Sunday, February 28, 2010

Happy tidings and how the concrete breaks my fall(sometimes)

Ok People,
I guess a post is long overdue! Thank you for the poke, Nancy! :)
I have been drifting as always. But hey, this time it`s different.
This time I dont feel lost.
A few good things have happened.
First, two stories of mine got published in the 'Chicken soup for the Indian Romantic Soul'. The book`s been launched and it`s available in book stores and people are actually paying money to read what I(and a lot of others!) wrote!I was a wee bit hesitant about sharing this because after all it isnt the New Yorker! But hey guys, I`m in print! :)
Secondly, I started guitar lessons three weeks back. Yes, yet again!
This will be my third attempt( and if anyone`s interested, I can divulge the details of the first two in a subsequent post!).I`m working on 'Blowing in the wind' right now(no, not because it`s my favorite song, but because the chords are easy!). And well, it doesnt quite sound like a song yet. But I`ll get there by and by.
Third, I managed to get accepted as a member of this music club here at Minneapolis. I havent yet attended a meeting. But I`ve found people to jam with on warm saturday afternoons :) For the longest time now, this is something I have so ached for!
Fourth, I met a bunch of people I actually liked(you all probably know by now, just how judgmental and picky I am!) - a couple who are quite fun(contrary to my preconceived ideas!) and who were here at our place for dinner last night. They were wonderful! And someone I havent yet met. But I`m so looking forward to.He appears to be this real cool guy who reads Ayn Rand and a whole bunch of other stuff I havent the faintest clue of! And he makes beautiful music!
So It`s been a happy time all in all, People.

A few days back I chanced upon this quote while randomly blog hopping.
"My life is spent in a perpetual alternation between two rhythms, the rhythm of attracting people for fear I may be lonely, and the rhythm of trying to get rid of them because I know that I am bored." -- C.E.M. Joad
It set me thinking.
Sometimes I find myself recklessly plummeting towards certain people,with a blithe unconcern for the aftermath.At least I have in the past.
Do you know how that feels? To be utterly insouciant?
It`s like hurtling through a vacuum at an alarming rate, with spectators all around to watch you as you fall.
Or surfing to the horizon and back on a big blue wave, while people stand on the shores and watch. Some come after you to pull you out. But you run.
You ride the waves like you`ve never done before. And all there is to do for anybody is to sit and wait for you to crash against a surf-break.
Have you ever felt that way?
I have.
But it has not felt forbidden. Dangerous. Or sinful.
It has felt happy. Comfortable.
Like the first August rain splashing on your face to make you blink. But you still dance away.
Like the dark, deserted walkway by the lake. But you still saunter along.

So here`s my question to you guys.
Have you ever met someone, gone around or done something you really wanted to do, even though your mind constantly yanked you away? Even when you knew you were swimming blind in uncharted waters? Even when you knew it was forbidden?
It could be anything really..Like the time I was dating two guys at the same time and none of them knew about the other! Or the time I chatted up online(for the longest time really!) with this guy my 'friend' was dating and even met him over coffee once, without her knowing!
(In my defense, I`d like to add that I was doing them both a favor - they just werent right for each other - though I realized this in retrospect, in the light of their bitter divorce last year)
Or the time I threw eggs on unsuspecting pedestrians from a moving bus.
(Cant think of a rational explanation for this one, other than a momentary lapse of reason!)
You know..things like that.
Have you ever? Come, come, tell..

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

ha ha ha ... I'm so pleased to see a happy post here... I'm still laughing about you doing 'both of them a favour'.. amazing!! well done!! I'm sure they must be grateful.. ha ha!!

Lovely about the 'chicken soup'..

Sraboney said...

Congratulations! How does it feel to see your name in print?

My, my, Piper...You are an interesting person...I like this 'going against the grain' thing about you...

