Six-Word Stories Vol-2

It's said that Hemingway was challenged by his writer friends that no one could write a story in 6 words. He took a napkin from the table at the cafe where they were sitting and penned this. 

Several six-word stories have been complied by Smith magazine with people from all over the world contributing their words which will help you create their story...with only six words. http://www.sixwordmemoirs.com/

Here are some from me:

When you left, I lost me.

Unfurled sari, broken bangles, blood-chilling screams.

New yacht. Old Money. Young wife.

Breakup. Lonely. Amazon. Click. Click. Click.

Prison freed me like freedom couldn't.

Advertising lies. Consumer buys. Debt sighs.

His graduation celebration, my empty-nest depression.

High seas sailing, land memories forgotten.

Brown grass, cloudless sky, farmer's death.

Potions spell death outside Harry Potter.

Fairy lights, misty eyes, unused mistletoe.

Do flowers speak better than words?

Jimmy's shoes, Celine's bag, Burglar alarm.

Were we in the same relationship? 

Long flight. Big fight. Whose's right?

Jack, Jill now argue about bills.

Perfect recipe. Sugar, butter, eggs arsenic.

Tears added bitterness to husbands' dinner.

I once loved my wife's lover.

For more, http://seema-suchislife.blogspot.sg/2014/06/6-word-stories-vol-1.html

The Legacy we are leaving behind

There has been a lot of coverage this week on First Lady Michelle Obama's speech at the Democratic national convention. My knowledge of US politics is more "House of Cards" and "Madame secretary", so I cannot comment on the political aspect of her speech. What stood out for me is what she said about us being role models for our children. 

"And make no mistake about it, this November when we go to the polls that is what we’re deciding, not Democrat or Republican, not left or right. No, in this election and every election is about who will have the power to shape our children for the next four or eight years of their lives"

She (or her savvy speech writer) turned the conversation away from politics and back to the one thing everyone is most concerned about i.e. our future, which is our children.

So that begs the question, what legacy are we leaving behind for them? What are they learning from our actions? Every time we show our road rage, or gossip about the neighbor, or speak rudely to someone, or keep quiet when we see something wrong happening, what message are we sending? 

Kids observe. Even when we think they are engrossed in their world, but they take in everything.

We complain about the gadget overuse of our children on whatsapp groups with other parents. The irony of it! We can't ask kids to sleep on time when they know we are out late every other night. They learn by watching us. 

There is a lot we have to teach them. From faith to honesty and hard work to perseverance. But here are four qualities we must make sure they imbibe as these are what the world needs most today.

1) We are all the same

Have you caught yourself (even if it's ever so lightly) making fun of someone's accent? Or an offhand comment on someone's body shape or size? We all have been guilty of such indiscretions at some point. And if it has happened in the presence of a child, rest assured the message they got is that it's ok to look at people differently. 

The message we need to drive home is that we are not that different. No matter our religion, or caste, or skin color, or nationality, or gender or even our gender preference.

The simplest analogy is the Shakespeare stage-actor one. Kids need to understand that each one of us is the same inside. Outwardly we play different roles, in various costumes, but that comes with the script we have been provided. Inwardly we all are the same. We all need love. We all crave affection. We all desire friendships. We all just want to be accepted for who we are. 

2) Being different is not a bad thing

Before we begin accepting each other, we need to accept ourselves and our circumstances. Today children don't lead traditional lives. Divorce, same-sex parents, third culture kids, these are all part of our lives.

Our children need to accept their circumstances and make the best of it. A tragedy cannot be used as a shield. A setback should not be reason for despair. They can only do this if we lead the way.

Do we compare ourselves to others and always see where our life falls short? Or do we accept what we have- the opportunities and the problems- to carve our path forward? Let them learn from us that they have deal with whatever life throws at them. And our individuality comes through our differences. 

