Touch Thursday- 4- Idea of Perfect Date

My idea of perfect date would be to date my best friend, who was with me on my growing years- golden age of person’s life- teenage!

The reason I want to date him is the maturity level and understanding between both of us. It was not like we fell for each other or any one of us fell for each other. Neither we were going to get married, but the bond we shared was amazing. Now, the demands of life has gripped both of us and we still miss the times spent together and grab little time we get to meet if we are in each other’s cities.

“Hey you have to take an off from work in coming week, as I will be in your town”.

“Great, how come? When are you coming? And what is the schedule?

“I have planned a painting exhibition in your town which will be next week, so I will be there”

“Oh! That’s great! I would be so nice to meet you after long time. Come soon. Eagerly waiting, for you and as usual your surprise.”

( I smiled from heart, he guessed I will have some surprise for him, I need to inform him about my visit due to work, otherwise I would have surprised him by directly giving a call on reaching anyways I have other ways to make time memorable)

Well the surprise is-

We will go for brunch, have our stomachs filled sharing a good laughter. Then as he is a volunteer in social projects by Iskon Temple, I would love to accompany him for the project i.e. providing midday meals to school students. It is such a wonderful feeling to contribute for a cause, for people who are less fortunate. Then after that, I would love both of us to go for shopping spree. As I would love to gift him some things of his choice (and off course receive in return). Then after spending ample time picking things, I would love to go for long walk on a beach, alongside sea shore, enjoying sunset and having ice gola.

After that, as I am an art lover, I would love to attend a musical concert or visit art exhibition or cultural programmes in the town. Such is my idea of perfect date!

Touch Thursday 3- Things I want in a Man

‘Men should come with an instruction manual; it is so hard to understand them’

So true, but in both the cases, as it is difficult for women to understand men, same way it is difficult for men to understand women, because we fail to realize the basic difference between both the gender.

Just like men are practical and logical, women are emotional. Men solve their issues by not talking, and women by only talking, it is their need for sharing. Men do not like giving instructions, whereas women like being accompanied in majority of tasks.

So turning to my side of the story:

 Anjali dated six men and rejected all of them, still finds it difficult to find Mr. Right. As they say "Marriages are made in Heaven" this statement proves so true here. No matter how many people you meet and reject, you find your compatible person only one. You marry only one person. Here are some aspects I cannot ignore in a person.

           1.)    Love, care and support:  Love is such a tonic, without which human beings can’t survive. It’s the basic need of girl to be loved, to be cared. No matter how much it is in your heart, it should show. Care in its various forms like, caring for choices, tastes, likes, dislikes, doing things without being told, giving surprises. No matter how much both of us fight, these things, conceal them and makes the relationship going. Support for the ambitions, goals and dreams I want to achieve in life.

             2.)    Respecting my space and individuality: Respecting my space, letting me do things I have been doing, without which I am incomplete. He should have his say, but no interference or domination. That intellectual capacity and wavelength he should possess.

         3.)    Noticing and complimenting: Noticing small things and complimenting in front of everyone, very important. Compliment encourages you to reciprocate the same amount or even more love to the person. Taking things for granted, simply to keep up his male ego is not my cup of tea, then and there appreciating things is very important.

Why are kids early on maturity ???

We hear many people whine about kids not listening to them for studies, not taking up good lessons, but have we introspected enough?

Why do kids behave in such a fashion?

Why are they mannerless?

Have we found the root cause of it?

Kids are innocent (less aware of things than you) then why complain kids?

Very true, it’s not the kids who are at fault, but parents.

Because they get their colas and burgers very easily, they don’t listen to you. In earlier days, we had to pay the price of seeing Chitrahaar on Sunday, by doing homework for the whole week. Our pleasures were priced. But now days, parents themselves make junk too easily available for them.

When SSC was the best syllabus, but now a days, whether a kid is capable or not, he has no choice, but to go to 8 hours school of CBSE/ICSE syllabus. Where education was once, to give a way of living, now a days it is more of fashion and status quo for parents.

Looking at other side of story, I totally agree that SSC schools have degraded their quality by overcrowded classrooms (teaching 80-90 students in a class), but we are snatching away the most memorable days of life- a carefree childhood.

We want kids to behave as kids of parent’s era, in fast developing and junk atmosphere.

Dear parents, when you have also changed, modified yourselves according to changing times, how can you expect kids to behave like in the past. Very contradictory.

We are cutting trees like anything to park our cars, but we want kids to plant a tree and play outside with friends. Where on one hand, they are scoulded by neighbours for broken window pane or car parking or fight amongst them due to ego - centric kids.

Where does this come from, ego in such small kids?

Why are they so mature?

Why do they feel insulted listening to parents or elders?

The reason is grownups, we are bringing up them in that way. They are taught whom to play with, and whom to skip. They are even taught to lie on phone for their parent’s bosses or boring aunty in neighbourhood.

