . You are unable to guess if it is serious.
         Any witnesses of the fall can give clue to the site of impact. If not available, the child himself might, at times. The child might not use the limb if the impact had caused a fracture of the limb ( Any movement produces pain and it avoids it) Still, it can be just a bruise. Watch out for swelling and abnormal posturing of the limbs. If so, it might be a fracture. Get him/her to the nearest Physician.
          If a child has suffered a significant impact on the head, it is always better to be on the safer side. If you are suspicious about it needing attention, well and good , get an X ray done and meet a physician. If the child complains of headache or constantly crying or vomiting or drowsy after the fall, get her to the doctor as early as possible. There are chances the child might be bleeding inside the skull.
         Simple falls - If you are 100% sure your child is safe owing to the triviality of the fall- Child cries- Check if he is really safe-  Let him continue playing-  Do not pamper him please!! ( he knows to console himself).

4.  A foreign body in the ear .. ( Every household has its own story)
       Unless it is not a timebomb waiting to blast, you can always think a hundred times before meddling with it! Get her/him to the nearest doctor. What else have they established practice for! They can easily remove it under illumination with specialised instruments causing the minimum discomfort. Applying oil imagining that it can slide down the ear canal or using tweezers on your own to pull it out might be risky tasks.
 If an insect has entered the ear canal, if it is still flying inside, there might be a hell lot of pain. We have heard stories- An ant can be allured by a cube of sugar at the exit!! It works! But my sample size is not quite good to give a solid evidence. STRICTLY NO OIL. A flying insect might know its way out ( For it is quite dark inside and it might eventually see the light at the end of the tunnel) If it doesn't come out or if it is dead,
It is always better to take the insect along with you to the doctor. ( And i will tell you why) A doctor can inspect if it is really an insect or wax - ( Most of us do not see insects as they enter). If it is an insect, an ear syringing might be all that is required. And I hear butterflies in your stomach at the mention of syringing. It is just the cleansing of the ear with water using a syringe to provide a gush. The doctor might remove the insect.
(Pay due respects for the corpse. Remember the pains you suffered to get it. ) And if it is wax, BE really happy. It is an effective barrier to insects.!!
WHYs?
The skin lining the ear canal is extremely sensitive and even minor pressure provokes severe pain. Hence do not manipulate the foreign body in the ear all by yourself. the ear canal has curvatures which the doctors are well aware of ( We were asked those questions a thousand times at medical school!!) and the right angulation while removal causes minimal pain. The abraded skin can also be the entry site for infections
And what I did forget to mention is, why you need to go to a doctor for the ear syringing.. It is because the ear canal is supplied by the vagus nerve which also supplies the heart and so many other structures. Any excessive stimulation of the vagus nerve can cause A CARDIAC ARREST..It is better a doctor or  a trained nurse does the procedure.

5. A foreign body in the nose..
      Nature takes good care here. Sneezing.... and the object is out. If you have a crooked nose!!!, Like a child knowing its way up the stairs but not down, the object might get stuck. Take the child to the doctor or the ENT physician. A good illumination and specialized instruments make it easier.
Do not be surprised if the peanuts come out in pairs!!

6. Loose stools .
A must know fact for every mother and father ( even to be's). A child is more prone for dehydration due to loose stools. Dehydration must be prevented owing to the  irreversible consequences it might cause.
Always observe the frequency, consistency, colour, odour and the presence of blood in the stools.
A typical rice water stool,  profuse and effortless and  a case of cholera in the neighbour hood- RUSH TO THE DOCTOR.
Semisolid stools- NO  fever/ NO abdominal pain/ NO vomiting/ NO Blood - Probably benign- BUT NEEDS ATTENTION-  Hydrate the child . Give easily digestible foods. DO CONTINUE FEEDING THE CHILD IF IT IS BEING BREAST FED ( It contains the antibodies and can confer immunity) Use commercially available electrolyte solutions for rehydration and encourage the child to drink it as much as possible. ( It will vomit most of the solution as the taste is not too good) . You can buy flavoured ones too. Your aim must be to give him/her the daily required water plus the amount of fluid lost in stools. After each episode of loose stool you can administer the solution to the child .( It makes the calculation of losses and the amount to be given easier). IT IS A COMMON MISCONCEPTION THAT A CHILD SHOULD BETTER BE MADE TO FAST DURING THE ILLNESS. It is definitely not so. Bland easy digestible foodstuff can very well be given as much as the child wants.

If you find the child showing signs of dehydration- irrtitable or lethargic, sunken eyes, excessive thirst, less amount of urine, loss of elasticity of the skin ( SKIN TURGOR), GET HER/HIM TO THE DOCTOR. Oral rehydration is not effective in such cases and more aggressive treatment is required.


