सांगा कसं जगायचं?

माझी एक आवडती कविता आज तुमच्याबरोबर शेअर करतो.

सांगा कसं जगायचं?
सांगा कसं जगायचं?
कण्हत कण्हत
की  गाणं म्हणत?
तुम्हीच ठरवा!

डोळे भरून
तुमची आठवण
कोणीतरी काढतंच ना?
उन उन दोन घास
तुमच्यासाठी वाढतंच ना?

शाप देत बसायचं
कि दुवा देत हसायचं?
तुम्हीच ठरवा

काळ्याकुट्ट काळोखात
जेंव्हा काही दिसत नसतं,
तुमच्यासाठी कोणीतरी
दिवा घेवून उभं असतं

काळोखात कुढायचं
की प्रकाशात उडायचं?
तुम्हीच ठरवा!

पायात काटे रुतून बसतात
हे अगदी खरं असतं ;
आणि फुलं फुलून येतात
हे काय खरं नसतं?

काट्यासारखं सलायचं
कि फुलासारखं फुलायचं?
तुम्हीच ठरवा!

पेला अर्धा सरला आहे
असं सुद्धा म्हणता येतं;
पेला अर्धा भरला आहे
असं सुद्धा म्हणता येतं!

सरला आहे म्हणायचं
की  भरला आहे म्हणायचं?
तुम्हीच ठरवा!

-मंगेश पाडगावकर

आनंदयात्री मित्र आणि मैत्रिणींनो,

आज ब्लॉगशी प्रयोग करताना मला एक नवीन शोध लागला. तो म्हणजे मी मराठीतूनही उत्तम टाईप करू शकतो. त्यामुळे मला तुमच्याशी आणि तुम्हाला माझ्याशी मराठीतून संवाद करायला एकदम सोपं जाणार आहे. कालच  श्रीराम पेंडसे यांनी  मला सुचविलं होतं की बहुसंख्य आनंदयात्री मराठी असल्याने ब्लॉग मराठीतून असावा.  त्याचं म्हणणं मला पटलं होतं.  पण मला मराठीतून टाईप करण्याची फारशी सवय नसल्याने कितपत जमेल याची खात्री नव्हती. पण आत्ताच कळलं की आधुनिक तंत्रज्ञानामुळे  हे मला सहज शक्य होतंय.आता बिनधास्तपणे मी तुम्हाला मराठीमधून लिहू शकतो. आणि तुम्हीही तुमच्या प्रतिक्रिया मला मराठीतून कळवत चला.

ज्या शास्त्रज्ञांनी व उद्योजकांनी ब्लॉगचं हे सर्व तंत्रज्ञान आपल्याला अगदी सहज शक्य व उपलब्ध करून दिलं  त्यांना खरोखरच शतशः धन्यवाद!

Be friends with the computer; it's a demand of the time you cannot ignore.

विद्या ददाति विनयं विनयाद्याति पात्रताम् । पात्रत्वाद्धनमाप्नोति धनाद्धर्मं ततः सुखम् ॥
(Knowledge creates discipline, discipline creates worthiness, worthiness creates wealth, wealth furthers good deeds which create immense joy in our life.)
It is a matter of great satisfaction that a good many AnandYatris have joined a short course in basic computer use being organised by Gurumantra, a leading institute in computer education in Pune. AnandYatra should particularly thank Prasanna Joshi and Ketaki Keskar, respectively, Director and faculty member of the institute, who have been taking great personal interest in conducting the coaching and look at the whole project as a social duty rather than as a revenue earning venture. I am really amazed to see the efforts and sincerity that went into the presentations which they specifically prepared for the AnandYatris. Both of them are lucid speakers and superbly put across their learning to the audience. In days to come I hope an increasing number of AnandYatris get stung by this computer bug and get to enjoy this avenue of learning and entertainment made available to them by the modern technology.



An AnandYatra computer class in progress at Gurumantra

The trend is worldwide. An increasing number of seniors are looking to get out and explore the world around them through internet and their personal computer. They may feel nervous as they begin but as they learn ahead, they get to know the infinite potential for learning, entertainment, communication and creativity that internet and computer offer to them.

Internet has been undoubtedly an extremely rich source of empowerment for the elderly. It provides a wealth of health resources and products to them and allows them to do research on their own pertaining their own health problems.

