Sunday, November 4, 2012

Celebrations

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 33; the thirty-third edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. The theme for the month is 'Celebrations'
Celebrations! Now what does one celebrate? Either an achievement or a festival – which is, by and large, a celebration of the achievements of a mythological character.
I have always been keen on celebrating my achievements. The problem is that you cannot celebrate all by yourself. The moment I call upon someone else to join the celebrations he keeps raising nitpicking objections. I mean, come on, can you not just join the festivities without asking stupid questions about whether I had achieved anything worth celebrating? Hang it all, if I think it is worth celebrating the fact that I woke up a full five minutes before my normal time, what is your problem?
With such unjust people around me this entire idea of celebrating my achievements had to be put in cold storage. I never seemed able to satisfy them with my achievements – they pooh-pooh eating 24 idlis at one sitting; sneer at sleeping the clock round and wax sarcastic about going a month without brushing my teeth. Such a bunch of hard-to-please people I had never expected. What they seemed to consider achievements were so far beyond my capabilities that I could not even dream of them credibly. I mean think of me topping the JEE or coming first in the CBSE – even in my school? Does not your mind boggle? Mine boggled so much that I felt dizzy for days.
Festive celebrations, on the other hand, were wonderful. Diwali, in particular, holds a special place in my heart. After all, other than my school uniform, the only fresh pair of clothing I ever got was for Diwali. It normally came in very handy because the previous pair was just about to disintegrate into its component threads. My mother normally used to ask me whether my skin was made of razor blades (Come to think of it, do you think I missed out on a convincing achievement to celebrate?) It was probably the fact that fresh clothing swam into my ken so rarely that they seemed far more magnificent than they really were. I really cannot get that rush of pleasure when I walk out to buy yet another T-shirt!
The other wonderful thing about Diwali was that my mom usually had the clear intent of making four types of sweets and the customary mixture. The month before Diwali was filled with arguments about what those four would be. After the menu was frozen, my mom would swing into the act making all of them. I really do not know if kids of today can work up the same enthusiasm about arguing for what sweets to buy from the local sweet shop. Most probably they settle for ‘Celebrations’ from the chocolate platter and let it go at that!
Now that I am a bachelor and live alone, festivals get celebrated by me only when someone who is celebrating it calls me in as a guest – and, to be fair to my cousins, they call me in invariably. The one time I decided to make the savories and celebrate a festival – Pongal, as it turned out – I do not remember enjoying it much. It needs a special type of character to rejoice in mopping up the kitchen all day and scraping what looked like a charcoal mine off the bottom of the pressure cooker and I, as I have often said, am not that special a character.
Now if I choose to celebrate by myself I go for ‘Celebrations’ too! Thank God, the need to do so has not arisen often!
The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. Introduced By: The Fool, Participation Count: 07

56 comments:

  1. hmhm.... Yeah- Diwali is also my Favorite-- I love the sight of nights lit by the warm Diwali lamps. :) Happy festival season. :)

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  2. Dear Suresh,

    First of all I wish to tell you that I loved your sense of humor! I so wish to infuse humor in my writing but keeping in mind my writing skills I refrain. :D
    I so relate with your post on "Celebrations" and the fact that we need people to join us in the act of rejoicing some achievement or festival. I hate people who are judgemental.
    But do you consider yourself naive and gullible enough to rejoice a few acts in life...like may be enjoying a swing, flying kite, (Sorry if I sound a little carried away) :) .. I totally agree the happiness is multiplied when we share such moments with friends or cousins.
    I like your writing, and they way how effortlessly you have narrated the school-uniform instances. :)

    A very Happy Diwali to you too :)

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    1. Thanks Megha! In my opinion, the most enjoyable moments of life are all those small acts - not the big things that we think of as great achievements :)

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  3. Good one Suresh, I can so relate to everything you said...

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  4. So true and narrated with your characteristic humor. Talking of nitpicking - I was really pissed with my summer placements in MBA. Theoretically I had a Day 0, but it was not a company I felt would not help me professionally and because of this I was forced to sit out of other Day 1 companies that would have offered me better scope. I was already brooding and my dorm seniors come and rubbed salt on my wounds by pestering me to celebrate my Day 0 by giving them a treat.

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    1. Now that is the inverse of what happens to me - your friends persistent on celebrating what you do not think is an achievement :)

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  5. Diwali with the crackers but minus the cacophony of the banned ones is the best festival for celebrations

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  6. Just went through with JEE and CBSE. :P I know thy feel.

    Another great post from your keyboard. ;)
    ATB for BAT. :)

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    1. Same !!

      just went through with JEE and CBSE :P.........................!!

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    2. Evergreen memories to celebrate? :)

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  7. i loved the entire post...ur sense of humor
    but the lines i liked the most are
    "Hang it all, if I think it is worth celebrating the fact that I woke up a full five minutes before my normal time, what is your problem?"

    most of us may relate to it...i certainly do

    ATB for BAT :)

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  8. LOL. Always liked the humor. Celebrating the little joys of life: sigh, that's a good happy sigh by the way! :) 24 Idlis in one sitting! Wow. A whole month without brushing your teeth huh? Now I wonder why no one would celebrate that! :) Nice post Suresh. Have warm memories of Diwali too! You're right, we need more celebrations and we should use all the excuses we can get! :)

    I missed the BAT this time, when the topic was announced, my mind flitted between a couple different options - celebrations in the traditional sense of the word, the Cadbury's commercial about the lady dunking under the rope and entering the cricket field until I realized it wasn't specifically Celebrations - just a celebrating moment there and oh, the chain of restaurants Celebrations. In the end I finally decided to not post this time, and simply read some entries!

