Partying on Poverty

The menu was not all that appetizing, and the smell of the dishes was not all that inviting, and yet the partying lot were huddled together to make the best dishes possible out of the least that was available. The menu list did not run in to pages, but just a few in number, but that did not matter to the family which had gathered, big and small, young and old, to celebrate their togetherness. It was like a stillness dawning after a stormy night, and they were sure that every stormy weather had brought them together and strengthened their bond and fellowship, and the "party" was merely an excuse.

The family which had been struggling to get out of the poverty which had been imposed on it, could hardly take a few steps before they are drawn back to the very spot they had been languishing for years. If they begin to blame others, there would be no end. The first and the most important culprit would be God, who had imposed such a privation that they had to struggle to have even one square meal; who had taken away the breadwinner at a very young age, and the young mother had to struggle to bring up her children, educate them, and get them married, and support them even after their marriage, when the marriage did not go too well.

The best image that comes to my mind when I think of this family partying on their poverty, is the story of the "stone soup". These poor senior members of the family brought their mite, the best from their privation, but they were full of joy to contribute their best to make this party memorable one. They are not going to think about their poverty, what they do not have, but are going to capitalize on what they do possess, the comfort and strength of the company of one another, and this was their greatest asset, and they had come to feel this beneath their bones.

When families are well off, they do not feel the need to get together occasionally to strengthen their bonding; they believe that the money and comfort they enjoy were good enough to assure them of a better days to come; the bonding with other family members, relations, and friends is not so essential for them to get going. That is the tragedy of the neo-riche, and there would come a time in their lives too, when they would be forced to seek after their lost family roots and find succor in them. For the poor and have-not it is a joy and way of life to come together and share their lot, but for the rich and the haves, it may become a socio-cultural necessity.

I feel partying on poverty can be one of the greatest moments of celebration in the life of a family, who have nothing to share, but their pain and suffering. They have nothing to offer to one another, than their shoulders to lean on. They have nothing to contribute to the party, but their own share of sob stories and painful memories. This party is sure to strengthen the bonding of the family, and no storm and cyclone can ever take the little pleasures and joy they enjoy. Today I take my hats off to this family partying on their poverty, and I only hope more and more families may bring in their poverty and party on them, so that their bonding may be strengthened day after day.

Dressed to Dazzle!

You look gorgeous! You look splendid! You are the most beautiful lady on earth! These are the common conversation-starters during dinners, parties, social gatherings! We, of course, know what people appreciate: not so much the people, but the clothes they have worn, the necklaces, bangles, ear-rings, or rings! What better way to win the attention of a lady than to flatter her on her clothes, choice of colors, ornaments, and men know very well how to make women float in the clouds! But that is not the whole truth: there are some who know how to present themselves as wholly as possible, without mixing the natural and the artificial! It is not an easy task; it might take several years before we understand the right proportion!

Dressing in general and for an occasion is an art, which very few people master; very seldom lessons are given on proper dressing, except if one is being initiated into the fashion world! But we often come across persons who would look beautiful with whatever they wear; at the sametime we also know people who would look clownish and misfit whatever they wear! We often hear people making comments that we have no taste for colors! I am proud to have a few of my friends who are aces in dressing themselves, and in dressing up others, so much so that they are often in much demand to dress up for special occasions.

The clothes we wear, and the ornaments we adorn ourselves with often have two functions : either to enhance the inner beauty of the person who is wearing it, or to kill the inner beauty and project the artificiality of the clothes and ornaments! The fashion industry is meant to research on the first function and help us realize the ways of enhancing our inner beauty, but reality is far from it. In any fashion parade (which is often dubbed passion parade), the natural grammers are reversed; instead of going along with nature, attempts are made to make a stark distinction between what is natural and the unnatural, which often goes in the name of creativity.

I have realized that the people who dress up best are the people from the villages, who have no sophisticated formula of dressing themselves. There are no special make-ups, and yet when we look at them, we know they are beautiful! The simple clothes and natural beauty present them as far more beautiful than the city-bred artificially decked beauty queens. Clothes and fabrics industry has become one of the most profitable and important business today; fashion designers are much in demand for anyone who is part of the who-is-who of the film industry and political arena.

Any well dressed person is a joy to the eyes of the people who would have a glance at them; the personality of the person is heightened immediately. No wonder people take extra care about their dressing before going for job interviews and examinations. But they may just forget that dress alone does not matter; how you dress is more important than what you wear. I for one, is a poor dresser, who does not pay sufficient attention to what I wear and how I do! I may have to take lessons from my friend, who would only be too delighted to offer me tips on how to dress (she often does, though I am quite used to not listening to her tips)! Maybe next time, I will listen to her tips and see if they make a difference!