The 'Fab Four' from this Day!

21st April 1997 | The Fab Four from this Day Past!

#memoriesfromdiaries

Well, my today, of almost 26 years ago, has FOUR entries which are worthy of some lovely nostalgic ruminations for today, after almost twenty-six long years! 

The first one is the lovely little jottings on chess, which was and continues to be one of my greatest passions all along!

Not to win, but just to be part of the game! Eventually sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose!

So yes! On this particular day, I had played chess with two of my close chess-buddies, and my winning quotient was – I should say – quite satisfactory! 😊

Well, as is usual at homes, we wait for Dad to go for work, and the moment Dad is off to work, you quietly and happily make good your escape to your buddies’ abodes for those unending fun times! 😊

This was one such day! After Dad went off to his workplace, I went to my close friend Ebi’s home at 9.30 am. We played two games of chess, and I happened to win both. 😊

Secondly, Ani came from his ‘shorthand’ classes. Well, shorthand – for those of us not in the knowhow – is “a system of fast writing that uses lines and simple signs to represent words and phrases”.

Can you imagine students of those days being exhorted by parents and teachers, to attend typewriting and shorthand classes, and add it to their CVs / Resumes?

Well, the post of stenographer that is still in vogue in Government offices today, requires a certificate in both typewriting and shorthand, since the job’s portfolio requires taking dictation in shorthand and to transcribe it accurately.

Thirdly, returned Ebi’s cassette to him, since I had it recorded on my D90 [on pic].

Fourthly, for the most important news of the day – Shri Inder Kumar Gujral was sworn in as the 12th Prime Minister of India today. He was not only an activist in the freedom movement, but also had a statesman’s finesse on him, with a stunning educational qualification to back his credentials - M.A., B.Com. Ph.D. & D.Litt. (Hons. Causa)!

Interestingly, he was one of the few Prime ministers, who had this practice of reserving all his Friday mornings for meeting the general public.

And yes! finally, for some personal musings with you, dear reader, based on my little experience as a diarist!

Well, as the saying goes,

‘Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present’.

So our today is a gift – gifted to us! ‘Present’ed to us on a platter!

And yes! we do treasure, value, regard, relish and cherish our gifts, ain’t we?

That means, every day in the past was also a gift.

A gift of love from above that should be relished and cherished! 

And if gifts are meant to be relished and cherished, then, how do I cherish my each day?

Well, that’s where diaries come in very handy for us.

Going back to nostalgic mode yet again, 😊the phrase, “Come in very handy” is a lovely expression that I had learnt when I was in my junior grades, from Tintin’s adventures. Will give y’all a snapshot of the page from my little treasure trove on that particular conversation that Tintin has with Captain Haddock!

Red Rackham's Treasures

Coming back,

Yes! Diaries are good documents that aid in autobiographical recall from months, years and decades past, ain’t they?

Diary writing comes under the ‘expressive writing’ mode, which, as experts believe, promotes a ‘feel good’ feeling and ups the positivity quotient in the diarist.

As Viktor Frankl, the renowned Austrian psychiatrist [who founded logotherapy], points out, “We (therapists) can never give meaning to the life of a patient but we can help them discover the meaning of their life”.

And that’s precisely the therapy that’s embedded within a diary.

To discover the meaning of life!

Each day! Each and every passing day of our sweet lives!

Well, this post hence would double up as an exhortation and a motivation to all ye vibrant youngsters out there, who are waiting to find the meaning of your life.

If you can give a faithful account [to your conscience] for your every day, yes! you are almost half way into finding the meaning of your life!

As yet another saying goes,

“Take care of your minutes, and the hours will take care of themselves.”

So yes! Why wait?

Take out your most beautiful pen, and start jotting down your lovely thoughts of this past day, in your own sweet expressifying ways!

Let me end this post by asking you a sweet question, ‘What is your FAB FOUR FOR TODAY?’ 😊

Here’s wishing you the best!

PS: You may want to read our past post HERE on Diary as a Mode of Reflective Writing!