Internet allows a great sense of independence for the elderly. It is now possible for them to order virtually any product- medicine, groceries, gifts, books, plane tickets to name only a few- to be delivered to their doorstep within days. This definitely augments their sense of independence and self worth.

Further Internet helps cognitive development since the continued use of the brain later in life has been shown to slow or prevent senility and dementia. The use of the Internet involves the creative use of the mind through continued learning, research, writing letters, searching genealogy, reading the news, and online classes. These tools keep their mind active and nimble and probably slows down the degeneration brain cells.

Above all, particularly for the AnandYatris who have no spouse and probably a companion to share their mind, it is the best way to ward off loneliness and social isolation. They can use email for rejuvenating or reinforcing ties with relatives and friends, send digital photos, read daily news, manage their investments in shares and bonds, enjoy interacting with senior-related user groups and chat rooms. These resources allow an expansion of their social network, thus allowing them to feel more involved and engaged in the world and thus be able to counter bouts of depression that sometimes overtake them .

Hence, the computer coaching that we have initiated in cooperation with Gurumantra. I am sure it would bring moments of excitement and joy  in your life. But in the thick wood of Internet, never ever forget to meet your AnandYatri  friends and chat with them in person.

Nine Clues to Happiness

While I was surfing, I bumped into this beautiful piece on happiness by Khushwant Singh and decided I would share it with you. To his eight clues to human happiness, I would add a ninth one: Do not ever speak a lie.It would unnecessarily complicate your life and eventually boomrang on you.   

EIGHT CLUES TO HAPPINESS - By Khushwant Singh

Khushwant Singh

Having lived a reasonably contented life, I was musing over what a person should strive for to achieve happiness. I drew up a list of a few essentials which I put forward for the readers' appraisal.
1. First and foremost is GOOD HEALTH. If you do not enjoy good health you can never be happy. Any ailment, however trivial, will deduct from your happiness.

2. Second, A HEALTHY BANK BALANCE. It need not run into crores but should be enough to provide for creature comforts and something to spare for recreation, like eating out, going to the pictures, travelling or going on holidays on the hills or by the sea. Shortage of money can be only demoralizing. Living on credit or borrowing is demeaning and lowers one in one's own eyes.

3. Third, A HOME OF YOUR OWN.  Unaffordable Commodity Now-a-days) Rented premises can never give you the snug feeling of a nest which is yours for keeps that a home provides: if it has a garden space, all the better. Plant your own trees and flowers, see them grow and blossom, cultivate a sense of kinship with them.

4. Fourth, AN UNDERSTANDING COMPANION, Endangered Species Now - a - days) be it your spouse or a friend. If there are too many misunderstandings, they will rob you of your peace of mind. It is better to be divorced than to bicker all the time.

5. Fifth, LACK OF ENVY towards those who have done better than you in life; risen higher, made more money, or earned more fame. Envy can be very corroding; avoid comparing yourself with others.

6. Sixth, DO NOT ALLOW OTHER PEOPLE to descend on you for gup-shup. By the time you get rid of them, you will feel exhausted and poisoned by their gossip-mongering.

7. Seventh, CULTIVATE SOME HOBBIES which can bring you a sense of fulfillment, such as gardening, reading, writing, painting, playing or listening to music. Going to clubs or parties to get free drinks or to meet celebrities is criminal waste of time.

8. Eighth, every morning and evening, devote 15 minutes to INTROSPECTION. In the morning, 10 minutes should be spent on stilling the mind and then five in listing things you have to do that day. In the evening, five minutes to still the mind again, and ten to go over what you had undertaken to do.

RICHNESS is not Earning More, Spending More Or Saving More, but...
"RICHNESS IS WHEN YOU NEED NO MORE"

Send your entries for AnandYatra Annual 2012



AnandYatra Annual 2011 being released in March by Dr Madhavi Vaidya (Fourth from left).
From left to right are: Dr Devasthali, Madhav Vaze, Shrikant Moghe and Ravi Nabar

You will recall that the first issue of AnandYatra Annual was released last year on AnandYatra's third anniversary at the hands of  Dr Madhavi Vaidya, Executive Secretary of Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad. The occasion was graced by Madhav Vaze, noted Marathi critic and famous Marathi Thespian, Shrikant Moghe.The second issue is now due in March 2012. If You have any articles, poems, write-ups or valuable information you want to share with fellow AnandYatris, you are most welcome to send these to me. Last year we had received excellent contributions from both AnandYatris and others. Let us have a very readable AnandYatra Annual this year too.

