Spontaneous?Not me. I am a planner. I make lists, lists of lists and enjoy the feeling of crossing them out when they are done. But I am beginning to realize that I see the world as squares while everyone enjoys things in all sorts of shapes and forms.
Ever wondered how some people can be so spontaneous. They don't seem to care what the people around them would think of them, what they would say/how they would react. I love such spontaneous people. They add that spice to live. They seem to live the moment, breathe life into boring monotony, bring sunshine and smiles into any place they stop by. They seem to enjoy life. Being this list maker, I fear I wouldn't have fun stories to share with my grandchildren(yes, I think about such things). I feel guilty for running through each day just doing what is required before hitting the bed and calling it a night. It is not that I don't get ideas that can bring a smile on people's face and make my day happier. I am still wondering what is that "thing" that is stopping me.
I was talking about this to a friend and I'm slowly realizing there are two kinds of spontaneity. I would classify them as 'long term' and 'short term' or 'tactical' and 'strategic'. Spontaneous action that would yield happiness in long run (job, career decision, school, girlfriend) being strategic. Things like unplanned picnic, dancing during the day like no one is watching, singing out loud, long drives, hanging out being tactical.
There is more to say, but I lost my train of thought/inspiration. Will come back and pen them down when they hit me. To summarize, I am thinking tactical spontaneity brings more smiles everyday. Would you agree?
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
How Twitter saved my day
This has been my nightmare for quite sometime- missing my cell phone charger. And it happened!
My husband "borrowed" my cell phone charger and left it in his office. To my alarm, it is Le Weekend! And no, going all the way to the office to get just a phone charger is outta question. On top of that, my husband had his 'once in a zillion years' sat class as a part of his part time MBA program. So, this morning while I was still rubbing sleep out of my eyes, he chirped in : " Sorry, I forgot your charger at work. I will be in sat class all day today. Find an iPod charger and it should work on your iPhone as well'.
Honestly, I did not hear anything beyond 'Forgot your charger at work'. I woke up as if an earthquake hit my bed! I panicked! What if my mom was trying to reach me to tell me some relative had been hit by a bus. What if they called me from work. The thing with work is, You ALWAYS answer the phone. Remember that scene from 'The Devil Wears Prada'? Andy panicks when her friends play with her fone and she 'almost' misses the call. Well, it is EXACTLY like that..but I digress(And Yes! I love/enjoy chick flix). Anyway, bottom line, everyone in the world will try to reach me on my cell phone exactly when my cell phone is dead. I can't let that happen! I started thinking of all the friends I can ring up to borrow a charger. But damn, my phone is dead and my home phone doesn't have long distance AND I don't remember any of their numbers! Bloody neat!
I was numb but smiled so that my husband can leave peacefully to his class. My l'll one cooed lying next to me. I was thinking : "Yes, mommy will find a solution. I will save us from this terrible day.".
Like a beam of sunshine on a gloomy day, my eyes fell on the picture of our family God : Tirupathi Balaji. Yes! He was my answer.. err, I mean, yes, God is always an answer. But since I need a charger and I haven't heard of chargers falling from God's pictures, I'll have to resort to my neighbor with the same name who actually 'might' have a charger. But wait, how do I reach him? My cell phone is dead and I don't know his cell number. Immediately, I ran to my laptop and looked for him: on FB..nope!, on Gtalk...nope again..one more hope, wait.., on Orkut...waaaah!!!!. Alas! the man who is almost always available at one place or another went missing, went underground..just plain vanished! I panicked more..did he decide to go away for the weekend; was he unwell and in hospital; did he decide to move without telling anyone. I really need him to be there 'coz I need to borrow his phone charger. I kicked myself back to reality. Think..think..Ah..ha!bulb burning..'Twitter'!!!
My joy knew no bound! I could 'Tweet' him..yes..no matter where he was, he would receive an sms(hopefully, he has set it up that way). I could sms him my home number and ask him to call me in case he wasn't at home. If he wasn't home, may be I could convince him and break his door and get to the phone charger..you think that sounds too far fetched? you just don't know how I can convince people...