If the stools have blood in them / there is fever/vomiting/abdominal pain/mucus in the stools, the chances of it being a dysentry is high. It needs antibiotics. Consult your doctor.


WHYs?

Why the importance to hydration?
Dehydration may seem a simple term. It is not just loss of water. But a threat to the kidneys, brain and what not..it might end in kidney failure, electrolyte abnormalities, coma and death.

Why not sugar and salt solution?
An electrolyte solution offers the best mixture of salts in the right proportion that have escaped your body.
Salt and sugar solution is only when the electrolyte solution is not available.
The electrolyte solution has to be prepared properly after cooling down the boiled 1 litre of water and
used within a day.
Most of the diarrhoeas are self limiting and need NO ANTIBIOTICS.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES:

Clean hands!
Clean drinking water!
Avoid bottles for feeding milk.!! You can always rent the bacteria other reasonable places !
Avoid undercooked or uncooked meat or milk products.
Avoid unhygeinic foods.
Untouched foods while cooking at home are the best.

7. You see your child eating an inedible thing..

  It is called PICA. The appetite for inedible things.( Chalks, sand, stone, wood, etc.) Your child might be anaemic!! Test his/ her Haemoglobin levels and consult a doctor.
Sometimes teh inedible things might be really tastier ones. Try them yourselves before taking the child to the doctor or start preparing tasty food.

8. WORMS....!!
We know when a child scratches the anal region, it is always a worm which causes it. Leave it unattended and you ll have to spend correcting the anaemia. Poor appetite might have its roots here. Make sure your child doesn't have any serious drug allergies including for albendazole. After consulting your doctor, You can always give a single dose of albendazole to your child ( >1 yr - 200 mg: >2 yrs- 400 mg) at night and repeat it after 1 or 2 weeks.( A TOTAL OF 2 doses only) AND REMEMBER TO TAKE IT FOR YOURSELF TOO ... The whole family has to eat the tablet the same time to prevent cross infection.) ( However hygeinic you may be!)

Waiting to share more ....

       

EDUCATION- A VITAL COMMODITY

The most valuable asset, you would never pass a day without it being mentioned atleast once . Education has had a long history. The ways and modes of education have shown tremendous changes since the olden days. The gurukulams where the student had an opportunity to stay with the teacher and learn not only the concepts of the subject but also how he applies the concepts to his day to day activities need no mention. Irrespective of the subject one pursues, I strongly believe that every subject when read in depth, always points towards the laws of nature and the core values of life. And as far as I know, physics and medicine are par excellence in this regard. And I haven't read other subjects, hence unable to comment on those. I strongly believe that each subject has something to offer to mankind. Not only from monetary aspect but also for making a self progress. Though the education system of today is widely branched, it is doubtful whether it is as deep as it is wide. We have a long catalogue of subjects offered by colleges. But how far are they applicable and applied to one's life? When an unskilled labourer joins a manual work, as a part of the work, he should be trained in the science behind the work too. A home maker would be a real home saver if she knows home science too. What if a road layer knows the science behind the plans and the reasons why he has to lay so. The quality of road making would tremendously improve and indeed, there will be less accidents. Of course the engineers plan the roads. But imagine the involvement there will be if the worker on site knows the rationale behind the plan. And I hear you saying there will be no difference between the learnt and the illiterates. In fact there will be more respect after knowing that the planners had done it on solid grounds. An example I can attribute is this.  Doctors always have problems with patients' antibiotic courses. As soon as the symptoms subside, the patients stop the antibiotics. But when administering the antibiotics, when we insist that the full course of antibiotics is to exterminate the organism and any interruption will make the organism resistant to that group of antibiotics and we will have to resort to higher costly antibiotics and in some cases there might be no cure at all, we really see the difference when the patient comes back for follow up saying that he had taken utmost care to take the antibiotic on time. This is the difference knowing the rationale makes. Education may seem too big a commodity to be offered to the laymen in any working cadre, but it will and it only will go a very long way in improving the quality of any work man lays his hands on. Instill the interest to learn and you might see the difference. There are exceptions, yet it is worth the effort.   