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  9. Wish you a Happy Dipawali and a Boggling Ton of 'Celebrations'! It is always a pleasure reading you posts: its is as if one were in commune with you.

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  10. All we need to be happy are little joys to celebrate but the world wants to dictate its own, how true! Razor blade was ROFL, my mom will agree with your mom on this! You have such a unique talent CS, you convey your thoughts in such a hilarious manner. Love it! :)

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  11. How about celebrating your sense of humour? Not everyone is funny for all the right reasons.

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    1. Wow! Coming from you that is accolade indeed!

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  12. I'm probably the wrong one to talk about celebrations as I am a real Scrooge when it comes to festivals. But as for celebrations of the other kind, bring it on anytime, even if it is walking from my house to the bus stop (a 200 mt. distance) without tripping even once :-)

    Happy celebrations, Suresh.

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    1. Ah! Missed on that thing to celebrate did I not? We share that trait of exquisite balance :)

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  13. The post has all your usual ingredients in a generous dose!! Diwali is also my favorite festival right from my school days since the number of holidays associated with it always filled my heart with happiness!!

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  14. My point xactly..btw u ll have to teach me how to do the humour...really..do it as a favour ..what say :)

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    1. Would luv to - if only I knew whether and how I do it :)

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  15. comment number 33....time to hit the music ...

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  16. C Suresh it is time to celebrate your writing skills!

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    1. Thanks Indu! Do not know how I missed replying to this before! Apologies

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  17. Hi Suresh...
    I also have written about Diwali...though quite a very short poem...and just a part of my post, yet it may have contributed about my winning entry in BAT 15th Edition...:-)

    I am always amazed whenever i read about Diwali celebrations, such a unique culture in your country... :-)I got many Indian friends who sometimes invite me to celebrate with them. If only India is just a stone's throw away from my place, i would not have missed a year of celebration!

    Thanks for sharing this beautiful write!

    Good luck Suresh!!!

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    1. Thanks Amity! Every culture has its unique celebrations and sampling them is great fun, is it not?

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  18. Lovely little post. Celebrations and their reasons are unique (and personal at many times) and the joy that results is refreshing. The way you described your Diwali festivities made me nostalgic and took me back to my young days too. The joy a new dress provided (when I was young) was unparalleled. And not to mention the sweets and snacks.. they were pretty much the best part of every festival.

    P.S: I do believe that you missed on a genuine big celebration on your ability to disintegrate your clothes adeptly. ;)

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    1. I was kicking myself about missing on that too :)

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  19. Little joys to be celebrated in big ways....I still remember the wonderful smell of the dipawali delicacies my mother would make in the kitchen area of the one room home. I wonder if I can get it back ever. You made me revisit those days. ATB for BAT.

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    1. Glad I made people remember all the small joys of life. I find that what makes life happy is an accumulation of the small joys and not the so-called big-ticket achievements.

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  20. I too went through all the 12th board and entrance tests. I know the feeling :P
    I love the humor infused here. A very nice read.
    ATB for BAT! :)

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  21. "Suresh touch" to the post as expected. Your stamp on the writing. Good as always.

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  22. // have always been keen on celebrating my achievements. The problem is that you cannot celebrate all by yourself. The moment I call upon someone else to join the celebrations he keeps raising nitpicking objections.//

    Absolutely second that Suresh! But whats celebration without Nitpickers, OCCD infested ones, Halo bearears, kalyaana samayal and all our lovely fellow men!

    //Festive celebrations, on the other hand, were wonderful. Diwali, in particular, holds a special place in my heart. After all, other than my school uniform, the only fresh pair of clothing I ever got was for Diwali. It normally came in very handy because the previous pair was just about to disintegrate into its component threads. //

    I have heard my mom say that :)

    Do stop by my blog! I'd love your comments & visits!!

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    1. Mmm! Looks like all moms went to the same school for parenting :)

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  23. Why should celebration be limited to a 'milestone'? Why not celebrate 'being' - being this, being that, being in the moment, being the banal, being the mundane? No, that's not a milestone - it's just another moment, which can't be termed a milestone.
    It's not a comment, it's more of a thought for discussion/argument, if you will indulge.

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    1. What is to discuss or to argue? You are saying exactly what I said :)

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  24. Lol you do, you do. But you keep labeling them as 'achievements' or 'festivities' - that's what got me confused.

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  25. i would have got several rewards of threading apart clothes...if it's considered...to be an achievement...at all...!!!

    gosh another thing that reminds me of my past... i used to visit optical shops every month either for loosing my spectacle or for breaking it, as if it was a mandatory monthly fees i had to pay to repair/buy a new one...untill i got my lasik done.

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    1. So the Lasik spoiled all your chances to celebrate :)

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    2. Yes kind of...but at this age(with a bit of maturity)...if i had to pay an ophthalmologist every month...i won't be celebrating...!!!

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