Falling in love is beautiful. Having a steady relationship is great. Going down on your knees and popping a ring and asking her to marry you is absolutely fantastic.

Meeting the parents is tricky. Quite tricky.

It is not as easy as it sounds. You have wooed the girl, got her to be yours. All you need is to go and ask for her hand from her parents, right?

Wrong.

You have to woo her parents now. Always remember, your girl is an extension of what her parents are. Whatever you have done, whoever you are, they are her first priority. At least in a fight, you will know which side she will take.

Don’t get too much worked up over this. Accept the reality.

Do not go overdressed or underdressed. You will look fake either way. Do not address them too polite or too casual and you will be called a snob and immature respectively.

Do not boast about your achievements in life. They will think you are lying. Do not keep silent for long intervals, they will think you have something to hide.

Do not touch your girlfriend in front of her parents. Do not call her endearing terms in front of your future in laws.

Do not play with her younger brother. He will take you as a friend and ask you an embarrassing question.

Do not pet her pet dog, she in all probability will not like you. They are possessive aren’t they?

You don’t want to have stitches before you say your wedding vows now.

What should you do then?

Sit through the meeting. Don’t panic. Don’t sweat. Smile. Don’t promise too much. Don’t run. Don’t call them names.

Listen to their anecdotes about their daughter. Do not sleep during that session.

You should do fine.

All the best.

God blessed us with this habitat and then he blessed us with a heart to take care of it. There are some who don’t do it. There are some who did it in front of the world. And then there are some who do extraordinary things away from the cameras and the prying eye of the world.

They don’t like their names being mentioned. They don’t want publicity and they dearly do what they do jus’ for their own satisfaction and goodness of others.

You may have seen them, but never would have realized that these individuals were givers.

And there is one more class of people and they are those who don’t realize themselves that they are doing a great thing.

Have you noticed those old folks who water the plants that are not in their yard?

Those granddads in all likelihood would never be able to enjoy the flowers that bloom out of those plants or eat the fruits they produce, but still they do it – for us!

Have you noticed those little girls who walk the blind folks cross the roads?

They don’t even know how much it meant to the people they walked along with.

Have you noticed those servants of God, the nuns, giving a helping hand in a land that is almost extinct in geography to the kids and elders suffering from extreme illness?

Do you know any of their names?

No.

We are all not bad people, but a good lot of us are ignorant. There are three simple things in life that one should remember to possess:

Humility.

Honesty.

Hard work.

No one can take away anything from you if you do your hard work with honesty and accept the success with humility.

Love knows no boundaries. Simple and beautiful gestures that help a fellow being don’t know boundaries either.

You can advertise your wealth and that’s your business and you can advertise your philanthropy; it may inspire others to follow, but you must not forget to appreciate those who help us all with their hidden gestures.

There are various self-help books that tell us how to live a good life. They may be right or they may be wrong, but there are ten ways I know of that sure should let you live a wholesome life.

Lists are tricky! You never know which one the world will agree to and which one it wouldn’t. But your Editor Bob has the courage to list them out (counting on your indulgence of course).

As always, you may agree with me or may not, let’s see… Here’s the list jus’ for you:

1. Give time for yourself. It’s a mad world out there. Being with your colleagues, spending time on business and being around your loved ones and family are all important, but being with yourself is even more important.

2. Don’t be angry… Ever. There is no reason for it, really. If someone hurts you, introspect, learn and move on.

Don’t sulk or be angry. There is no evidence yet to suggest anger has ever worked for anyone.

3. Surprise your partner. Start of a romantic relationship is not the end of the wooing phase. Sweet surprises from time to time will add to a beautiful life.

4. Watch some movies that are so bad that it is good. Yes, Academy Awards movies are for a season. These type of mad movies will entertain the kid in you.

5. Spend time with kids. Importantly, be one of them and don’t be a demanding adult. It is a different experience and that innocent experience is good for the heart.

6. Listen to music and sing aloud in the bathroom. Be yourself. You deserve to be sometimes atleast.

7. Switch off your mobile phone for 8 hours a day.

8. Drink water for taste. Yes, you heard it. Water is tasty, if you take it sip by sip and enjoy it.

9. Talk to the flowers in the garden. Smell the nature and embrace the plants. Give time to nature.

10. ____________________.

The last reason is for you to fill up.

Will you?

I am not going to give you a study of moral science right now. I am going to talk about three virtues, which we can practice in real life that will make our lives better. These three virtues are not tough to practice and can be done if you put your heart into it.

The first virtue, honesty. Don’t groan thinking that this one’s a tough cookie. It is easy if you try it. In fact, it is so easy to practice you will be surprised. Do not lie. Stop saying harmless lies first. You have made that a habit and think of that as no big deal anymore. It doesn’t guilt you anymore. You don’t feel bad about it. You think it is mandatory to live a life.

