Flying kites... with children!

I've realised one thing about flying kites... 

Flying kites all by myself, with the whole terrace free and peaceful is a great joy.  But flying kites with children, that's an adventure!! 

The last couple of days I've been flying kites with a couple of our resident staff and their children... gosh, it is all confusion. Forget about the kites swooping down from up above, of the neighbours, coming down to clash with mine, there are a hundred other kites and threads running all across. While I managed to cut half-a-dozen of the kites in the skies, I lost two (the only two I lost) ... thanks to the kids around me who keep running around with the kites in hand and entangling every bit of thread. 

Then there are some of these whom you have to constantly keep an eye on. Take your eye off them for a millisecond and you'll see them next on a ladder climber higher on the water tank, or trying to reach for the branch of a tree from the parapet of the terrace or scaling the solar panels!!! 

Then there are kids who, while flying one kite, see another cut one flying kilometers away happily leave this kite in hand and run (mind you, we're on the terrace of a building!) to try and catch that cut kite! 

By the time it is dark and we get off the terrace, there are nearly two dozen kites that we need to pick up from the terrace... not one of which will be intact!  Not to say anything of the thread (brought in earlier or gathered from the cut kites)... it is all bundled as if one were rolling a mat after a night cap on the roof! 

Nonetheless, of the two options of flying kites alone or with others, I'd still prefer the latter! 

Flying kites

 The last I flew a kite was when I was studying in Divyadaan, Nashik... way back in 1999. It is after 25 years that I again had the joy of flying kites the other day at Mothinagar.  For the last three years I have kept telling myself that I need to again fly kites, but never managed to get to the terrace to actually fly one. Even though I collected some kites every year!! 

So when the opportunity presented itself while at Mothinagar, I did not hesitate or feel shy! The next day, back in the Provincial house I walked to the nearest shop and purchased a charka and thread, since I had a good collection of kites which I had gathered from the terrace for the last couple of days.   

Last Sunday had the joy of flying one with Willy and Anet.  However, Anet couldn't get her head around the notion and act of standing in the sun and holding on to a thread!  So, while flying the kite, she sat down in the shade and asked, 'How long do I have to do this?'  I guess likes and preferences differ. Perhaps I'd have asked the same question if I were riding a horse, and she'd be dumb-founded at that question!!!

God as a living person

 In the book Mister God, this is Anna, there is an interesting episode - among the many - where Fynn tucks little Anna into bed and ...

"Ain't you gonna say your prayers?" she asked. "Well, yes," I replied, "when I get to bed." "I want say mine now with you," she said. So we both god down on our knees and she talked while I listened. 

I've been to church many times, and heard many prayers, but none like this. I can't remember much about her prayer except that it started off with, "Dear Mister God, this is Anna talking," and she went on in such a familiar way of talking to Mister God that I had the creepy feeling that if I dared look behind me he would be standing there.

It is that familiarity and closeness with which Anna 'speaks' to God that caught my attention.  God, for her, was not a distant reality or a supernatural being to be adored.  For her, God was alive and present, in person, for real and therefore addressed and spoken to as if present here and now. 

I wonder how many of us will ever reach this stage of life, this personal experience of God.  

Leading others

 In one of Don Bosco's dreams he sees a shepherdess leading a pack of wolves and wild animals towards the Church and eventually the lot of wild animals turns into meek lambs. This was read by Don Bosco as a sign of what he was to do.  

When I heard of this dream, I asked myself, as a Salesian, all the more in my present role, if I look back and see those following me, whom would I find?  

I once used to tell the Brothers at Kondadaba that when going to the villages for the oratory, they have an opportunity not just to 'do something' but to 'inspire and sow the seed'.  The analogy I had in mind was that of the octopus and our ministry as leaders to not limit ourselves to be one of the tentacles, but the head of the octopus.  Therefore, as I turn back and see as to who is following me now, I really don't expect to see many - or any, for that matter!  Nonetheless, I know for sure of this: that I am being watched; I am being observed.  The thoughts, plans, decisions and most especially my witness will challenge, inspire and perhaps help others, in due time.  Because it is not for them that I be and do what I do, but because that is how God wants me to be and do and I concur with what is His plan. 

Shut up and keep quiet

Hearing today's gospel reading I was reminded of one of Papa's quotes, which we still fondly use at home: Shut up and keep quiet!

Jesus preached to the people with authority.  If so why did he have to give the demon a double command: Be quiet and get out!  He could have either told it to be silent or asked it to get out all together. Either way, the person would have been healed - at least mostly.  But from experience of Papa's use of this statement, I think, unless the demon left and left silently, the harm done would be equally bad, if it were only silent and still plaguing the person from within. 

AI workshop

I have been attending an Artificial Intelligence (AI) workshop at the Provincial house since three days. I opted for participating in it to learn and explore the possibilities of the technological availability of the AI. The biggest challenge I personally feel is the shift from moving to being a user to creator. Even being a user is something not mastered by me, yet! 

Secondly a shift in mentality, from the traditional means of operation to a more technological based process to facilitate efficiency and save time. 

Next is a lack of clarity of what to do with it?  But I see it only as an initial hiccup. 

I personally would like to explore it for analysing data, utilising networking tools for greater and efficient collaboration with other offices in the Provincial house, and finally for the communication network of the Province. 

Finally, a pic generated through AI...

Self-sustainability or apostolate sustainability

Investment in the revenue generating institutions to increase self-sustainability… while this investment is being done, are we undoing the apostolates/places (boardings, street children,) where this revenue is to be spent? Seen positively, we could be moving from institutional structures to non-institutional apostolate (scholarships, migrants,) . But needs to be made consciously and strategically, not sporadically or ‘unconsciously’. Also, this needs to be done, with a new and different mindset; not the same old doling out mode. Negatively, there is an erosion of the ‘poor’ from our sphere of apostolate. 

Self-deceiving illusion

 Very often we live in a world of our own.  We fail to see our own shortcomings but see others faults very clearly. We speak and act as if what I think and do are the best and the most appropriate means to success.  What others think or do is always messy and insufficient.  

The tragedy is when we consistently do this, and make ourselves believe that this self-image is right. Everything else and everyone else has to change. Not I!  

Blessed are those who can view themselves with the same lens as we see others.  And see others, as we see ourselves! 

Closer home

 A natural human tendency that one gets to see most often in strenuous or long pilgrimages or journeys: no matter how weary or tired one is, the awareness of being closer to home or destination spurs us on greatly.  There is an adrenalin rush when one sees home or the finishing line in sight.  

I remember the Student cross pilgrimage walk from Ely to Walshingham nearly 5 years ago.  As we were getting closer to the Shrine, the sound and gusto of our hymns and singing increased. Our feet naturally gained fresh strength, even though we were dragging our feet after three days of continuous walk and climb. A couple of youngsters even broke down in joyful tears when we stepped into the small chapel at the place.  Embracing one another, jumping about, shaking hands... all with such enthusiasm and freshness, as if we just started our journey that morning.  There were no traces of our long journey (except for our stench of not having bathed for three days!).  

Religious vows

 When we make our vows, as religious men and women, we really never understand fully the depth of its implications!  Even if we do understand it to a great extent, we often do not live it fully!  

The vow indicates a total surrender. A complete submission of all of ourselves.  Holding back nothing.  But our human insecurities prevent us from this complete surrender or total submission.  In the process, we neither live our human life fully nor our religious vows.  Worse is when we make use of one for the other, merely for our personal petty plans!