Well, coming back to the situation: so, I tweeted..AND sent him a direct message (just to be doubly sure). Five minutes passed..the LONGEST five minutes of my life. I waited, holding my breath(well, the 10 secs that I can hold. What do u think I am? a superwoman?). After those 5 mins, my google chat 'Dinged'! OMG! my day has been saved!! He responded..I could have hugged even a buffalo at that point (just saying it coz I'm triply sure there are no buffalos on the street here). He said he doesn't own an iPhone charger, but could loan me his iPod charger and that might work. We agreed to meet on the street. I swore under my breath to work more diligently for my company. Isn't it a master stroke to make mp3 chargers compatible with its phone chargers and thus save my day? We all should prostrate before such a company! (I hear some actually do, although, I haven't seen anyone in action in the past year)..
Phew! It was a HUGGE relief! We met on the street within 30 secs, I borrowed the cable and my phone is now happily charging.
Can you imagine what would have happened without 'Twitter'? I would have been forced out of my virtual hole. I would have had to resort to what my parents and their generation would have 'normally' done : knock on the neighbors door and interact in person!
My husband "borrowed" my cell phone charger and left it in his office. To my alarm, it is Le Weekend! And no, going all the way to the office to get just a phone charger is outta question. On top of that, my husband had his 'once in a zillion years' sat class as a part of his part time MBA program. So, this morning while I was still rubbing sleep out of my eyes, he chirped in : " Sorry, I forgot your charger at work. I will be in sat class all day today. Find an iPod charger and it should work on your iPhone as well'.
Honestly, I did not hear anything beyond 'Forgot your charger at work'. I woke up as if an earthquake hit my bed! I panicked! What if my mom was trying to reach me to tell me some relative had been hit by a bus. What if they called me from work. The thing with work is, You ALWAYS answer the phone. Remember that scene from 'The Devil Wears Prada'? Andy panicks when her friends play with her fone and she 'almost' misses the call. Well, it is EXACTLY like that..but I digress(And Yes! I love/enjoy chick flix). Anyway, bottom line, everyone in the world will try to reach me on my cell phone exactly when my cell phone is dead. I can't let that happen! I started thinking of all the friends I can ring up to borrow a charger. But damn, my phone is dead and my home phone doesn't have long distance AND I don't remember any of their numbers! Bloody neat!
I was numb but smiled so that my husband can leave peacefully to his class. My l'll one cooed lying next to me. I was thinking : "Yes, mommy will find a solution. I will save us from this terrible day.".
Like a beam of sunshine on a gloomy day, my eyes fell on the picture of our family God : Tirupathi Balaji. Yes! He was my answer.. err, I mean, yes, God is always an answer. But since I need a charger and I haven't heard of chargers falling from God's pictures, I'll have to resort to my neighbor with the same name who actually 'might' have a charger. But wait, how do I reach him? My cell phone is dead and I don't know his cell number. Immediately, I ran to my laptop and looked for him: on FB..nope!, on Gtalk...nope again..one more hope, wait.., on Orkut...waaaah!!!!. Alas! the man who is almost always available at one place or another went missing, went underground..just plain vanished! I panicked more..did he decide to go away for the weekend; was he unwell and in hospital; did he decide to move without telling anyone. I really need him to be there 'coz I need to borrow his phone charger. I kicked myself back to reality. Think..think..Ah..ha!bulb burning..'Twitter'!!!
My joy knew no bound! I could 'Tweet' him..yes..no matter where he was, he would receive an sms(hopefully, he has set it up that way). I could sms him my home number and ask him to call me in case he wasn't at home. If he wasn't home, may be I could convince him and break his door and get to the phone charger..you think that sounds too far fetched? you just don't know how I can convince people...
Well, coming back to the situation: so, I tweeted..AND sent him a direct message (just to be doubly sure). Five minutes passed..the LONGEST five minutes of my life. I waited, holding my breath(well, the 10 secs that I can hold. What do u think I am? a superwoman?). After those 5 mins, my google chat 'Dinged'! OMG! my day has been saved!! He responded..I could have hugged even a buffalo at that point (just saying it coz I'm triply sure there are no buffalos on the street here). He said he doesn't own an iPhone charger, but could loan me his iPod charger and that might work. We agreed to meet on the street. I swore under my breath to work more diligently for my company. Isn't it a master stroke to make mp3 chargers compatible with its phone chargers and thus save my day? We all should prostrate before such a company! (I hear some actually do, although, I haven't seen anyone in action in the past year)..
Phew! It was a HUGGE relief! We met on the street within 30 secs, I borrowed the cable and my phone is now happily charging.
Can you imagine what would have happened without 'Twitter'? I would have been forced out of my virtual hole. I would have had to resort to what my parents and their generation would have 'normally' done : knock on the neighbors door and interact in person!