A Friend Called Barbie

Childhood is like your little haven, and whenever you are reminded of it you just cant stop thinking 'Wish some things stay for life'. Few days ago when I was out finding some toddler stuff in a toy shop for a nephew of mine I had a reunion of sorts with someone who kind of lived with me in my childhood. I admired her then, I admire her now. It is a normal girl thing to grow up with for most of us who have known her maybe.

I had always prayed for her on every birthday of mine and had finally got her on one such occasion only when my folks were sure that I would take care of her well. This time I saw her behind the glass pane amidst the heap of toys with the same smile and grace. When I looked at her I was reminded of my first and only one, frankly I never really got to make a collection like many girls would have. Back in those days she came in a lot of new and interesting attires, with all those family dolls like Kelly, Stacie, Nikki and many more. But Ken was someone whom I never found any handsome, I always thought she deserved much more for the princess that she was.

I always have wondered what makes every little girl yearn for her. She is convincingly pretty and therefore popular, very understandable. Ain't into some anti beauty campaign here. But isn't this a genuine question, aren't there many other dolls in the toy shops out there who are pretty and cute. The ones with rolling blue eyes who bat their eyelids, dance around and sing beautiful songs. But what makes Barbie a Barbie?:-)

To me she was always special amongst all my dolls. I plaited her hair and dressed her up in front of her dressing mirror, cooked in that dummy kitchen, folded her clothes and kept them in that tiny cupboard. Basically did what every other girl does with her dolls! And for some strange reason when I saw her again I could not believe that I did so much and all that! I know all this sounds silly right now in my twenties, but in some phase of life this was nothing but naive fun. You know where it strikes and how it feels when you miss such things. I was tempted to take her home this time too,the child in me could not resist but my folks around me did and gave me a look which almost meant in a few years down the lane you may be taking her home for your kid. Some things change, but they do happen again :-)

Tell me your Barbie stories, I am sure all of you out there have one :-)

-R.

The Painting

If you believe in the beauty of colours, remember your life can be your own painting

Draw some green grassland and blue skies, maybe a marigold here or a seagull there

You may tread to make you way and make sure your journey is what you are thinking

Dream of some sweet little things, make them all happen and do play every game fair

But alas! In your own land you are once a hunter, thence the hunted in all the hunting

So keep it simple, keep it suave, for only this work of art will bring to you a bliss rare

-R-

The Wrong And The Right Writing

Okay, I get it. I am not one of those conventional ones. No matter how  hard I try I  cannot write like I am one, not even  with my right hand (well I am one of those lefties).Should I be happy about it? Ain't sure. I have had major issues in  the past, to a point that the nurses in the hospital have had second thoughts about following the orders in the patient's case  sheet, not that they could not understand it, their only problem was it was too neat. A doctor's handwriting can be deciphered by  only two gifted groups ,them and the pharmacists at the dispensaries. But if you were to ask the doctors to read their own  prescriptions or orders trust me many of them do see stars.

It is a funny thing, what makes us doctors scribble like we were never made to write cursive writing copies in school, is it the emergencies and erratic schedules, or the lack of attention to little but important things during all the treatment? On a serious note there have been occasions when doctors have landed up in soup, and have pulled their patients along. Bizarre but are happenings and nothing else is medically more criminal. The only gratification if  you have a bad way of writing is that it is too tedious to forge;-)

Coming back to mine, when someone says "Oh you write really well!" I really don't know if that is to be taken as a compliment! There are some exceptions to the stereotypes right, guess my handwriting makes me one. I remember my teachers liking how I write. Back in school I used to be this blackboard lover. Up with the date, day, total strength, number of absentees and a quote right in between everyday. Calligraphy was my forte. I guess I have not lost it in all the process of becoming a doctor. I feel this when I look at the way I write now. Ain't bad even though there is some amount of difference! I think I will never give in. When I say there are doctors with good handwriting, believe me there really are :-)

Picture Courtesy

Signing off legibly!
-R.