Mind games

“Don’t touch those sweets’ I was told. And just by uttering those words, my mom made the sweets irresistible to me. I don’t even like sweets all that much but now that she said I couldn’t have them, I wanted them.

My mom, clever as she is, uses this technique to make her grandsons eat veggies.  Don’t eat that vegetable, she’ll say. It is only for grown-ups.  And in a while you’ll see the kids eating more of that, just out of curiosity to eat the “forbidden fruit”. For a long time she had them drinking bournvita, calling it tea and feeding them bournvita, when she gave the grownups tea. It made the kids feel all grownup drinking “tea” with elders. It was not until much later until they realized the truth behind this.

 I’m sure a lot of moms, including my own have used this techniques to make their kids do the “good” things, in spite of being rebels. “Reverse psychology”, it is called. But the kids soon start to realize that they are being tricked and learn the wiser ways. I see that happening with my nephews. But the longer the phase can last, that’s the advantage you got.

Why is it that when we are forbidden to do something, those things become even more lucrative to us? Is it the feeling that we have something that we shouldn’t? Or is it the little rebel in each of us trying to prove a point. To say, yeah I can stand against the world and flout the rules, in the simplest of matters.

But you have to admit, moms are much smarter than what we give them credit for.

Don't ask me if I know you

Has somebody ever come up to you and said “ Hi, (your name), do you remember me” and you don’t have a clue who that person is. It happened to me today.

I am usually not forgetful and I don’t generally forget people but this was one exception.

This girl came up to me after a class and said, “ Hi, how are you?” 

Looking at the blank look on my face, she said, “ You are Maya, aren’t you?” and I said, “Err, yes.”

“Do you remember me?”, she asked.

And the faintest idea of seeing her somewhere ran in my head.

“Oh yes. I do. Of course I do.”

And she had to embarrass me further. “Do you remember my name? “

I gave her a sheepish grin before she told me. “My name is xxxxxx.”

So embarrassing!!

Here it comes, AGAIN!!

Disclaimer: This is a post written under the “birthday blues” and a severe bout of depression. Read at your own risk.

I love birthdays. Other people’s birthdays, that is. I love to make it special for the concerned person. Whether it is to buy them gifts that I know they’ll like. Or to surprise people with things they’ll love on their birthdays. And I like to think that I’m pretty good at doing such things.

When it comes to my own, well…I’ll just say it’s best avoided. I can’t wait for the day to be over. I wish people wouldn’t make a big hoohaa about it. It’s not about my age, I  really can’t be bothered about how old I am or will be. It’s not about growing older. But as the people in my life would tell you, I have been very grumpy on my birthdays in the recent years. They would probably also tell you that I’m not exactly on my best behavior on my birthday. I really can’t tell you why it is so. I used to think it was PMS-induced but now, well, I know it is not.

And speaking about birthdays, earlier I used to love it when long lost friends used to actually remember my birthday and call me. It used to be so touching that people actually bothered to remember and call too! At least, I loved the fact that you would get to speak to people at least once or twice a year, on birthdays. But now, ever since FB reminders happened, even good friends think they can just get away with a post on my wall. Don’t even get me started on the random acquaintance, who thinks it is necessary to “wish” me and the usual “wassup” stories which follow.

I know I’m a bit touchy-feely about such a silly thing. But maybe it is just me! Maybe I’m flawed. But off late, it got me thinking. Maybe I just behave all grown up. Maybe I do expect that people would do something nice for me on my birthday. OK, I’ll admit it. Maybe that is what it is! But the best thing is that this time around, I decided that I’m not waiting around for somebody to do something for me. I did it myself!! It may sound a little pathetic, but it’s not. Really! And boy, does it feel good!

You should try it. You owe it to yourself.

Indulge, splurge, whatever makes you feel good….Just do it.

What? I told you to read at your own risk!!

Kids!!

On my way to work this morning, I saw a young mother pushing a pram with a little kid. The kid must have been a year old or so. He stared intently at me. I smiled and waved at him. He still kept staring but didn’t wave back. His mother prodded him gently to wave at me but he refused to do so.

Soon I lost interest and moved on. And then something caught my eye. This other kid walking behind them, probably the younger boy’s brother, not much older than him. He was almost running to catch up with them. He was waving frantically at me trying to catch my attention. And when I looked at him, he waved at me and gave me his sweetest melt-your-heart smile. 

He was trying to say, “ Look at me. I am here too!”

Face the music

I doubt that you would want to but if you ever want to stop liking your favorite song, I have a solution.

Just make that song your daily wake up alarm tone.

And I learnt this the hard way.

I used to love the song “ Beautiful Day “ by U2.

Now every time I hear the song playing, I have the strongest urge to make it stop.