I have done some things that I shouldn't have done and probably still do, but I can't write about them... ;)

I tried learning the guitar once but had to give up when I realized I wasn't musical :(

Piper .. said...

Patricia: Hey, great to see you back! :) How`ve you been? And you`re right - this is one happy post after long, long time.. :)

Sraboney: It feels awesome(though I`ve had to see it on skype! It`s not availble here and my mom hasnt yet posted my copy. But it feels great! :) Do you have an entry too? I will not ask you to divulge the details of course(though I`m dying to know!) - but I just wanted to know if it`s only me who`s been 'naughty' all my life(now I know!).. And more importantly(I`ll do a post soon) - whether marriage sobers you up or not.

Broom said...

Oh yes I have!

Met a woman while I was married (to a man). Fell madly in love. Got divorced.
It's now been 4 mostly happy years that she & I have been together.

BK Chowla, said...

All the best and it must be a great feeling to see your book in stores.
It was good to see you after a long gap.

Passionate Goof said...

Wow! Congrats on the getting published bit Piper. You so deserve to be in print, I love your way of writing.:D I am amazed at how much you put in to your life. Besides your academic qualifications, there are so so many amazing qualities you have lady, your writing, your music, now guitar. Way to go!

About naughty things, well mine have been more of the adventurous kinds, like runnign away to get autographs/ watch a match, skipping school ,bunking college kinds. Have done my fair share of stuff there. Quite a boring girl on teh relationship front, the GP being the only boyfriend I ever had..... not that I mind it one bit. But yes, as a teenager done my share of crank calls, night long chats with guys and stuff like that. Don't know if its naughty enough, but I have had enough trouble with my parents on these. Oh yes! I also ran away from my college hostel and stayed at the GP's place(with his family) for a week, no one besides one friend in college n my room-mate know.... till date!
In reply to your response to Bones, please do the post on whether marriage sobers u up or not. Would LOVE to read it.

Passionate Goof said...

sorry for the super long comment.

Sraboney - I want to know your tales!

Renu said...

wow Mishy! congratulations and I am going to buy that book, saw it on the stands, but due to romance theme I didnt buy:)

I have never done anything extraordinaire in my life and now sometimes I just want to remove all the shackles and live.Bindaas..just hope that before leaving this world may be I get just one year to live that way:)

Sunshine said...

of course! im always doing stuff im not supposed to!
- dating a guy one of my good friends used to like...and which i knew about!
- falling for my then bfs good friend..!
- sneaking out of the house at 5am while my parents r asleep!

lol...ok i should stop before i start...we should meet someday...im sure we will have a huuge list of naughty things done to discuss! i cant believe u dated two guyz at the same time! lol amazing! :P

ohh and it is xtremely nice to c a happy post! :)

and ohhh congratulations!!! i need to get hold of that chicken soup now! shall tell u when i do! *hugz*

Lakshmi said...

So glad to hear your updates Piper. Congratulations on being printed, that is amazing. And it is great hearing about your guitar lessons and the music club.

And it is a blessing to find friends with whom you do not have to work hard. I sometimes wonder about some friendships...

Piper .. said...

Broom: :) Thanks for sharing this with me :) I too have several skeletons in the closet which I`ll never dare write about. I wish I was anonymous! :)

B K Chowla: Sir, I havent yet seen the book :( It`s not available here in the US. But yes, it feels great! :) Thanks for visiting me.

Goof: Trust you to write such a warm, heart-felt comment! :) I`ve done something like what you`ve mentioned too :):) Someday I shall adopt Christianity and then I can do whatever I wish to and cleanse it all with a few hail marys! :):)
Yes, I`ll write about the marriage thing - I have been thinking about it.

Renu: Ohh Renu, but you do live bindaas! I have been telling my mom about you and now she`s regularly surfing the internet and emailing us(inspired by you!). Blogging is of course a whole new ball game! :)
You dont have to be 'bad' to live bindaas :):)

Piper .. said...