Untrue. You don’t need to lie. For the gravest of situations if you were to answer with truth you would be surprised to see tears turning into smiles. And your heart will remain pure and you will be proud of yourself.

Second virtue, sincerity. Come on, do not jus’ go to office. Be useful. Be sincere in what you do. If you think the work you do is not worth your time or your time is not worth to the company… Be sincere about it and convey the same to the management. If you let that slip by and continue being where you are, you will end up being neither here nor there.

Sincerity will give you a second chance and indecisiveness will cost you a golden chance.

Third virtue, patience. This is the fastest the world has ever been. We have surpassed all logic in terms of impatience. We don’t have time for families, friends and now, we have reached the zenith – we don’t have time for ourselves anymore!

Nothing in this world comes easy, there are no free lunches, but there are always rewards for being ethical.

Be honest.

Be sincere.

Be patient.

World is yours!

There are a lot many things one does when one lives long enough. We love, hate, play and sometimes jus’ exist. In between all these things, we do a few things that we may not be proud of, things we may be embarrassed about… Hey! I am not talking about really bad crimes that we do, but those little things that we do… May be, we all do that… Let’s see what I have to list and then you tell me if you agree or not.

Don’t we sometimes pinch that baby who is sleeping or jus’ strolling around and see it cry with a sheepish smile?

Don’t we sometimes drive in the wrong lane jus’ for the heck of it?

Don’t we sometimes drink a cup of coffee with a big slurping sound when no one is looking?

Don’t we sometimes try dancing in the shower like an idiot and fall bringing down all kinds of stuff in the bathroom with us to the floor?

Don’t we sometimes step on the tail of our sleeping pet dog sadistically jus’ to see it spring up and bark in shock?

Don’t we sometimes write a mail or a comment on the social bookmarking site and then think, why the hell did I do that?

Don’t we sometimes go to church and think about everything else in the world except God?

Don’t we advise everyone not to do something and we end up doing it the next minute?

Don’t we sometimes doze off in the middle of a meeting and feel the sour taste in the mouth?

We do this and much more. This is what makes us human. We are what we are because of our flaws. Those little things that make us all feel as one being. We are all human beings and this is our identity. We all have something in common. Good and bad.

Sometimes, we share a bit of madness too.

Don’t we?

Tell me.

We love teddy bears. We love to receive flowers. No two ways about it. The question though is – why?

Why do even the adults love the cuddly bears and what’s the big deal about flowers?

Let’s see what the reasons could be…

Teddy bear is what we want to be. It is itself and is not bothered by the frenzy to be slim. It is obese and is comfortable with it. We love that attitude and we appreciate it for being honest and true to itself. Secondly, it is always smiling or always looking cute with innocence written all over its face. Jus’ like a kid.

The very reason why we love a kid can be applied to teddy bears too.

And most of all, it is a companion. It is a silent, smiling companion who wouldn’t walk out on us or argue. It is an excellent prop to be used while sleeping and a confidant with whom one can share their secrets.

All in all, it is a toy that has qualities of an ideal human being, which we desperately crave for.

And now, the flowers!

What’s it about them?

They have the shortest life span of all gifts, but they tend to invoke more emotions than any other. Actually, it is a bit cruel. They are fine when they are on the plant, but once we pluck them and wrap it up, their death is imminent.

Fragrance and beauty are associated with flowers, but they are also associated with women. When given to women, they feel they are being equated with flowers and when given to men, they believe it’s a gesture of kindness – another quality associated with flowers.

There is a need at times to gift items that have qualities that we may not possess or qualities that we may not be able to express.

That’s an important reason why our greeting cards are adorned with flowers and teddy bears.

There are five unsung heroes in this world that we care the least about and who don’t get their due recognition.

Would you like to know who they are?

Well, this is a list I drafted. Tell me if you think I am correct in my assessment or not. Here we go:

Firstly, it has to be the teacher. This individual taught us all we knew. Who remembers the ones who have imparted us the knowledge? Have we acknowledged them during our success and have we visited them lately to ask of their well being or have we rang them up from time to time to be in touch?

No. We haven’t.

Secondly, soldiers recuperating at Veteran’s Hospital. Have you ever visited these guys? Have you sent a card? And by the way, you know why there are there?

Because of You and Me.

They ended up here because they were trying to defend us. Did we bother to show up for a word or two?

No. We didn’t .

Thirdly, Fire fighters. They don’t just fight fire. They are called up in all disaster situations and they do a selfless job. Remember 9/11? They put their lives on fire, literally, and we dare not even stop by a fire station on a festival day with a box of chocolates. Sent some flowers? Have we done that?

No. We haven’t.

Fourthly, 911 operators. They are patient, calm during a stormy phone call that ranges from theft, murder to illness. They patch the call through to the relevant authorities and help lines and save lives every day. Every phone call is important, vigilant all day without a breather. You don’t take a minute of this job lightly.

