Is grammar important ?

"Amongst girl students, Tanvi Mahajan, a female student scored maximum."

Can you believe that a similar line appeared in a newspaper report recently ?

Good grammar will enable you express yourself much clearly - our English teacher in Saraswati Vidayalaya - Mrs Janaki Iyer used to say. "Correct grammar will also help people understand what you want to say, well."

A language is supposed to help communicate. Better the grammar, better the communication or so I thought. But the first line of this edition of the blog does communicate. But the extra three words - 'a female student' could have been avoided.

So where does one learn good grammar and language from ? Nagpur Times was one of our benefactors during our childhood days. Very few mistakes, clear communication, good linguistic flow. Most parameters essential for the editorial success of a newspaper were in ample quantum.

Fast forward to the day, the situation does not seem very pleasant. Most of the top people in the editorial sections of English dailies rue that manpower (read incumbent reporters / subs)> I must endorse that lack of good manpower is not limited to the media in particular. There are training methods which have been designed to enhance the performance of the staff. Motivation and training can produce excellent results. But the fact remains that those who dont improve after all efforts, have to be removed from the system. Imperfection will always lead to degradation of any system. And it will also eat into the health of any organisation.

The sooner things are rectified, the better it is !!

The Laden Tree.

How important are fruits on a tree ?

Well, any tree which is supposed to bear fruit should and must bear fruit. Thats that tree's karma. The tree should not only bear fruit, but that fruit must be amongst the best that can be found on similar trees. Unfortunately, trees cant do much about their self product quality control.

There was a mail from a friend a few days ago, A farmer, somewhere in the US of A used to consistently get the best prize for his corn. A reporter interviewed him and thereafter the world learnt something interesting. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbours.

"How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbours when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year ?" asked the reporter.

"Why Sir" said the farmer "Didnt you know ? The wind picks up pollen from ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbours grow inferior, sub standard and poor quality corn, it will steadily degrade the quality of my corn".

That was an example of controlling output of a tree which has no control over its own self product. As also it amplifies the fact that Success never happens in isolation, but its a collective and participatory process

Coming back to the good old tree, a tree or a group of trees or an orchard is only known by the quality of its produce. No matter what goes behind the production, the output has to be superior to all others comparable as well as acceptable to those who consume it.

Once can only be known for good output. And yes, the Laden tree with the sweetest and most palatable fruits would be most popular. :)

Is my writing too "Metaphoric". I will appreciate comments and replies.

Thought Pirates !

Not more than a few days ago, a half page advertisement of an educational ( read tutorial) venture that announced its marine course carried a message from its owner. He began thus - "In his poem, Alice in Wonderland, Rabindranath Tagore said .............." or something very similar.

Piracy, be it of any sense, sound, light, smell or content for that matter is a serious offense. And someone making the other person do it as in case of making Tagore write the poem Alice in Wonderland, it becomes a crime to say the least.

In the advertising trade, we regularly come across incidents like release agencies wanting to write their keylines instead of those of the creative agencies. When it happened for the first time, I was enraged to say the least. But gradually, one mellows down and adjusts to situations. 

When a friend's agency released ads designed by us, the poor fellow did the same thing. He removed our keyline and inserted his, in the ad creatives. Presuming that he could fool the entire world and himself in particular.

Should wisdom be borrowed ? Should we not spend more time learning things the correct way instead of spending time copying others ? 

There sure is a high value to originality. The biggest proof is that - piracy exists.

The Vortex of Spirituality !

It was not without substantial thought and effort that I chose to withdraw from making an effort to suck him out. I could see him being drawn into it. The effect gradually took place and he was fast turning into one of the most promising disciples of the guru. 

Everyone in the family could see it. But, as I did, everyone feigned helplessness. It was a 'passing the buck' scenario.

However, all of us avoided the most important issue. Why was he being pushed into the vortex of 'spirituality' defined by a new-age saint. The answers were clear to all minds. But since the answers weren't exactly pleasing to be discussed cheerfully, the best method was to circumvent. Blame nobody yet see it happen in front of my own eyes. 

The pain is excruciating. Unbearable. Advices galore but there is no solution in sight. Where will it take him. How will he live ? Will he submit to the whims and fancies of the so-called guru ?

An independent person since childhood, he was the one without fear. Till the moment a disaster occurred. It scarred the fearless creature and introduced fear to him. Maybe it was nature's method of letting him know the emotion. Although he got away unscathed his mind had already fallen prey, unknown to him. To top it all, more people around him fell greater prey. 

Life ahead was dull. It became more of a monotonous routine, yet his strength remained unaffected. He used to come out tops in everything that he did. he chose not to follow his academic path and learnt a new way of life, only to emerge a winner. 

But, the world had planned its revenge. Circumstances made him go to a queer spiritual method, that strangely appears to give him solace. 

However, it appears to be a temporary phase. Unless the roots of the trouble creating thoughts are culled, its impossible for a man's spiritual journey to take its natural and logical path. Till then, the counsel of the new age gurus with their own spiritual vortexes will prevail.