Major consequences

Dear Diary,

"Of all, if you have the worst habits

Then surely within, you contain

the strongest of the acids."

In this so-called society that we live in and is an inseparable part; it demands something from us and that particular thing possesses the capability to honor you like a gentleman or a gentlewoman, depending on if you are a frequent doer of the demand. That demand, if you were able to foresee, is called 'civility,' 'manners,' 'etiquette,' and a bit of knowledge what to speak when. Obviously, when we migrate ourselves to distant and unknown lands: we face constant unexpressed humiliation from the natives through certain reserved grimaces and countenances; it is not always unexpressed- sometimes it bursts out of their shocked mouths like a solar flare from the sun! Those people are the residents of that country or place who vividly acknowledge their own customs and a specific way of greeting or manners to which we are dumb outsiders. But that all is not my point today; I remark that upon migrating to an unknown land with the blankness of their style: we should learn a bit so, it gradually improves upon mingling with strangers who are natives of that land.

Lockdown is being issued almost world-wide to minimize the spreading as explicitly as possible. Entertainment sectors have their switches and doors off and locked respectively, the same is the view of those restaurants providing victuals of varieties ranging from fast food to special dishes of regions. The stalls of what we usually catch sight of on the main roads or in a group have their stoves extinguished. The business of those earners from their such income surely depletes but sometimes- we have to be strong until this virus recedes. If I am to say as per my observations on the pretext of devouring items of these stalls; then surely my state- Gujarat will be the prime one. Our people are always hungry no matter what and their haven is those stalls of items that I cannot even remember because of its myriad specifications and names. They give prominence to these stalls because in their fine perception they regard it as 'sellers of fresh food' with respect to those who have air-conditioned eating rooms of restaurants; these- 'sellers of fresh food' have no privilege of cold storage in which they can store even stale food for later use: they prepare fresh and serve fresh. That must be 'respected.'

Contrary to all my statements: I am no such person who is just fond of outside meals- I enjoy what my melting Mother (melting because she is always close to the burning stove) prepares with love. The worst habit of children is their sophistication regarding a specific food item which is pizza or a burger or paneer dish, wholly numbing their taste buds through spicy, salty and sourly tastes- they then cry and do not eat. The fault is sure of mothers who encourage their husbands to get the child what they want: a Nandos', or KFCs', or McDonald's' or BurgerKing's or Dominos'. This is the worst of all habits which I have studied- lockdown teaches and forces them and their mothers to eat and prepare plain food. I do not care even if it is in a meantime.

Lord Buddha has said, "The thought manifests as the word; the word manifests as the deed; the deed develops into habit, and habit hardens into character. So watch the thoughts and its ways with care and let it spring from love born out of concern for all beings." My quoting ends with "character."

WATCH as "BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU" IN 1984.