Myopia...

I’m one of the few to be blessed with myopia since I was 12 years of age ( Phew! I recently completed my 15th year successfully! ) All that I remember when I was first diagnosed with myopia.. was that I was so damn happy, only because I would finally look studious with that accessory (also known as spectacles) if not one ;)
For the unlucky others, who did not get a chance or yet to experience this physics of vision… a quick insight of myopia – also known as shortsight is when objects at a distance appear blurred, however the nearby objects would appear clearly. The degree of how blurred the distant object is denoted by a negative number (-2.75)… the higher is the negative number the closer you are to distant object blindness (I know, you may not accept it mathematically but hey this is physics!)…
In the last 15 years, I have managed to experiment with this default accessory of mine. My specs has been of all types, shapes, sizes and colors. To quote a few- Shell frame, metal, glass, optic fiber, frameless, the huge specs that would almost cover my face – I wonder what I was thinking when I chose that one! I guess I did not have much of a choice, the bill was paid by my Dad.. :)
I wonder if can I call my spectacles – an accessory anymore because it’s now part of me?!!? For all those who are wondering how is that possible, here you go… I have gone to sleep with my specs – thanks to my mom , she managed to save it all the time. I have splashed water on my face, with my specs on, in an attempt to wash my face and when I opened my eyes I almost thought I was turning blind, because all that I saw was a blurry /watery image in front of me. There have also been days, when I had wished my glasses have wipers like that of cars on those rainy days, when I used to return home from school riding my cycle, drenched and with a mild frustration of my ability.
On completion of my 15th year, my friend insisted that I try contact lens. I wasn’t really open to the idea, since I always thought it was quite scary for a foreign element to be seated on my cornea, instead I’d preferred the one that sits on my nose.
My friend not wanting to give up, persuaded me to buy a pair of contact lens…
For all those who are considering to switch to contact lens, I think it’s my moral responsibility to share my stint with that wonder…After having successfully postponed this act for about 3 days from the day of purchase, one evening I opened the contact lens pack – it was soaked in a solution called the lens solution.. It could remain soaked until 2013 unused- atleast that is what the pack read. My friend showed me a demo on how to place that thin circular, curvy transparent thingy called lens on the cornea. She took exactly about 20 seconds to place each of them on her cornea, she blinked about 5 times and voila it had set… It was now my turn… with not just butterflies, but bulls and bears in my stomach, it took roughly about three tries, before I managed to pick up the lens with my ring finger (Don’t ask me why ring finger! It was reflex action, I guess I thought I was picking kumkum – ignorant me!) After multiple attempts which took about 15 minutes, I realized that the ring finger was a wrong choice. And in all the tries in front of the mirror, I had to moisture the lens – soak it in the solution, as it would dry due to exposure to air. This time, I picked the lens in my index finger – as per the beginner’s protocol and my friend’s instruction to learners.
In the process of trying to fit the lens, my eye started watering, my friend who was witnessing my struggle, promptly responded that the lens was waterproof, so it was ok to cry wearing them. She seemed hell bent in me trying contact lens although I felt like boxing her at that moment.
After the tear act, I finally managed to place the lens on my cornea.. Wowww!! what a relief… finally the effort and my tears paid off… I looked around to see if the lens had an effect on my vision. To my amazement, the objects looked clear through one eye, while blurred through the other.. that was the first time, I experienced something like that…After a short break of about 15 mins… It was time for the other lens.. I tried and tried and tried finally gave up.. I looked at the time it was around 12 am… I managed to take the other lens off my eyes in a jiffy and I hit the bed… I haven’t tried them ever since…
Guess what… I realized I’m happy with my Titan Eye wear.. so what if I’m unable to shop goggles … Yes I have to get them powered before I use them… So !!?!

God, Are you listening....?!!?

It was one of those mornings around 8ish, I guess; My bike failed to start, so I was walking to the Gym -not wanting to miss my work out!
On the other side of the road, there was this girl, who caught my attention. She was around 5 to 6 years old, in her school uniform with her school bag on her back and a lunch bag (water bottle +lunch box) walking all alone. I recognized from her uniform that she was going to the local Government school.
I was appalled to see her sob!!
While I was wondering, why she was possibly crying, it was too difficult for me to ignore this tiny tot; hence I walked at a faster pace, crossed the road to catch up with her. Although I was trying to make every possible attempt to strike a conversation with her, she was just not paying heed instead she started running. I was feeling extremely guilty to watch the child with the school bag and lunch box, run crying.
To add to my guilt she tripped and fell flat on the muddy- rugged ground (road was absolutely – nonexistent!).
By now I felt absolutely responsible!
I ran to help the child pick up all her stuff. ..
The dog eared books were all over the place, I arranged the books, in the bag that had no closure. The zip had given way. I then picked up the lunch box, which was very neatly cleaned with no sign of food in it!! I turned to look at the child confused, wondering why somebody would send an empty lunch box.. That is when I realized why the child was crying.. I figured out what she was mentioning…
The child was hungry…!!
I felt torn into pieces… with the little money I had, I bought her a biscuit pack. She took the biscuit pack, wiped her tears and smiled …
In my limited memory..till date... That was the greatest satisfaction, I ever experienced!!
I bid the tiny tot good bye to school hoping that somebody would take care of her rest of the meals for the day..
And what about her living!!!?!? God are you listening??!

A Stranger who made a difference...

It was a bright Monday morning... Regardless of how bright it is… For me Mondays’ generally require lot more motivation to get to work than any normal working day...It was one of those days, when I clearly knew I was running late for the 11.10am shuttle that I normally take to EC (Oh that was Electronics City!)…
It takes roughly about 10 minutes to get to the bus stop from my home…
A quick check on my hand luggage to office (it really is, you would agree in a moment!)
Gym bag – check; Laptop Bag – check; mobile – check; ID card – Check; IPod – check; keys – check;
By the time I left home it was a little past 11 am… my pace increased by twice to what it normally is, since I clearly knew I would miss my shuttle otherwise – which means either wait another hour to board the next shuttle or chase to another bus stop about 2 kms away to try my luck boarding another shuttle…
While I walked about 2 mins… there was this auto which stopped right in front of me… the driver smiled saying... “ Mam Naan drop panren –main road bus stop dhane? vaanga.. “ – Stop !! A quick rewind…
Few days back… I had injured my leg (soft tissue stretch – according to my physiotherapist).That was roughly about a week, when I used to hire auto to reach the bus stop.. On one of those days.. I had taken an auto. I got into a conversation with the driver (which I normally do when I’m travelling alone and when I’m in the mood to talk ofcourse!). The conversation got interesting when the driver started talking about his family. There was an obvious glow in his face, when he spoke about his 5 year old daughter. The conversation had to come to end, as my stop had arrived. I offered him the meter fare and got down.
It was the same driver, who offered to drop me at the Bus stop. Running short of time , without much thought and a willingness to pay even double the fare.. I boarded the auto.
Guess what!! to my bad luck, while the auto was jus reaching the stop, I saw my office bus pass by. ..
Tensed, I asked the driver to chase the bus to the next stopping…
Phew!!! I reached the next bus stop right in time to board the bus.. which is approx 2 kms away…
I quickly searched for my Wallet from my hand luggage to pay the driver….
And you know whatttt?!?!… the auto driver refused to take the fare…
While I stared at him confused.. he replied in Kannada… “ Mam, I offered to drop you.. you never asked for a drop – so no fare.. please board the bus, it is waiting for you”
With a heavy heart , and utmost guilt I boarded my office bus…