DOWN TO EARTH

BUSINESS LINE, OCT. 27, ‘07

“Grounded Airbus offers in-flight experience” made for an interesting reading; rather an experience.

One’s guess is, Gupta, the ex-Pilot must be a down to earth person. He deserves to be complimented for his chivalrous disposition; and, more so, for his simplicity personified.

Primarily, for providing an in-flight experience to those who could not afford to take to the air, but at the same time minus the otherwise attendant perils; such as, besides a throbbing heart, bird-hit, engine failure, running out of fuel, etc., etc., often leading to an emergency landing.

By the way, do u happen to have ever made a curious notice of that Man who takes it into his head to stir out, and walk up and down the aisles of the plane in the air; with seemingly no purpose. That too, even while one could hear an alert to the passengers to fasten their seat belts, or to remain seated so as not to inconvenience the fight staff serving food, so on and so forth. More particularly, the air, which he wears on his person – may be, just to impress upon the others fastened in their seats that he belongs to that rare species of the so-called frequent fliers. But at whose cost? – most probably, of his employer or the government.

Is the FM listening!

PS: That Man obviously is from the other extreme; far away from the down to earth.

HOME, SWEET HOME!!

SO LONG AS ONE, ESPECIALLY IF HE LIVES IN A CITY LIKE BANGALORE (NOTABLY, OF LATE DECLARED “A CLASS ONE CITY”), REMAINS WITHIN THE FOUR WALLS OF HIS HOME - PROVIDED, OF COURSE, HE CAN AFFORD TO DO SO, BUT NOT COMPELLED TO DO OTHERWISE- HE COULD LIVE IN PEACE, BOTH OF MIND AND BODY; ALSO BE AT PEACE WITH SELF.

ONCE HE GETS OUT OF HIS HOME AND STEPS ON A PUBLIC ROAD, HE SELDOM COULD BE ASSURED OF ANYTHING, INCLUDING HIS OWN GOD-GIVEN LONGIVITY.

WITH THE EVER INCREASING INDISCIPLINE AND GROSS DISRESPECT FOR THE RULES OF THE ROAD ON THE PART OF ITS USERS, PARTICULARLY THOSE RIDING OR DRIVING A VEHICLE (BE IT A SO CALLED 2 OR 3 OR 4 WHEELER), THEY TAKE CONTROL OVER YOUR DESTINY; THEREBY RELIEVING THE CREATOR HIMSELF FROM HIS SELF-IMPOSED RESPONSIBILITY FOR SUCH CONTROL.

MAY BE, SO IS THE LAMENTATION ONE OFTEN HEARS FROM THOSE ESPECIALLY IN THEIR ADVANCED AGE.

THE YOUTHS OF TODAY, EVEN IF HE IS OF MIDDLE AGE, HAVE NO TIME TO SPARE OR CARE, MUCH LESS TO REFLECT ON SUCH THINGS.

THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS, - OLDIES HAVE NO BUSINESS TO VENTURE OUT OF THEIR ABODE.

WAYS OF LIFE

WHILE ON A MORNING WALK, AN OLD MAN WHO BELIEVED IN, RATHER WAS PROUD OF, HIS OWN WORLDLY WISDOM, BEING DEPRESSED BY WHAT WAS HAPPENING ALL AROUND, FACING A PASSERBY, A SEEMINGFLY BUSY BODY, LAMENTED: THERE IS NO SALVATION AT ALL FOR OUR COUNTRY!

TO BE ONLY CONFRONTED WITH A REPARTEE: WHY NOT! YOU SIMPLY NEED TO QUIT THE COUNTRY!

(PROVIDED, OF COURSE, ONE CAN SUGGEST A BETTER PLACE ANY WHERE AROUND THE GLOBE! ; EXCEPT THE ARCTIC, OR THE SNOWCAPPED PEAKS OF THE ALPS OR HIMALAYAS) –

INTENTIONALLY YOURS, IN THE SMALLEST FONT