Monday, September 27, 2010

Pleasures of letter writing - contd !

It was very heartening to note the overwhelming response to my first blog. It has encouraged me to go in for the next one - albeit on the same subject - immediately. So here are the stray thoughts - flying all over my head - right in black and white ;

In response to my blog Varun - my son - expressed his disappointment in not being able to have the pleasure of reading his grandpa's letters. Well none of the grand children enjoyed this privilege as they were all very young when he passed away.But I did manage to save a dozen or so of his letters written to my daughter Chaitra(5 years at that time), for the next generation. It doesn't say much but the way it is written - in big bold letters so that she could read it easily - says a lot. I will request my son to scan it and add to my next blog and request all you youngsters to follow this habit to make your little ones happy. Send the PP cards from the lovely places you visit on your business trip. If you are too busy to shop for the PP cards carry them as a habit after purchasing them in bulk.If it is a tour in India post them plain post cards. They will love it. It is not enough if you love them you have to express it. You can do this with your spouses too but no post cards here please !!

If I ever have the opportunity to visit Europe - I think I will as I am a die hard optimist - not many places therein will appear strange to me and the credit for this goes to my only sister Meera Gururaja who was in France in the late 70's with her husband, thanks to ISRO. They toured Europe no doubt but we too had a ring side view of all the places thanks to her excellent letter writing habit .She is to keep us updated about every small details of their tour which we used to enjoy as much as them if not more. These letters used to be my solace - apart from father's letters - when I was serving in remote villages of Madhya Pradesh. People might say that the telephone has shrunk the world into a village. It is true no doubt but written words have a magic of their own which spoken words can't beat. While reading a letter - written as a travelogue - you can go back to the details time and again and live the journey all over which makes the pleasure doubly so. Now a days people seem to feel that others are not interested in small details of places and their perceptions and hence hesitate to share it with their loved ones. Don't make this mistake. Reach out . You won't regret it. It will be like planting the seed of a fruit tree. You might not get to eat the fruit yourself but some one some where will relish it and will probably carry on this good legacy. If any one feels I am sounding like a preacher, my sincere apologies. But I will be back again soon. Let God bless you all.

5 comments:

  1. Hi Uncle,

    I now know where Varun gets his writing skills from. I was hooked on to the post until I read both of them. Uncle, would love to read the letters one day. Hope Varun finds time soon enough to post them here.
    I had always loved letters. In 1998 when landlines were making strides in towns in Bihar now Jharkhand..I was in a hostel. Every week my parents used to write letters to me in an 'Inland' letter. 1st page belonged to Baba and the rest to Ma. And in their suttle words of love and emotions they definitely guided my life without even being close to me. Uncle thank you for bringing back the memories of my childhood. Somehow the age of mobile texting and emailing has taken out the vowels from the words and with the pleasure of writing too!

    with regards
    Arnab

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  2. Truer words. Sometimes we cannot express through speech what we want to say and then the words come handy and what better way than writing a letter.

    And if many might not be comfortable with buying PP or Inland Letters to write then certainly can write a mail (as per their convenience). After all its all about exchanging views and definitely time can be taken out to write letters, now be that through PPs or mails. What matters is making other person happy.

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  3. Enjoyed reading!

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  4. Nice post.

    I can definitely relate to your comment about perceptions that no one would be interested in your minutiae and therefore we don't bother expressing it or writing it down.

    There have been times when I come across an old photograph from my past and go "there was something funny and interesting about that place, wonder what it was". That's when I wish I had written it down, if not for someone else, at least for my own reminiscences.

    Sridhar

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  5. @ Arnab Chakraverty - Dear Arnab, Thanks for liking the blog. Good to know that it brought back some excellent old memories for you.

    @ Vee - As you rightly say written words have more impact than the spoken ones.At the end of the day if you can make others also happy your happiness increases by many fold.

    @ Vidya - Glad you enjoyed it but what about your loving husband !

    @ Sridhar - your comments were awaited very eagerly by me. The observations are thought provoking and made me run to the dictionary!

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