3) Privilege has to be put to good use

Our children are privileged. There is no denying that. They have tons more than we had growing up, and lesser people to share it with. It's easy for selfishness to creep in. 

We need to constantly show them that they have to be considerate to the ones who have less than us. Whether it's giving part of birthday money to a charity or volunteering time at the animal shelter, we need to set an example. We have to be conscious of our conspicuous  consumption habits so they learn restraint.

4) There is no substitute for kindness

My first advice to Sanil about friendships was 'You don't have to be friends with everyone, you don't even gave to like everyone, but you ALWAYS have to be kind to everyone'. Don't allow your children to exclude other kids. Children can be cruel. We all have experienced bullying in some way, shape or form. 

Our children need to learn compassion. And it can only happen if we are empathetic towards others. 

So let's leave behind a legacy of oneness, of collaboration, of tolerance. As without these, our children will not have the kind of world we envision for them. 

We simply are not that apart

Your white is my red

My white is your black

Your green is my saffron

My duppata is your scarf

Your cross is my Om

My bindi is your kohl

Your eyes weep like mine

My child hugs like yours

Your prayer may be your work

My work is my main prayer

I worship an elephant

You a saint with a dog

I bow, you kneel

You raise hands, I fold them

And with these folded hands I ask

Look beyond these signs,

Look further from the symbols

Peep into the heart and you will realize

We simply are not that apart

The Invisible People of Singapore

We spend our bonuses, they count their daily wages
We see unwanted calories, they see much needed meals
We reside in luxury, they build in the heat
We admire the green landscaping, they nourish the plants


We command an uber, they walk miles
We Instagram every minute, they carry a family picture in torn wallets
We sweat once a week on the treadmill, they sweat every second at work

Herman Miller chairs for us, Harness with minimal safety for them
After work cocktails for us, soup kitchens for them
Walk-in closets for our shoes, closet-sized rooms for them to sleep
Warmth of family for us, pining for their families for them

Once in awhile step out of the privileged existence 
Look up at the shiny skyscraper and have a thought about who built it
Next time you pass them, acknowledge with smile, or nod
People of Singapore, be grateful for those who built your country

Offer gratitude for the invisible faces in our community
Because without them nothing would be as it is now

Erasing Memories

I can't write you off the books yet

Or weave you in my life story

You are like that word that keeps reappearing

Sometimes completely out of context

My vocabulary has absorbed you

Like a term used daily

Was there ever a lexicon in my life

Where your name was not present?

May be your definition has changed

Or your meaning has lost its relevance?

Like an oft-repeated but old phrase

That's not kept up with the times

You like an Oxward dictionary word

That can't be searched up on urban dictionary

A single word with two different meanings

One which represents the past, and one that's alive today

My memory of your name is a lilting melody

A sensuous sound that easily rolls off my tongue

The word today sounds bitter, harsh even

Why then can't I banish it from my language?

I wish to erase your name, like words written on sand

That wash away with one tiny wave

That dissolve into nothingness

Without a trace, like they had never existed. 

What we do is not who we are

Being alone does not mean being lonely

Having peace does not mean being passive

Planning does not make one a control freak

And neither weaving dreams a dreamer

Aloofness is not always  a snub

And style may not equate to fashion

Friendship can be garbed as love

Though lust can never beat passion 

Musing does not make one a poet

Or humming tunes transform one to a singer

A sleeper is not necessarily lazy

Nor a worker particularly industrious

What we do and who we are

Is not always connected

Yet we box, we label, we name

We point fingers, we blame

Accept me for who I am

Not for my work or my words

My name or my stature

Nor for my friends or possessions

I am my temper, I am my cruelty

I am my kindness, I am my generosity

I am the storm, I am the valley

I am the noise, I am the silence

I am more than my job

I exceed beyond my education

Don't define me with your perceptions

Or see me through your world view

See me as me, I beseech 

As I see you as you, I promise

I love you for you, I vow

Alas you can love only the blemish-free me