Google

So Google turns nineteen today and it is with some amount of pride, laced with regret, that I recall being there to witness its meteoric rise and not participating in it in any way. I had nothing to do with it- other than living in Silicon valley from 2001-2007 and being part of that buzz, that era when the dot coms came back after their initial bust. When they rose like phoenixes from the fall and after being called nothing more than just a big fad.

Back then Google was struggling to find people to come work for them. They had fliers under the glass covers on tables at Indian restaurants, even advertised in movie theaters where they played Indian movies. Everyone scoffed at a company that was called "Google"- it sounded pretty ridiculous, so no one really wanted to go work there- risk their career at a place like this.

To say things are different now would be an understatement. I guess no better example in life that demonstrates the principle of "Never judge a book by its cover". Happy 19th Birthday Google!

Navratri

Today is the start of ten most auspicious days in the Hindu calendar which will culminate in the festival of Dussera and then will be followed by Diwali. But while this is a time of joy, family, prosperity, and celebration, ironically enough the ten days of Navratri are also about a time of war. Whether it be the battle of Ram with Ravan or Durga annihilating the demons. And for that reason I can't think of a more relevant time than today to revisit what lies at the heart of this season. With all the natural and man made disasters that have struck the world so recently, we have to understand that peace and prosperity are not a given. We as humans must each find that strength in us to constantly fight the powers of destruction and  re-establish order and safety. If we don't cherish and guard our environment, or give heed to elements in society who are marginalized and need equality and fairness, they will fight back and will leave a trail of loss in their wake. So this Navratri, let us take a moment to reaffirm our responsibility to the people around us and to the delicately balanced world that we live in.

Sticks

An odd title for a post but a lady picking up sticks in the park is what inspired me to write this post today. She must have been in her late sixties and as I walked just past the lake, I saw her collecting fallen twigs and larger branches ever so diligently. I was completely puzzled. Was it kindling for fire? That would be odd because it would have been much easier to go to Kroger and just get a bag. It must be for some sort of craft project I thought to myself and smiled- satisfied and convinced that I had found the answer.  But the story changed when I got an opportunity to speak to her.

As I made the turn to start another lap around the grass lawn, she came in from the other side. She had a sweet smile and an open friendly demeanor that made it easy for me to approach her. I asked her  why she was collecting the sticks and her answer was nothing like what I had expected.

She told me that seven years ago when she had moved to the neighborhood, she had witnessed two young kids pick up the fallen sticks and hit each other playfully. Unfortunately one of them had hurt the other very badly. She took that to be a sign from God.  She said, "That day I told myself this is what the Lord has set as my purpose. I must collect these sticks and prevent any other accidents." The conviction in her voice was absolute. She had no concern for the fact that, just given the size of the park and the sheer number of trees around, there was no way that she could keep the park stick free. However many she collected, there would be new branches and twigs the next day. The park would never be clean and she would not prevent all the stick fights that little boys will have in the park- but her faith and the strength it gave her, made all of that meaningless. She had seen an act and had found the courage to read the signs. No meaning was needed where faith was the basis.

My final thoughts as I walked back home were all about her and her mission- wouldn't it be amazing to have that kind of faith- a guiding light that shined in the darkest of moments and cast aside all shadows of doubt? Very few people are lucky to find that faith and the strength that comes from it and if it does come to someone- they should cherish it.

Dreamers

Dreamers or children protected under DACA, and the question mark that was just put on their future by this administration, raises so many questions. It has, once again, brought into sharp focus the shift away from tolerance, generosity and kindness in today's America.

I am not that political savvy and could not hold a very long informed conversation about immigration with someone. But what I do know is that for a nation as large as this, eight hundred thousand productive and young people can not be a bad thing. They can not be a burden.

Also DACA is not just a policy- it is also an implied promise that was made by the administration to these children. A promise that a decent solution would be found for their unique situation in life. If a country cannot live up to its commitments just because of a change in who sits in a position of power, its soul comes into question. It clearly becomes party over nation and not the other way around.

One can only hope that the earnest will of the people and the plea of these young men and women, and children, reaches the ears of those deafened by the applause of an election win.