Pras has set a Benchmark in writing on ordinary topics in an extra ordinary way with wit and humour. A good goal to achieve.
In my college days I generally performed well. But my high achiever father though congratulated me would find a reason to tease me too. When I missed my firs rank in BSc both in Maths and English by two marks and one respectively, my father said you lost out to the same girl twice. When I received a second prize in a competition by Phillips, I received a gold centered silver medal at Taj, Bombay. But the ego balloon got punctured when you discovered that the first prize recipient was a girl. Fortunately I didn`t have to compete with women in the Navy.
At the outset, I must compliment you on the regularity with which you have been writing the FC week after week and without a break. 48 different topics is no ordinary feat. Equally impressed with the variety of offering. You are able to make the ordinary look and sound extraordinary. It is becoming a habit to look forward to FC every Sunday morning. You also don’t reveal what is coming the following week to maintain the surprise element. Great going.
Talking about benchmarking, were we not influenced by it at every stage of our life ? Be it our behaviour, studies, a skill or sport. There was always someone better and the pursuit for excellence never stopped. Looking back, thanks to the unseizing stimulus mainly by our parents that we can attribute to whatever success we have achieved in life. Whenever I set out to write something, you become my benchmark. And the pursuit never stops !
Anna....the edition is simply superb!! Week after week you have been bringing facets of life, hard to discover. If we look in mirror, some of your thoughts are reflections, taking each of us to our youth & its artful learning.
Your closing lines of a quote are heart touching: We hear about Sonu sood, actor, not of a high profile of the ilk of "Khan trio" but a towering personality for what he did to humanity in the covid crisis. It is not that he has so much, but he sees the smile in the faces of needy. Awaiting your next post!!! Badrinath
I liked Padmanabha’s statement. Have heard it before, but the saying is still true. Nearest, similar instance that I can quickly recall is how we throw our garbage in the next plot thinking all is well with the world as long as our plot is fine or how we consume from and throw plastic bottles around. Finally it will come around to haunt us. May be not in our time but in our children’s or grandchildren’s time.
Pras, your example of benchmarking in your school days literally and otherwise hit the nail on the head. As for benchmarking on the wall, I remember going to a family friend’s house in my childhood days. The moment I reach there, I would be benchmarked against their children’s height marks on the wall to see who was taller.
Today’s newspapers give enough horror news of how children treat their elderly parents, to my very elderly mother who feels, that benchmarked against these, I am way better as a child and I bask in that glory though I know I am not perfect. I have also heard how mothers and grandmothers benchmark other children on the performance of their own children. To them (out of their natural maternal instincts), their own children are simply the best. But then mother’s love is another subject for another day and I won’t get into it now.
‘Benchmark’... you have brought out the ‘positive’ connotation of the word 👍.. interesting childhood recalls, student life perspectives and the corporate outlook narrated here , gives the reader a ’holistic’ picture to this 8 letter word, which has come to stay in our lives .. in our vernacular , it is said that our life is contained in 8 stages... and so it seems with ‘benchmark’ing too👍.. every filter coffee of yours is ‘aromtic’ , unique that🌷
Pras has set a Benchmark in writing on ordinary topics in an extra ordinary way with wit and humour. A good goal to achieve.
In my college days I generally performed well. But my high achiever father though congratulated me would find a reason to tease me too. When I missed my firs rank in BSc both in Maths and English by two marks and one respectively, my father said you lost out to the same girl twice. When I received a second prize in a competition by Phillips, I received a gold centered silver medal at Taj, Bombay. But the ego balloon got punctured when you discovered that the first prize recipient was a girl. Fortunately I didn`t have to compete with women in the Navy.
Dear Prasanna,
At the outset, I must compliment you on the regularity with which you have been writing the FC week after week and without a break. 48 different topics is no ordinary feat. Equally impressed with the variety of offering. You are able to make the ordinary look and sound extraordinary. It is becoming a habit to look forward to FC every Sunday morning. You also don’t reveal what is coming the following week to maintain the surprise element. Great going.
Talking about benchmarking, were we not influenced by it at every stage of our life ? Be it our behaviour, studies, a skill or sport. There was always someone better and the pursuit for excellence never stopped. Looking back, thanks to the unseizing stimulus mainly by our parents that we can attribute to whatever success we have achieved in life. Whenever I set out to write something, you become my benchmark. And the pursuit never stops !
Wow wow I'm your benchmark? I've looked up to you many times. Thank you for the kind word. To be cherished.
Anna....the edition is simply superb!! Week after week you have been bringing facets of life, hard to discover. If we look in mirror, some of your thoughts are reflections, taking each of us to our youth & its artful learning.
Your closing lines of a quote are heart touching: We hear about Sonu sood, actor, not of a high profile of the ilk of "Khan trio" but a towering personality for what he did to humanity in the covid crisis. It is not that he has so much, but he sees the smile in the faces of needy. Awaiting your next post!!! Badrinath
Thank you for the very encouraging words.
I liked Padmanabha’s statement. Have heard it before, but the saying is still true. Nearest, similar instance that I can quickly recall is how we throw our garbage in the next plot thinking all is well with the world as long as our plot is fine or how we consume from and throw plastic bottles around. Finally it will come around to haunt us. May be not in our time but in our children’s or grandchildren’s time.
Pras, your example of benchmarking in your school days literally and otherwise hit the nail on the head. As for benchmarking on the wall, I remember going to a family friend’s house in my childhood days. The moment I reach there, I would be benchmarked against their children’s height marks on the wall to see who was taller.
Today’s newspapers give enough horror news of how children treat their elderly parents, to my very elderly mother who feels, that benchmarked against these, I am way better as a child and I bask in that glory though I know I am not perfect. I have also heard how mothers and grandmothers benchmark other children on the performance of their own children. To them (out of their natural maternal instincts), their own children are simply the best. But then mother’s love is another subject for another day and I won’t get into it now.
As usual, your comments are a blend of experience and introspection. Thank you Bro.
‘Benchmark’... you have brought out the ‘positive’ connotation of the word 👍.. interesting childhood recalls, student life perspectives and the corporate outlook narrated here , gives the reader a ’holistic’ picture to this 8 letter word, which has come to stay in our lives .. in our vernacular , it is said that our life is contained in 8 stages... and so it seems with ‘benchmark’ing too👍.. every filter coffee of yours is ‘aromtic’ , unique that🌷
Excellent commentary on the eight lettered word. You have created a benchmark for comments!!
Yes covid has humbled us all and brought us back to caring for each other and learning to live without all the unnecessary frills we once desired.
Thank you dearest Lynn for the first post!