Being 'ONE' as a family......

This past weekend, my wife and I were fortunate to be a part of a celebration of a young lady's graduation from medical school. It was just family and a few close friends. It was one of the most memorable evenings for me. And the reason for it being so special was the "informality"  of the evening. It was a cozy basement. The atmosphere was all about love and affection for the young lady, and wishing her the best for the rest of her life. One could feel the warmth of the cocoon her family had provided, and they were 'ONE' that evening.

There were no highly strung divas strutting around, flashing their diamonds or the Type A gentlemen talking about their big condos or even bigger bank balances! And thank God for that. This gathering was far from that. It was all about heart, respect and pulling together as a family.

We go through a lot in life, with its numerous ups and downs, but we always start and end with family. It is a well known fact that children belonging to stable and close knit families will always do well in life. This kind of nurturing produces a strong character.

Anybody who tells you that they never have disagreements  or arguments within their family, is probably not being entirely truthful. Friction is an integral part of the definition of family. But deep down in our hearts, we know that we can never turn away from those with whom we spent our childhood and with whom we shared those special memories & secrets growing up. Always remember that "Families are like fudge---mostly sweet, with a few nuts!"

"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one." 

.

The facebook "Contract"?!

"Hey, why don't you have a facebook account?" a friend asked me the other day.
"Just the time factor," I replied. "I know I am in a small minority of people who are not on facebook."
"Well, if you do get an account, don't sign that contract," he said.
"Contract? There's no contract when you get an account with facebook." I was pretty sure.
"Some people do sign a contract," he said and sounded sure too.
"What kind of a contract is it?" I asked.
"Where you promise facebook to put up pictures and details of wherever you went, whatever you do," he said.
"Are you sure? I don't think there is anything like that." Or was there? Now I was having doubts.
"But then why would some folks put up pictures of where ever they go? And sometimes while they are still at that party or place!"
I thought for an instant. I had heard of people putting up pictures and details of almost everything they do...but not because they had to, its because they want to.
"That's not because of a contract! That's just because they want to share with friends," I said.
"But their friends are with them at all these places," my friend said.
"I think its for those 'friends' who are not there. I 'm sure there's no contract. They just want to share the fun they had," I replied.
"Hmm. If there is no contract, then its more like showing their 'friends' rather than sharing with them. That's 'targeted sharing'," he said.
"Targeted Sharing!' I almost laughed out loud. "I've heard of 'Targeted Advertising'....but you do have something there. Showmanship is a part of our lives and culture."

He made a great point. I think facebook is a revolutionary innovation of our times. People have found long lost friends and connected to folks all around the globe. But some do take it too far. Posting everything (often with extra spice!) about what we are doing on a daily (sometimes hourly!) basis is a bit of a stretch. The inherent brilliance of a person is a direct reflection of his or her simplicity, without the the extra showmanship and glitter.

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication!" ~ Leonardo Da Vinci  


.