Work hard... Someone's always watching

An experience shared by Ivan Seidenberg - Chairman and CEO of Verizon

When I was eighteen, I got my first job, as a janitor in an office building in Manhattan. I was the guy who opened the door, swept the floor, polished the chrome, and ran the freight elevator. My boss was the building superintendent, an older guy named Bill. Bill hardly ever said anything, but he worked like a dog - harder than anybody else on the crew. It seemed to me that if my boss was working that hard, then I should too, so that's what I did.

Once in a blue moon, Bill would actually talk to me. One day, he saw me reading a book and asked me about it. I told him that I was putting myself through college at night. About eight months later, he came to me and said, "You know, there are companies that will help you pay for college while you work full-time." I asked him which ones - he said to try the electric or the phone company - and I did what he said, applying to New York Telephone. I started a career in communications there that's lasted almost forty years.

When I asked Bill why he tool eight months to get around to mentioning this to me, he just shrugged and said, "I guess I wanted to see if you were worth it."

Fantasy Land

Sometimes we live in a fantasy,
And do things, which we wouldn’t otherwise.
Sometimes we live in a bubble,
And fly to places where we never dream of going.
Sometimes we live in a dream,
And feel things, which we may never feel.

It’s beautiful to live in a fantasy, bubble or dream,
And live the way, you may never in your real world.
It’s fine to forget yourself, and enjoy the pleasures,
Which otherwise are forbidden.
It’s all great, as long as you know it will vanish anytime,
Without giving you any warning or sign of fading out.

Don’t try to hold it tight in your fist,
Just sway with it like a feather in air,
Enjoy and dance in this wonderful phase,
For who knows when it will come back
To bring back the pink on your cheeks and smile on your lips.

Love Deciphered

I wonder whether I will ever fall into eternal love,
To me love always seem to come and go,
One day it makes you feel on top of the world,
And the other day you want to run away from it
It makes you fly, it makes you cry.

So my definition for love is - Its a temporary feeling,
Comes and goes like rain,
Small showers bring joy to earth and life into flowers,
And again too much rain destroys everything.

So maybe love, like rain, should just come and go,
And never stay forever,
For, if it does, you get all gloomy and depressed,
And want to say “Love Love Go Away”.

So the theory for love is, let it come and let it go,
For every time it goes, you will eagerly wait for it,
To come back with fresh air and light your world.

The Selfish Wasteland

It amazes me how certain humans can be so selfish,
So indulged in their own small shallow world,
That they don’t care to see where the world is going,
So self-centered that it is always about them and their stupid needs,
So blinded to others emotions and ever ready to bitch about others,
I wonder what they are made of, or which human species they belong to,
Because my definition of human species is one who not only takes care of her family,
But also the society and leaves behind something that would help a section of society,

I never dislike anyone, but what should I do when faced by selfish species,
All that I can ask for is a separate planet called “The Selfish Wasteland”
Everyone would be so self-involved that they will focus only on their own problems and needs,
Let the others die, how does it matter as long as I am happy,
The motto would be “it’s a selfish planet, I don’t care who you are, all I care is what you do for me”.

I can only hope not to cry with a hope they will realize,
And to stay away from the species which belongs to The Selfish Wasteland.

In Love with Everything

I don’t know whether its fact or fiction,
Don’t know if the feeling is sweet or sour,
Don’t know if it’s a beautiful dream or a strange reality,
Don’t even know if it’s me or someone else,
Don’t know if it’s the world in love with me,
Or am I in love with the world.

I am trying to understand the feelings,
Feels like butterflies in stomach,
Everything sounds good, everything looks beautiful,
Seems like the world is rejoicing,
Feels like the trees are smiling at me,
And the breeze trying to tickle,
Suddenly the world seems so lovely,
With nothing to complain or worry about.

I'll Be There For You

There are times like this,
When I really want to show I care,
When I want to express how his trouble troubles me,
When I want to ask him not to say a single word,
Because I can feel his feelings,
When I want to hold, to assure and give a big hug,
And say, it’s just a phase, and am there for you,

When I want him to know,
That I respect, I admire, I understand him,
And want him to believe,
That I will stand with him and for him,
No matter rain or shine, I wish to be his umbrella,
Promising never to question, or doubt his belief,
But only to look at him with an assuring smile,
Believing his beliefs, and building his confidence,
And making him feel that I will be there - ALWAYS.

Indian Traditions Only for Women

I think Indian traditions were created only to punish women.

Starting from the Dowry system: Parents of female child pay huge sum of money to get their daughters married to some jack ass.

Even modern, well-educated families start saving up money for their daughter's dowry as soon as she is born, so what can one expect from the uneducated masses, whose only form of education is tradition.

Ill Treatment of Widows: Many families blame the untimely death of a husband to the misfortune of the woman. In extreme cases, the widow is made to wear only unattractive clothing and shave her head, although this practice is on the decline - Abandoning everything and mourning for a lifetime – Bull shit

Unequal Share of Inheritance: In most Hindu families, only sons inherit the wealth of the parents and married girls are considered no longer part of the family. – It is said that girls are Paraya Dhan, and that’s why I guess they have no rights to inherit their family wealth.

Women changing her identity (Sir name) after marriage

Children to be named after Father’s name – I fail to understand this concept totally. It is the mother who bears child for nine months, gives blood, life, muscles, body to the child, then why should the child bear the father’s name? It is completely insane.

What is the status of women in Indian Society?
The answer is a complex one -- women are both abused as well as revered in the Indian society; sometimes within the same household.

The Hindu religion calls for worship of the womanhood, and several rituals are conducted in honor of women. At the same time, it denied such privileges as performing the last rites and equal share of inheritance.
The conditions of divorced women, widows, and unmarried working women need substantial improvement.

No matter how much we say that The Indian Woman is no longer captive of traditions, the fact remains that there will be elders who will always want their bahu to be the perfect submissive Indian woman. It is only because of this that Indian women will never be uncaptive of traditions.

Moreover, India is a large country with many regions not very public, there are still villages that are practising Sati and unfortunately, we can do nothing about it.