The Great Indian Caste system

  A terrific topic to rouse controversy and I choose it for the same reasons. We talk about being true Indians, united forever and everything else that sounds so good in words. Have we made steps towards it? I doubt it largely. The roots of discrimination have spread wide and deep that we can just hope for it for the next 20 years or so. Where does discrimination start? Of course right from birth. Birth forms certify that the child is born a Hindu or Christian or whatever. rather we can have it as "born to hindu parents". And at admission to schools, the religious history is perfectly documented with religion, caste and subcaste . Maybe they forgot the gothra and we can suggest adding those when they revise the form structures. Maybe they are planning to start matrimony sites in the future when the business of running schools might weaken! Thankfully children are not identified with their religious background in schools. Yet the need to belong to a particular sect of the society is thrust onto them. And then the great Indian reservation systems. They remind us of the discrimination again after the 14 years at school. "You are not permitted to join this course or this particular college because your forefathers adopted specific lifestyles which came to be known later on as religions."          (Though the lifestyles have become extinct, we would still like to retain the name of the religion. Afterall we are supposed to guard tradition! ) Application form costs. You can get it at a subsidised cost if you belong to one section of the society. All you have to do is to belong to. Your affordability doesn't matter. It is ok. You can laugh later (If at all you found it absurd enough to). Leave alone that. What about employment? The same story staged here too. All gossips among co-workers never go on without a caste stamp. And any higher authority demanding an employee to work, for the worker, there is always an easy accusation- "He abused my caste." I am not taking sides and there are no sides to be taken here. Intellectual capabilities do not arise out of inheritance. The extent to which the child interacts with nature, the exposures it is offered and nutrition seem to play leading roles. Going back to history, a man was branded with the name of the occupation he practised. Sons of those were allowed to choose what they wanted to be. Not to incite a superiority for the name, but to make it clear, I would like to use an example. Who is called a brahmin? The one who has known Brahmam. What does one mean by brahmam? The supreme truth. The supreme truth is not a thing or a one time realisation or visualisation. It should be some realisation which gravitates each and every action of your life towards the realisation of this realisation. And anybody who practises it is called a brahmin. It is not a sect or cult. It is a definition. According to the Atreya Smriti, one is born a shudra, becomes a dvija by practising austerity and learning vedas and then a brahman by attaining the supreme consciousness. So it is definite that it is not by birth one becomes a brahmin. And anybody who is not a brahmin by birth becomes one if he attains the realisation. And remember again, it is not a race. It is a definition. And by stating this, I do not mean to offend my or my parents' origins. Superficially it might seem an offence. The intentions of this detachment from the origins is to seek an attachment to the real values that the ancestors might have dreamt while framing these systems. And given an opportunity, i would be glad to ask them "Was there not a foolproof system to inculcate the goodness other than the caste systems?" The intentions of these systems might have been to transfer the best of the qualities possible with the human nature  through eras. But it pains to realise that it has miserably failed. Miserable enough to refrain from mentioning. But my misery when not expressing it exceeds the misery in expressing this. Still lot more to express, but time and space is a constraint within the earth and I would like to express my respect for the constraints it offers, though I would like to be free of it too. And above all this, I am ready to instill a change (if it can change) in this age old caste systems in India. Within my reach is the non mentioning of the caste and religion in any application form that I can come across. After all, change begins with one. And I have already. Waiting to see the ripples hit the walls of the ocean......  

REASONS AND RELIGIONS - HOW FAR ARE THEY?

Religion teaches us rituals and sometimes the reason behind the rituals. But what about the reason behind the reasons behind the rituals? Everything can be blindly followed but unfortunately man has been given ( has been having) the ability to analyse (if he intends to) the reasons. Reasons may not be evident for all. But that doesn't mean there are no reasons. They may need more introspection! This might seem an atrocious pride in the thinking ability of the humans. Yet there is nothing wrong in taking such a pride as it is something that is obvious to the senses. Though there are things incomprehensible to the human minds, inventions and discoveries never cease. Do they? Exit door to tranquility in the maze of blind religion which doesn't support reason is a mirage. You seem to reach it but you never.

I would not say this thought is absolute, for I know that the human mind, as much as is capable of analysis, is capable of blunder. But this is absolute for me until it is not. The first thought that might strike people who read this are these. 1. This is an impulsive statement arising out of dejection in life.2. Poor upbringing.3.Failure to see the reason behind religion and atrocity.4. Probably jobless too... Denial of these needs proof and maybe time shouldn't be wasted on all those things. I started with religion and ended up in reason. Still i have a long long way to go. And believe me there is no end here. It is the path to reason which is blissful. And we don't have said rules. Each one has his own rule extracted from the life and experiences he has lived. And some sayings come floating in air- Religion helps you stay healthy and fit. Visiting temples is good for health. Where did the ancestors fail to hand over the solid unshakeable REASONS behind every act? Maybe they believed that the future generations might solve them up all by themselves. Still I don't deny that visiting temples might be good for health and longevity. I don't have the proof for that and behold-  the contrary has no proof too. Investigating this aspect might be  fear provoking owing to already possible mishaps that can easily be attributed to a breach of the sanctity.I might be demanded and called upon to go through scriptures and epics on the values of life. Where is the need for a guide book on moral values when one sows the seed called ": The basic respect for a human life" and can any value escape containment in this basic value? Man has always been and is still in search of the unknown that which he doesn't know whether exists or not. Let it unleash itself if it can. And if it exists well and good. I alone have a million questions.   And now please don't coin the term illusion. Sufferings and happiness are illusions one might say. It all depends on the wrongdoings of a previous birth they say. What if it is right? Come on.. And it doesn't work too. What happened to the first of the creatures and what forced them to do right and wrong. Maybe a random allocation. So a randomness is well within the quality of a creator too. And randomness lacks reason. If you were arriving to say everything has a reason, mark these words. This is neither a campaign, nor a letout. The chronic realisations finding words and strong enough to come out of the trough. Well, if you re in the trough too, let us escape together, only if you realise you are in a trough. Keep your mind broad, look out for all the possibilities and introspect. After all, we are all in search of something outside without knowing that it exists within all of us.    

