| bdrive | |||
|
Tuesday, May 25, 2004 ( 3:12 AM ) sankar Mail2inspire Hello! This is a reader's digest story: Artist Dean Bracy (US) "opened a bank account with 10,000 one-dollar notes. Each note, as it went into circulation, was carrying his hand-written message: "Where does a dollar go? Send me a postcard!" Bracy also included his address." Bracy's request interested many people, who sent cards, letters, covers to him with interesting items via post! In a week, on an average, he gets 70 items of all sorts!! PP Rajesh showed this article to me. Immediately we decided to imitate Bracy's idea. I opened a mail ID: mail2inspire@yahoo.com. We are planning to write: "What's your inspiration in life?!?!" in as many rupee notes that pass through our hands as possible. We will include this mail ID (mail2inspire@yahoo.com). The idea is to get people write about their inspirations in life. We can create an informal database that can be shared online! Our request to all of you is that please write this message in whatever currencies you spend (including mail2inspire@yahoo.com). We promise, we will share whatever e-mails (as and if) we receive to you, if you want. Thanks in advance! Mail2inspire! # Sunday, May 23, 2004 ( 11:56 PM ) sankar Fast Track I just thought I am not doing enough justice to my blog, of late (no new posts, I mean). That's why this usual rambling... As I was driving to office this morning, I compared how driving (or whatever happens on road) can be compared to doing business. Like in business, there's a regulator (traffic constable) on road. (It's very, very rare to see a honest regulator). ...Traffic jam on Kodambakkam High Road usually happens because of the break-down of a poorly-maintained Pallavan bus ("Public Sector Unit") or when a private car with a political flag attempts to cross the road from a wrong direction (willingly!). It's the same in business. A lull in is the business equivalent. There are corporations like Pallavan and companies like the car-with-the-flag that break down or disregard rules and halt the progress of other industries on "the same road". It normally needs a regulator (police constable) to step in and tow away the culprit to restore the normal flow. A crash on road happens because the drivers are careless, drunk, senseless. Business crashes too happen when CEOs are careless, intoxicated, lose sight... The criss crossing "nimble" two wheelers on road do look like start-ups. There are slow moving CARporates that - because of their sheer size and that of the road - cannot move ahead like a cycle wallah when on a congested road. There are all sorts of "players" (from two-wheelers to twelve-wheelers) that are eager to find the loopholes and shortcuts in the life on the fast track. The one thing that's very diffcult to do on road (and in business) is to follow the rules, giving a damn to whether others are doing it or not. Too big is the pressure exerted on you by the horning vehlices behind threating you to violate the rule for their benefit, when you are waiting for the signal. A ceo of a software company - it was reported - used to hire new employees only after observing how they ride a two-wheeler on road. That ceo said to have predicted how better he would be on job! # Friday, May 07, 2004 ( 12:43 AM ) sankar It's all about "interest" Leena called me yesterday to remind me that there is exactly one more month to go for my marriage. I was pleasantly surprised that she remembered my marriage date, though I told her the date long back. I was not even in touch with her in the past couple of months. However, surprising others is a way of life for Leena. I've learnt that she remembers all her friends' birthdays; relatives' marriage anniversaries, etc. I have no difficulty in remembering people's names but not "the number stuff" like dates of important occasions. I don't remember even my own birthday until a friend calls me in the morning to greet. I did not remember my would-be's birthday till about ten days after it was over. "You are good at numbers," I complimented her. But she said that it's a question of interest (and not memory). Leena told an incident: Once she organised her classmates to sing "happy birthday" for another classmate; and gave him a b'day card that was signed by all of them (She signed in Telugu, after learning from someone how to write the name in that language). This classmate, a Telugu guy, who used to be reserved, and was home-sick, couldn't believe how others came to know of his birthday and why they cared to do all this. The next day, he told Leena (after knowing she was the-girl-behind) that he was extremely happy; and it was the first time in his life that someone gave a birthday card! I can imagine how much that card would have meant for him. (Since then, he's been sending his birthday greetings to Leena via mail, without fail.) Leena was recollecting some other incidents related to this, as I was realising how uninterested I remained all these days to my friends and relatives. Immediately, I made up my mind to make an attempt at remembering important dates, and greeting friends. May be, I will follow her "technique" of remembering: relating a date with something significant. "My b'day is September 12," I said. "Oh, it's a day after September 11 (twin-tower attack)," she already remembered! Right from sending mails, presenting small, small gifts (She gave me a key-chain, which she bought from Sri Lanka), organising get-togethers with friends, there's a lot to learn from her. # |
|
||
