Skip to main content

Welcome to "This & That."




If you have read the "Random Ramblings" chapter in my book M Square of a V Square, you already know what you are in for.

My mind has a peculiar habit. It starts with one subject, takes a right turn into another, makes an unexpected U-turn, wanders into a third, and finally arrives somewhere I never intended to go. Surprisingly, most of the time I manage to return safely!

For quite some time, I was wondering whether these wandering thoughts should become another book. Then my grandson, Eshwar, came to my rescue. Instead of saying, "Thatha, write another book," he quietly created a website for me—drbalasubramanianwrites.in.

That solved my problem beautifully. Why imprison my thoughts inside a book when they can roam freely as blogs?

So, "This & That" was born.

The title explains everything. There is no timetable, no syllabus, no examination and certainly no guarantee about what will appear next!

A WhatsApp message may inspire one article, a childhood memory another, and an amusing incident from my veterinary career yet another.

Some blogs may make you smile. Some may make you think. Some may make you disagree with me. 
And a few may make you wonder, "What made him write this?" My honest answer would be, "The same thing that made you read it!"

I make no claim that every blog contains profound wisdom. Sometimes a simple thought is worth sharing simply because it made me smile. If it makes you smile too, my mission is accomplished. The language will be simple. The humour will be gentle. The opinions will be entirely my own.

Whenever I receive an interesting WhatsApp message, I may play the role of a friendly postman. But before delivering it, I shall try to check whether the parcel contains facts, fiction—or a little of both.

I owe a special word of thanks to my grandson Eshwar, whose patience and technical skills brought this website into existence. Without him, these thoughts would have remained safely locked inside my head, causing no trouble to anyone!

So, welcome to "This & That."

Happy reading!

"Warning: Reading these blogs may cause smiling, nostalgia, disagreement, or occasional deep thinking. The author accepts no responsibility for any of these side effects!"

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ONE WEDDING, THREE TRAVELLERS, AND ONE VERY BIG COUNTRY SARASWATHI, BALU AND KAMALA

  ONE WEDDING, THREE TRAVELLERS, AND ONE VERY BIG COUNTRY SARASWATHI, BALU AND KAMALA USA TRIP – 24.04.2011 to 29.05.2011  My brother Chinnu, who had been living in America since 1966, was extremely keen that I should visit the U.S. He saw this wedding as the perfect opportunity and planned our entire trip with great care, affection, and attention to detail. Every place we visited, every journey we undertook, and every arrangement we enjoyed reflected his thoughtful planning and his desire to show us America at its best. Chinnu was only two years younger than me, but our bond was far deeper than that of mere age difference. We were very closely attached, sharing mutual respect, affection, and an understanding that needed very few words. His enthusiasm, warmth, and joy during our visit made the trip special in ways that go far beyond sightseeing or travel experiences. Chinnu passed away in November 2015, at the age of 77. His passing left a void that time cannot fill. While rev...
Post a Comment
Read more

Can Our Departed Ancestors Bless Us?

Recently I listened to a discourse by the eminent Vedic scholar Sri Dushyanth Sridhar. One point he made me stop and think. What follows is simply the gist of what I understood from his talk. If I have misunderstood anything, the mistake is entirely mine. According to him, after death a person either attains moksha or is reborn according to his or her karma. That made me ask myself a simple question. If a person has attained moksha, he has become one with God. If he has been reborn, he is already living another life. If so, how do we understand the common belief that our departed parents and grandparents continue to bless and protect us? As I understood it, from a purely philosophical point of view, the answer is different from what many of us popularly believe. At the same time, Hinduism places great importance on remembering and honouring our ancestors. Rituals such as Shraddha and Tarpanam are beautiful expressions of gratitude towards those who gave us life. My Take: I am not qual...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Mystery of My Red Nose

In the early 1970s, when I was about thirty-five, I developed a rather embarrassing problem. The tip of my nose slowly turned a light reddish colour. It wasn't painful, and it didn't interfere with my breathing, but it did interfere with my peace of mind. At first, I ignored it. After all, we are experts at hoping that minor problems will disappear if left alone. Mine, however, showed no intention of leaving. I began to imagine that, given enough time, I might qualify for a job as a clown in a circus without even applying. All I needed was a colourful wig and a pair of oversized shoes! At last, I decided to consult one of the city's most famous dermatologists. As I entered his consulting room, I was greeted by an unexpected sight. The doctor's own nose was considerably larger than mine and noticeably darker than the rest of his face. To make matters even more interesting, he kept rubbing and scratching it while examining me. I couldn't help thinking, "If this i...
Post a Comment
Read more