We cannot ignore the fact, that healthy mind leads to healthy body and healthy body leads to happy life. We deliver on basis of what we intake. Good thoughts and good deeds give us a healthy way of life.

Not to forget, the distractions of modern times, TV, Internet, Mobile phones are a big disease to deal with. We have crumbled then natural process of nature and God, and believe we can control everything from our fate to everything, but we are overlooking the other side of the coin. The recent case of Uttarakhand is an example of this.

The food that is supplied to us is so hybrid, reason being feeding the large population. What goodness is left for new age kids and above that we introduce to them new restaurant and a movie every weekend that leaves them less serious about studies.

How to Manage Creative People at Work

7 Ways that Managers Can Help Artists Fit into Their Corporate Environment

In my experience as a graphic designer I am aware that we can be "quite the pill" to manage because we can appear temperamental, sensitive, and are more prone to "burn out" than any other type of employee. Our edgy behaviors may seem "over the top" and not aligned with the corporate initiative, however it is important to note that your creative people are so much more dedicated to your company than what appears at the surface. We spend hours of our personal time researching what the competition is doing [to make our company better], we research the latest in designs at the bookstore/internet, and we constantly strive to perfect our craft to make our company's designs become best in the industry. We love what we do and pursue our work with an indescribable passion towards visual perfection. To an artist, their work is an integral part of themselves and each and every part of the business reality becomes their complete existence, voiding out just about anything else in their lives. It is important that managers understand our creative processes to bring out our personal best as professionals. Here are seven ways that you, the manager or sales professional, can do to nurture your creative employee's best:

#1: Don't Box Us In!

Designers, artists, and other creative people cannot live in a cubicle. Our vivid imaginations need open and non-restrictive spaces as much as possible and this cannot be done if we are placed "in a boxed" environment. Our minds need open space, air, and light to bring out our personal best. I can honestly state that in working environments where I was allowed to move around without that "horse stall" feeling, I became content, more creative, and stayed there longer because I did not feel contained.

#2: Ditch the 9-5 schedule!

Although getting rid of the "9-5" schedule seems to spit in the face of what most consider "normal" working environments; it is important to note that creative people often resent schedules and intensely despise getting into a "rut". Creative people work for their company as much as 24/7, occasionally dreaming about how to make the company better. For some, the requirement of punching in and punching out may seem redundant and often "grays" out our universe. If possible, working from home or even working "four-ten" hour days each week [having Fridays off] is favored and would make a creative person or creative team flourish.

#3: Give Us Our Music

The creative brain needs creative outlets from their environment, although many managers frown on the use of music at work- the designer needs their environment to be "stimulating" to operate at their personal best.

#4: Let Us Talk to Our Colleagues [Occasionally and within reason]

Creative people, like me, can be reclusive from spending all of our personal time perfecting our "craft" and we need people to talk to. We certainly do not want to take up too much time talking; we just want to be reminded, occasionally, that we are still human beings.

#5: Let Us Design Our Workspace

A creative person needs the ability to control their environment, to build it better, and to alter their "white space" into a living "breathing" space. This requires something more than just buying some contemporary office furniture. A designer may want a couch or even print out a customized wallpaper [that he designed himself] on the inkjet printer to embellish those boring white walls.

#6: Take It Easy On the Criticism

I am personally and painfully aware of how obsessed I was with my work; if I made the occasional mistake, it would crush my spirit. Artist, designers, and production artists are masters of their craft and take their work very seriously. The demands of the print and design industry require the creative professional to be both imaginative and perfect at the same time, which is virtually impossible. In essence you are asking Leonardo Di Vinci to be an accountant as he is painting "The Lord's Supper". We try our best to fit into corporate environments, but we are fallible by reason of our creative process and will make mistakes. Be understanding and take it easy on the criticism, that person may already be upset enough by the mistake more than you can ever imagine.

#7: Wear "Earplugs" when we complain

Perhaps one of the most important things of all creative people is that we need to vent! Often our colleagues are less than perfect and can occasionally become abusive and manipulative. To a creative person, our work is our lives and we mistakenly believe that everybody should be as passionate about our employment as we are. The demands of our creative lives requires us to be dedicated beyond what others in our company are willing to do and we do not understand why our colleagues do not care as much as we do. Every corporate environment has people who do not pull their load and creative people may need to complain, let them vent their frustrations as long as it does not bother anyone.

Take into consideration that we are obsessed with excellence and would want our employer to be responsive to our needs. We also need encouragement and less "brow beating" about our mistakes. Working in the design industry has become increasingly more demanding as our customer's expectations of technology are not within the norms of today's reality. Customers keep demanding products faster without the knowledge of the necessary processes that it takes to get it there. We make our company appear to be virtually invincible against the competition and a little understanding along the way will establish a lifelong partnership with your creative team or individual.

-Author, Angela Johnson