AnandYatra Annual is probably India's first publication dedicated exclusively to the issues- emotional issues in particular- related to single individuals. In India the widowed, particularly those in their mid life, are assumed to have no emotional problems. If at all a widow may get some lip sympathy and lot of advice from friends and relatives for her depresed financial conditions.The widowed are advised to view the loss of spouse as a part of life and move on all alone without looking for new friends to filll the void. The social reformers too -justifiably so in a poor and tradition-bound society- put their mind on the economic aspect. Today,however, things are fast changing for the better in this regard. Better economic conditions allow a sizable section of the widowed to take better care of their mind. This is the area that has been by and large left untouched by writers, scholars and journalists. AnandYatra Annual is a very modest effort to create a platform where single individuals could write about their own experiences through life, and non-singles about their thinking on singles' lives. 

So write down your reflections!Who knows you may have a treasure trove worth sharing.   

A'Yatris, hurry up with your subscription!

The annual AnandYatra subscription for the year 2012 would be Rs 700. That means Rs 150 increase over this year's subscription. This has become unavoidable due to several reasons an obvious one of which is the rising prices. The second one is the resumption of weekly meetings. The simultaneous AnandMaitra Area meets for the first half of 2010 were wholly supported by the participating members. However, in view of the poor response to these meets, we resumed the  AnandMaitra Area meets in rotation supported wholly from AnandYatra common fund. Thirdly, members' expectations regarding the AnandYatra programmes have also risen demanding a raise in in the budgetary provisions for these programmes. All this has necessitated a step-up in the annual fee. I appeal to you all to pay up the subscription before the end of this year, preferably on 20 November.

 

 अलकाताई गेल्या.

अलका जयवंत'



सकाळी अलकाताईंच्या मुलीने फोन करून सांगितलं की आई सकाळी ८ वाजता झोपेत गेली. अतिशय जड अंतःकरणाने ही बातमी ऐकली.अलकाताई आनंदयात्रेच्या  कार्यक्रमांना अतिशय नियमितपणे  हजर राहणाऱ्यापैकी एक. पण जवळजवळ  गेले एक वर्ष आजारपणामुळे त्या क्वचितच येत असत. तरी पण अधूनमधून मला फोन करून आनंदयात्रेच्या कार्यक्रमांची माहिती करून घेत असत.

अलकाताई आनंदयात्रेच्या काही उत्साही सभासदांपैकी एक होत्या.जवळपास सर्व  सभासदांशी त्यांची चांगली मैत्री होती. मला त्या कायम गंमतीने 'अध्यक्ष' म्हणून संबोधित. 

आनंदयात्रेच्या कार्यक्रमातील  त्यांची अनुपस्थिती अनेकांना बऱ्याच काळ जाणवत राहील.

तीन वर्षांपूर्वी आनंदयात्रा सुरु झाली.  तेव्हापासून चार  आनंदयात्री - ज्ञानेश्वर अगरवाल, किशन पंजाबी,प्रल्हाद बदामीकर आणि आता अलका जयवंत- आपल्याला सोडून गेले. त्यांच्या आयुष्याच्या या अखेरच्या काळात आनंदयात्रेमुळे काही आनंदाचे क्षण आले असतील. आनंदयात्रेला त्याचे समाधान आहे.

अलकाताईंच्या कुटुंबीयांच्या दुःखात आनंदयात्रा  सहभागी आहे.त्यांना हे दुःख सहन करण्याची शक्ती मिळो हीच प्रार्थना.

  

All AnandYatris! Most welcome to the AnandYatra blog!

The Foundation AnandYatra meting (16 March 2008)

All AnandYatris! Most welcome to the AnandYatra blog!

AnandYatra is probably India's first self-support group for single individuals-widowed,separated and unmarried- established to alleviate the feelings of loneliness that take over a person post the death of a spouse or marital separation.



It was three and a half years ago that AnandYatra was born. It was a culmination of a personal tragedy that devastated me but led to a birth of beautiful creation in the form of AnandYatra that brought moments of joy in the life of many who joined it in months that followed.