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Sunday, December 19, 2010

Santa Claus is coming to town...



The short winter set in this time with clockwork precision: the first really chilly day here was 15th December. I guess it will vanish as punctually as a German drill sergeant, too, which means I have just one month to savour all its charms. And by God, I am trying to.

It is deliciously cold if you go out on a scooter early in the morning or late evenings. Hot baths and hot soups are a pure delight, and so is sitting in the sun in the afternoons, soaking the warmth into the bones, and snuggling into blankets at night. Sometimes a balmy breeze blows up, and the sky overhead is a dazzling azure: I can never have enough of it. Fruits and fresh vegetables are available aplenty and in lush variety – even if they are not cheap – and a good walk stimulates the appetite for the simplest of meals (although I am ashamed I am indulging myself on my wife’s wonderful cooking). My workload is at its lightest around this time of the year, too, and so I have lots of time to laze around the way I like. Physically I am in good shape, there’s enough money in the bank to suffice for all the needs of anyone except those who are greedy and live to show off; there are people around who care for me and make it apparent, and lovely books to read and movies to watch and puppies and children to play with and a lot of bird song and butterflies flitting in the garden, and the year has passed without mishap. Above all, I don’t have to rush around to make a living, nor to cringe before and ingratiate myself with countless undeserving people, as, alas, so many people have to. My daughter is growing up like a blissful dream before my eyes. Truly I have a great many good things in life to be deeply grateful for. I only wish I could make a lot more people happy, and my only regret is that so many people are making the world so dirty and noisy and ugly merely because they have been brainwashed into the wrong way to pursue the good life…

Anyway, it’s the season of universal good cheer and goodwill, so I send out my most earnest regards, blessings and good wishes to all. May everybody have a Merry Christmas. May more people find out that all they need in this world is happiness, and the only happiness possible in this world comes from sharing and giving and loving (besides work that you enjoy for its own sake). Not from capital and technology, not from political power or fancy intellectualism, not from marks and degrees and pubbing and shopping. God bless us all with a little wisdom.

9 comments:

Soham Mukhopadhyay said...

Dear Sir,
Very nice writing,Sir. I enjoyed it very much.Being burdened with the pressure of getting good marks in examinations- this sort of stuff seems quite close to the heart and of a different taste too. My sister's birthday was on the 15th of December and it was really chilly that day. I'm eagerly waiting for the 25th of December- but sadly I've got an examination on 26th.Winter season is my favourite season too and in St.Xavier's, the atmosphere used to get quite ....sorry can't express it.But it was very nice. I miss those days.
Regards,
Soham

Shilpi said...

Lovely to know that winter has come (even though it will leave with 'German' military precision and punctuality!) and lovelier still to know that you're experiencing a blissful time.

That really is the only thing that matters: happiness from sharing, giving, and loving...even if one becomes a reluctant misanthrope along the way.

May some/many more of your cherished dreams come true and may God bless you and your family and keep you in his care.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

Love and prayers,
Shilpi

Rashmi Datta said...

A Merry Christmas to you too Sir.May God bless you and your family with good health and long lasting happiness.Let me take this oppurtunity to thank you for all that you have done for us.You have been diligently and consistently writing on this blog for years now as if you have taken the single manned initiative to bring as much change as possible to this world and open as many closed minds as you can.Both your blogs do a lot of good to us,do continue your wonderful work for a lot of years to come.
Coming to Christmas,it has always been special to me.It brings cheer,excitement,peace and hope to my heart.I love Santa Claus and the Christmas carols.
I have always loved cold days and am enjoying the present ones too.Only one sad thing though is that the sudden change in weather had brought a lot of sickness into my family .
You are so right about happiness Sir.Who cares for fancy cars,expensive jewellery and other 'status' symbols when you have loved ones close to you,happy and healthy,laughing,sighing and sharing their lives with you.Indeed,loving and sharing give the greatest joy to a person.
This post has brought a strange warmth to my heart.Thank you.
Warm regards
Rashmi

Debarshi Saha said...

Merry Christmas,Sir!...I have heard that Christmas is the time for a lot of warmth,cheer and goodwill...so,I pray,that my warm wishes reach to the hearth within your heart..I will be formally writing to you again..its my very good luck to have you with me...and hence I leave my new e-mail id..it is s_debarshi@yahoomail.com....

Cheers, and lots of warm love and my best wishes..to you and your family,Sir...

Yours obediently,
Debarshi Saha..

Subhasis Graham Mukherjee said...

Seasons Greetings, wishing a happy and prosperous holiday season and new year to Suvro and all members of the bemused and oncemore communities and their families.

Cheers to more strength and success to all your efforts, specially these two wonderful blogs. Let all the best wishes listed in the comments above come true and the voices in these blogs be heard among and even above all voices.

DEBARATI said...

Dear Sir,
Merry Christmas to you and your family. I hope with all my heart that you have a lovely Christmas and a great year (and years) ahead.
It was refreshing to read this post. I have been yearning for a long time to revive the good old days we spent in school decorating the buildings, singing Christmas carol, dancing, performing... What days they were! Your post actually transported me to my childhood. In this materialistic world, it indeed feels warm in heart to be taken back to the 'wonderland' of the memory lane.

Thanks,
Debarati.

sayantika said...

Dear Sir,
Merry Christmas to you. Now, when I have to work on 25th December, I am missing those good old days all the more when I believed in the existence of Santa Claus. And as you have said, a little bit of wisdom in all would indeed make the world a better place to live in.
(I remember you had given us to correct the sentence "To make the world a better place to live" and after that whenever I have to write this, I remember to put 'in')

Yours sincerely,
Sayantika.

Rishav Neogi said...

Respected sir,
Wishing you and your family a very happy christmas and a prosperous new year.I sincerely pray that all your dreams come true.
It is really a very pleasant feeling to read your posts and everytime I read them my heart fills up with a deep sense of gratitude and warmth for you as you constantly try to make this world a much better place to live in.


Yours sincerely,
Rishav Neogi

aranibanerjee said...

Sir,
Thanks for reminding us that a good Christmas is not just about plum cake and roasted turkey: things like a warm sun after a nippy morning can also be equally and more rewarding. A simple life lived with intense participation in its every moment (and not the life of a hog) is all that matters. The rest come in because we are unable to come to terms with simplicity and also because simplicity translates as inanity for most. To be able to be happy without material complications and the psychological trappings that give birth to such complication (greed, jealousy, avarice etc) is to be blessed. I am happy to know such a blessed man.

I hope that all of you have a very happy new year.

Warmly,
Arani