Sunshine: We definitely need to meet up! :):) And yes, I actually did! But trust me, it`s a tedious job! :);)

Lakshmi: Hey, great to see you here again! :) Your comment set me thinking. It is great to have friends with whom you dont have to work hard - but Lakshmi, I havent found them :( I`ll do a post on this. I so know what you mean..

Passionate Goof said...

Wish it were really that simple. I honestly feel no deed is bad if done with the right intent, but the best of things done with bad intent is bad. And I doubt if any amount of confessions help in such situations. :(
PS - When will you ever be available online, so wanna talk!

Sraboney said...

Piper and GM: Such tales can't be discussed on my blog as my folks read it...

Mystic Margarita said...

Hey! Congrats, Mishy! Much deserved, if I may add. As for stuff I shouldn't have done, it's best to dig them up - they are long dead and buried. :p And it's great you're learning to play the guitar...i hope to, some day, as well.

Piper .. said...

Goof: I guess it`s the time frame!:( My evenings are your mornings, when you`re free. But that`s when The G gets home..:( I`ll write to you.

Sraboney: I know..you dont have to, my friend :) Some of my folks read my stuff too - I`ve stopped caring(or atleast I pretend to!). I am mostly guarded but sometimes I let my hair down without a thought..that`s why I`m trouble always!

Mystic: Heyyy..how have you been? Ohh you must learn, though I`m sure you have your hands full with the lil one :)

Smitha said...

Piper, Congratulations!!!! It must feel so great to be in print :) I am going to say I know a writer now :)

Guitar lessons - I am so going to learn music with daughter :)

As for forbidden stuff :) Well nothing as drastic as dating two people at the same time, but yes, have done my share of naughty things. I still feel bad about drenching doodhwalas during holi while growing up - it felt so much fun then :) These days, I think I have become a boring old person :)

Piper .. said...

Smitha: You must start music lessons with your daughter! I so love the thought! :) As for being boring now, hmm I dont think it`s a very good idea to be 'adventurous', esp with a lil girl in tow! :) you have to be her role model, you see :)

Miss M said...

Such a coincidence cos one of my stories got selected for their (Chicken soup) upcoming book. :D Actually I was totally unaware of the book until the editor saahiba herself left a comment on my blog asking me whether she could publish one of my posts in the book.

It's such high no, to see your story in print? :D I am eagerly waiting for the book now!

ani_aset said...

wow me liked the whole guitar jamming stuff..good good keep going ..and naah i havent done any of the things you have done so far :D

Doli said...

congrats on the two stories for the indian chicken soup :)

Piper .. said...

Miss M: Heyyy, hearty congratulations!! :) Which post is this? Send me a link. One of the stories that got published is a post from my blog too. The other one is something I`m dreadfully ashamed of, I admit. :( I wrote it in a day and sent it without proper editing :(:( I wish I`d done a better job.

Ani_aset: Heyyy great to see you here after a long time :) Ohh you must go and do something now :):) Good people dont make history, like they say!! :)

Doli: Thanks a lot, Doli. And welcome to my blog. Hope to see you here again! :):)

Anonymous said...

Ha ha hoo hoo.. throwing eggs from a bus? Gosh! You are such a tomboy! And you are a published writer now? Woohoo...well done!!! Another friend of mine also had a story published in the same book!! I have to get a copy now. Mish could you send me an autographed copy please? I'll pay :-)

Reflections said...

Congratulations on ur stories in CSFTS....way to go babe!!!!!!!

And guitar classes...great. I always wanted to go for piano classes but never got the chance.

And u thre eggs at people from the bus....heeeeheeeehawww;-D
I cant remember doing any such thing....but there's just one incident from school where I filled up a charity form with names like Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, Vinod Khanna, Kumar Gaurav and wrote their contribution as rs.2[minimum was rs 2 u knw] & gave a princely sum of rs 10 totally...dumb I knw;-D.