Keeping up with the Joneses!

I am sure you have seen the new Ford F-150 commercials with Jerry Jones in it. I like those commercials, although Jerry Jones has not exactly been on my favorite persons list lately. But anyways it talks about how, "to keep up with the Joneses" you may not be able to buy The Dallas Cowboys or afford your own football stadium, but you can start by driving the truck he drives in the first place. I think it is a brilliant commercial, because each one of us are guilty of trying "to keep up with the Joneses". True, most of us are smart enough to not even think about keepin up with Jerry Jones, but there are The Smiths next door or the Kumars at work or the Browns at church. I understand that it is an inherent nature of man/woman to always want what he/she can't afford/don't have, but where do you draw the line between passion and obsession. It is very hard and the line is very thin. First there will be Jones1, then Jones2 and soon there will be so many Joneses that keeping up the Joneses would have somehow become your sole reason for existence. And that my friend is a bad place to be in!

So the word to keep in mind is "content". If we are content with what we have, I tell you life will be so much more simpler and not to mention happier! Think about it! :-)

Peace!

Poem

Bumped into this poem today! Seemed very interesting and true!

First Dentistry was painless
Then bicycles were chainless
And carriages were horseless
And many laws enforce-less

Next cookery was fireless
Telegraphy was wireless
Cigars were nicotine-less
And coffee caffeine-less

Soon oranges were seedless
The putting green was weedless
The college boy was hatless
The proper diet fatless

New motor roads are dustless
The latest steel is rustless
Our tennis courts are sodless
Our new religion Godless

Peace!

Hancock

Ever since the movie "Hancock" came out in June, I have been itching to watch it, not only because I am a big Will Smith fan but also because it seemed interesting. But somehow I never got the time to watch the movie. But yesterday, I finally rented a DVD and watched it. Although, the reviews weren't that great, I must say, I thought the movie was pretty cool. I agree it has a weird & complicated story line. But I think the movie conveyed a priceless message! "If you want to be strong and productive with a long life, stay as far away as you can from your....wife". No no wait a minute, thats not what I had in mind! It came out wrong. Let me re-phrase it!

But I think the movie conveyed a priceless message! "If you want to have a strong and productive life of serving others, you have to sacrifice something! No pain no gain" There you go that sounds much better! :-)

Peace!

Excuse me Doc!

Not too long ago, I blogged about how I feel sorry for folks with 2 or more kids and how hard it is for me to find time with just one kiddo. (Read it here) Anyways, since then, I have been trying to organize myself a little more and I was slowly getting into a routine and stuff. My wife even agreed to stop working evenings and just do mornings. This way things seemed to be ok. But 2 weeks back my son and my wife had been to San Antonio. We had a good time of rest and just before we left, D complained of indigestion. So we skipped meeting my buddy Mark in Austin and headed straight home to Big "D". But the indigestion stayed on for a day, then two and when it was finally a week, we decided to go see our PCP. So I skipped work and drove her to the Doctor's. My wife went into to meet the nurse while Jay & I played outside the doctor's office. She wasn't gone for 10 minutes, before the nurse summoned me. At this point I was really worried. Instantly I was reminded of our "Indian" movies, where the Doctor calls the husband solemnly to break the sad news. But as I walked into the room with Jay, I saw what seemed like a smile on the nurse's face and nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to hear next. If you hadn't guessed already then you are like me, but if you had guessed it then you are right! The nurse told me with a gentle but elated voice, "Your wife is pregnant"! I don't think I have ever used the word "Excuse me" more emphatically before, like I did that afternoon. And she repeated again, "Your wife is pregnant, you are going to have another baby". So, I asked the most ridiculously stupid question I could ever ask a medical professional, "Are you sure?" And she showed me the pregnancy test and told me with a smile, "Yes! She is sooo pregnant" I didn't know what to say! Quietly we checked out and headed home. The drive home was a weird one. A silent one! Many thoughts went through my mind the for the next 48 hours. But finally I got around it and accepted the fact that I am going to be a Dad of two kids. Now almost 2 weeks later, I am excited although I have no idea how I am going to handle it. But I know somehow "we" will. At one point we weren't even sure if we will have kids. But today we have a sweet boy and a another in the oven. And for that I am grateful!

Peace!

100000 Miles

Last night my car made history by reaching a 100,000 miles. This would be the second time a car reached a 100,000 miles in our household. Definitely not an occasion to celebrate, but most certainly blogworthy! I am grateful for my sweet car! For all the road trips, the pointless "What do we eat tonight?" drives, the frequent pick-ups from the airport, the gazillion "I think I am having a baby now, lets go to the hospital" drives and the sweetest drive of all: J's homecoming! Although, I have cursed the day I bought my V6 engine car many a times, especially in the last few months, I must say it has been a good car to me. Go Acura!

Peace!

The View

There are many things that I love about my job and there are many things I don't as well. But one one thing that I cherish the most is the view from my cubicle. Our building was built right adjacent to these beautiful woods in the middle of Richardson. And for those who do not know Richardson, it is a city in the middle of the DFW metroplex. A city, where an empty patch of land goes to the builders faster than you can say "Jack Robinson"! So I take pride in what I see from the window of my week-day, day-time home! But after working here for almost 3 years, I have forgotten the greatest part of having a window cubicle with a great view: to actually enjoy it! Every time somebody comes by to visit me for the first time, our conversation always starts with "Wow! What a great view!". And thats when I look out and say, "Wow! It IS a great view!". But after they leave, I get busy burying my head into my monitor. What a shame! And how often we do that in our lives. We are so busy with what to do tomorrow that we overlook the beautiful view in front of our freakin' eyes, today. What a shame! So starting today I am going to try hard to enjoy the view from the window. The beautiful blossoms in spring, the plush green leaves in summer, the changing colors of winter, the barren trees in winter and not to mention the squirrels. You should too! :-)


Peace!

Why?

Yesterday I heard 2 significant news. One was that somebody is having a baby and the other was a little boy has been diagnosed with leukemia. Although, the news of the miracle of a child being born excited me, but the news of a child with cancer troubled me and made me ponder about things of which I do not have control of. I started to ask the infamous question "Why?" Why should the little boy suffer? His parents are good people. Why Why Why? I did scientifically and psyhologically explain it in my heart, but somehow the answers seemed incomplete.

But I know the Bible says "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

So I take solace in the fact that the Almighty one is in control!

"The riddles of God are more satisfying than the solutions of man." - G.K.Chesterton