Have we ever done anything to show our appreciation to them? Or maybe even thought of them as worthy of offering gratitude to?

No. We haven’t.

Last but not the least, highway patrol. They live their lives in the fast lane but they are there to slow people down who are heading towards disaster. They don’t know whom they have to stop and they may very well be staring at death when one of those crazies steps out of a car or an abnormal outlaw in a drug induced stupor with a gun in his hand…

You never know. We love the videos on television that show them chasing antisocial elements. Have we thought about their job profile and what they do to keep us safe?

No. we haven’t.

But hey, we do show up unfailingly to pop star concerts. And the first day of a blockbuster movie.

We are one ungrateful lot.

Yes, what exactly is it? I always thought the innocent friendships that happen in school life or childhood stays forever. All the other acquaintances who become friends at a stage when you can ascertain right from wrong, are jus’ acquaintances and not exactly friends.

That’s my thought. Because in the latter, one looks for something from another. But in the childhood friendships, there were no expectations and the relationship is pure or so I think. I may be completely wrong though.

It is almost like your first love or the first crush. Innocent and pure.

Here’s a tip: A friend who genuinely cares for you will never tell you how much he or she loves you or cares for you.

It jus’ doesn’t happen that way. Like true love, which doesn’t believe in words but gestures… Friendships too survive on understanding and not flowery words or exaggerated affection.

A friend is someone who can decipher your silence.

A friend is someone who can read through your fake smile.

A friend is someone who can call you names and tell you what you are without hesitation.

A friend is someone who would be willing to break the relationship you both share if it means you will have a better life.

A friend is a selfless creature.

A friend’s judgment is something that you can trust better than your own judgment.

And you can always be secure in the fact that your friend will never judge you!

A friend is what a family can’t provide and a friend is someone you have the right to choose… In fact, you can’t choose a friend… Jus’ like love, friendship too… Happens!

Be honest to your friend. Never utter a word of praise when he or she doesn’t deserve one.

They want you to make sure that they don’t go astray and they are secure in the knowledge that you will take care of them.

Be a friend.

Good Day!

Obama and Romney haven’t faced each other yet for the fierce battle that lay ahead, but the scene is set… And how?!

Ann Romney was attacked by Ms. Rosen of the Democrats by saying that Ms. Romney hasn’t worked for a day in her life and therefore, wouldn’t know anything about the economy.

And then all hell broke loose. I mean, literally, there was war on social networking sites, television and all forms of media.

Even the President had to support Ann Romney and trash Ms. Rosen’s opinion. Well, this ignited the debate of working moms and moms in general all over the United States of America and perhaps, better part of the world.

Is a stay-at-home mom a working mom? And if so, what does that make a working mom who juggles both? What is the stand of the Democrats on this and what is the stand of the Republicans on this?

Flower bouquets or brickbats, moms are not afraid to voice their opinion and they being the majority when it comes to voting for the Presidential elections, no one wants to face their wrath.

Even Michelle Obama gave out her view in support with a statement through a social networking website.

Moms, by definition, are the epitome of care, hard work and love. It doesn’t matter what they do, it has to be hard work because for starters, they take care of the family and are the reason for the family’s happiness.

I like this saying:

Children go to mom when they are not well.

Husband goes to his kids’ mom when he feels unwell.

Mom doesn’t let anyone know when she is unwell.

She doesn’t need a certificate and this debate is moot.

We are what we are because of what she is.

Period.

Go back to work folks. Don’t poke the Holy Grail!

Waiting for the weekend?

Thursday is here; day for the blog from Bob and Friday is around the corner. Are you smiling already?

If you have a job that doesn’t make you work, but feel good then you don’t need any counting either.

When job becomes work then there is no fun. But if job becomes passion, then there is no work. It is jus’ fun. In fact, it is a boon.

Look for something like that in life.

Same goes with relationships. Mandatory and by default relationships that follow a set formula never last. The ones where there is excitement and mutual attraction is the one that will last.

Talking about weekends, it is not always a good idea to hit the town with friends and paint it red. Letting the hair down too takes its toll.

Sometimes, it is good to jus’ chill out on a couch with no one around. Not even television.

Jus’ lazy sleep – the kind of sleep where you are not in deep sleep neither are you awake. That in-between zone is an amazing exercise of happiness. Take your pet out for a walk and let the poodle lead you. For once, you walk the path the pet walks. Give it the independence and be obliged as a respectful individual who cares for pets and walk along. It will be liberating, I bet… Try it.

Jus’ close the door, stand in front of the mirror and sing aloud.

Put on loud music and dance alone… Wildly.

All of the above will give you a good high!

Random thoughts on a Thursday, you wonder?

Well, I am gearing up for the weekend. I am sure it will be adventurous fun with a little bit of problem solving to do.

I look forward to that.

How about you?

Tell me what lies ahead in this weekend’s schedule for you?