The Intoxication Called Society

One half of my life
Went on without a strife
Not a single stay
In a sadder bay!

Out of the blue
Came a clue
Which cast a light
Illuminated the reality bright!

I realised it was the age
To come out of the cage
The rungs of which were formed
By the prisoner it had harmed!

I searched for the floor
Frightened, I reached for the door
For I was not standing on a plane
But the values of those insane!

A heavily locked door it was
A gruesome task it was to pass
For you had to undergo an enormous change
Not within yourself but between selves!

Peace in either was never known
When inside your heart is a stone
Outside, you get chilled to the bone
At the baseless accusations with an insane tone!

Though I chose to escape the intoxication
I was chained with strong bonds of affection
Hence, I never made it outside
I became the doorkeeper- Waiting to let people out!! 

The Peak of Mutism

Living alone in a cottage
Which lies in the hill edge
I used to look through the window
At every dawn and dusk.

Life below seemed noisy
And here it is so cozy
With nobody to share
And nobody to be spared.

I was there too below
Wishing for this day
The day of acquired peace
Peace not given- Forcibly taken.

Here I feel like I am God
Viewing all from above
Yet having nothing to do
About anything and everything.

The active silence Or
The passive offence
Call it whatever you like
Its my life as i wished.

I returned from the snub
To  rock forth and back in
The age old rocking chair
With the calf bound book
Which talks of golden old days
The present futility and
The future hope
Leave them behind
Let the time freeze still Now forever..............

The Footsteps OF Reflection

Everyday I used to go
To the greeny palm grove
Filled with the chirps of many a bird
And they used to call me a nerd

The moment I rose up
From my morning slumber
I sat watching the faroff hills
And they said my enthusiasm was at peril.

Travelling by the throttling bus
I felt the wind gush in
Its going to be fine day I said
Did the wind wind you up they asked.

I slept upon the reading table
With books all beside me
Feeling a sense of transcendence
What a drought they laughed

i stood for hours in the railway station
Saw myself from a different spot
I looked like a trespasser having lost his way
Everybody said" Her mind is in an sway"

I loved the corners of the wall
And hunted for abstracts in all forms
And I when I said this aloud
"Perfectly insane" they howled.

And now I look back at time
Myself far away from them
I now realise the ways
I have trodden with a grace

Life hasn't got anything better
Rather its hidden what it is to offer
The joyous moments were only when
The subtler things brightened up my mind.

The Play Of The Notes

Ebbed within me, in my mind

And primed my views, the very those!

On a crest, they lulled a moment

A sudden trough spoke a lot

A Real lot- More than their talk!

Ha! The silence long awaited

Though empty, filled my space

the space of my mind.

Oh! What is time or 

Whatever is space

Had I lost my mind?

Only to rediscover it in Myself- And

All the more in the Enthral!!!

The Unsuccessful Search

A poem, rather, a prose on what I think ultimately becomes of me. Only me because as far as I know I believe in this . "The law of conservation of energy" Energy is converted from one form to another. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed.And it applies to whatever small or colossal one comes across. Existence has always existed. And there has been no Creation or Destruction.

Staring at the night sky
I began to doze off
Woke into a sleep or
A trance- as people say
Badly did I yearn
To become a star
Not in life though
How shall I?
I never knew
Agony gripped me
If Dhruva could
Why not me? Now?
Sat propped up for
Days and nights
Scavenged everywhere
Still no hint!
To a loss of food
The physical entity
Faded and died
The Undying fire
Though seemed put off
Burned ever the more
Stronger and brighter
As the final disaster
Arrived out of nowhere
The heavenly bodies
Rann amuck
Embraced the home
A big splash
In it were
My own molecules
Drifted into the deep black
Rescued by a whirling storm
Into chambers
None could imagine
And finally I was
Seated beside
You know who?
A molecule of glass
Yet I could never
Look beyond
For it was
Just a molecule
Finally, We
Became the Star!