Your concern and affection for all that transpires in my life is a world which is difficult to express in words. I would imagine that with my limited knowledge of the language such a task would be even greater. But without expressing my immense gratitude to all in the family of the blog, I would also find that to be an impossible task to accomplish.

My heart felt thanks then to all that have sent wishes and prayers to little Navya. She had a relatively better day today, with a small burst of temperature in the 90’s. This a great relief from the 103.3 degrees that she was battling with yesterday. Undoubtedly your combined prayers have been with her and been most effective.

Anxiety drains us all in large physical proportions. Being at the scene and away from it brings different reactions. Being at the cause for worry, one gets a first hand experience of the trouble. It provokes you to get involved, to assist and render help. Somewhere there is a sense of belonging. Being away from the scene tends to let the imagination go wild. It is uncertain ground. You live on transfered information. Our own reactions depend on the manner in which the information is transfered. They could be muted by the informer to reduce the intensity, or conversely, exaggerated to cause us greater anguish.

Its a tricky business. We begin to form our own judgements of the situation. A situation described to us by another. So how does one adopt the perfect line ? The person informing could be hyper in attitude and there would be the possibility of a mild situation hyped to an alarming condition. The reverse could happen too. A serious situation, diminished greatly by the way in which it was transfered. Many a times those that know the actual condition and have declared an alarming situation, may indeed turn out to be the ones that are the calmest on site. The reverse could be true here as well.

Communication therefore becomes the key point. Those possessing that exceptional skill are the real heroes. They could be a General of the Army communicating instructions to the troops, a by stander giving road instructions to a lost motorist, an employer giving out the requirements to an employee, a housewife giving her bit for the day to the kitchen staff. Anybody.

It is how we communicate through voice and word and action that then becomes an evaluation of how a particular instruction needs to be followed through. I may be a communicator, possessing in my assessment a high degree of communicating skill. But if the skills of the one being communicated to are below par, the issue could have its own perils. I would like to believe then, that in any situation such as this, it would be prudent for the communicator to quickly assess the condition of the receiver and make relevant adjustments before downloading. Many a times it has been observed that before the communication starts, observing the situation from the other persons point of view, greatly helps.

Any fruitful outcome shall have to necessarily depend on many factors. I have in my very limited capacity observed that issues have gone completely out of hand, not because the issue was unpalatable, but because the manner in which it was being addressed, was wrong.

On a larger scale then, in a land that has prided itself in its diversity, would diverse methods of communicating to the polity not have adverse effects. National issues, issues of morality and social norms, of political standpoints and regional compulsions. Issues of language and temperament. Of belief, of legality, of conduct, all falling under the same malaise…

Would it not ??

How does a populace that has not been standardized to approved norms - if at all there is an approved norm - conduct itself correctly. How does the governance, or the political representation of the people that put their faith in their representative, bring about any semblance of equality.

I visit many countries and notice that there exists in them a certain ethics. A culture that is reflected in all that inhabit that place, never more prominent, than say the city where I find myself in today, Singapore. It is intriguing for me to ascertain how and through what design they are able to accomplish this. Is there some master think tank that stipulates action and deed. If so, who constructs them and how is its construction carried out to every citizen. Is there a massive drive in each individuals curriculum to toe the line so to say, to pass a test maybe, or be inculcated with moral responsibility, through a system of basic education. I would love for a nation to design a format for all to follow without compromise and complaint.

The pedometer has played havoc in my daily movement. And despite my efforts to have it clinging to my trouser pocket from the moment I arise, I have not been able to reach anywhere near the recommended mark. It has been embarrassingly low. First day - 2339, second 1049, yesterday 536, today 6807.

The West Wing is not just taking its toll on the President of the United States of America, it is shutting us down to a stationary couch position through out the day !!

My love ~ and more ~

Amitabh Bachchan