Of Fire Alarms, Fire Fighters and ..... Neighbourly Sentiments ??

There was a fire alarm in our building a few days ago. Luckily, it was nothing serious, but that didn't prevent it from being extremely ...... Let's just say ....... tiresome. The alarm rang out at 1 o'clock in the morning, just as I was about to go to bed after deciding to give procrastination a chance regarding the work that I had been trying in vain to complete.

  As is expected of a good and responsible citizen, I took my coat out and went down the never - ending flights of stairs ( more proof of me being responsible ) and waited outside in the freezing cold next to a woman trying to  prevent her overly small sized dog from snapping at her neighbour's ankles.

  Even though it may seem as a very adverse kind of situation, it is perhaps the best example of neighbourly love that you can possibly get in a metropolitan city of this day and age. People who would otherwise come out of the house a little late just to avoid having to talk to you; people who are essentially strangers even though they live in apartments separated by a single wall and will complain every time they hear the tiniest of noises from your apartment at night, begin to talk to each other in the cold.

  From what I overheard the other day, it wasn't much nor was it very elaborate. The conversations generally ranged from a half-hearted "It is freezing out here, isn't it?" while rubbing your palms together, to an equally awkward joke cracked by some old man who believes that he is young at heart. And there was one woman who began talking to another one about how her boyfriend had gifted her a very expensive something; something that sounded a lot like a coffee mug in a wrapped box from her description. I am willing to bet that the woman listening couldn't have cared less and thought the one yapping was a douche; that is assuming that they had been acquainted at all before that night.

  Just as I was amusing myself with observing the little things in life that people say matter so much, the firefighters came out of the building and announced that all was well and that my insomnia would be the only that would keep me up further tonight. So, we piled into the building with the alarm ringing like there was no tomorrow and some of the firefighters gathered around the ghastly thing trying to figure out how to turn it off.

  From what I gathered, the metal box which encased the alarm panel was as old and rusty as the supervisor of the building, who was supposed to take care of it, and also as old and rusty as the building itself. And it had decided to avenge its mistreatment by getting stuck in the middle of a winter's night; thereby not allowing us to shut the alarm off. There were about 5 firemen pouring over it trying to pry the damned thing open and let everyone's headaches die down. As ancient as the thing might have been, it was very obstinate.

  It was funny to watch all the men in their well-equipped uniforms fumbling over something as tiny and insignificant as the stupid alarm. Some time later, they finally succeeded, and I finally went home. I probably could have gone back a bit earlier, but my neighbour's dog growled at me every time I tried to get to the elevator and I was too lazy to walk all the way upstairs. Its owner felt it appropriate to let it snap at me as she was trying to entice one of the firefighters, by the looks of it.

  I wonder how that worked out for her ??

  Oh well, at least the next day was a Sunday.

Two Insomnias

When I am with you, we stay up all night,

When you're not here, I can't get to sleep.

Praise God for these two insomnias!

And the difference between them.

From Essential Rumi  

Flash Fiction -- Blue Eyes

  This a short piece of flash fiction that just popped to my mind the other day. I hope you like it........         
  Never before had he seen anything like her and that is why Adam couldn't take his eyes off Lily. To anyone else, she was not the most remarkable of women around, considering the looks of those swaying to the music at the party they were in right now; but all Adam could notice was her hair playfully falling over her shoulders, her eyes as blue as the ocean and just as deep. She turned around, caught his gaze and smiled. He returned her smile and knew that coming to this party would be worthwhile after all.  

Most Effective Advice on Overcoming Writer's Block ....... Or any form of Procrastination for that matter ......

Did You Read? - Portlandia on IFC .... The Twist at the end always cracks me up .....

More Like Children

  Recently, I heard a story in the midst of the unseasonal snowstorm that took place in the North - Eastern part of USA. During the black outs that had taken place in so many counties in the area, everyone was tired of having to live in the dark. It was cold and it was dark, one of the gloomiest combinations that Mother Nature could provide. But, what stood out from this news piece was the " interview " of two kids of a family facing such problems.

  While their parents looked dishevelled in front of the camera, they seemed to actually be enjoying themselves. The brothers, of around 5 years of age, had apparently begun their own adventure once the lights had gone out and were quite content in pursuin that; their imagination banished any gloom lurking in the darkness. Those two boys could probably be happy in the most morose of situations, at least till they grew up to become like all of us. Their inner Indiana Jones or James Bond helped them find the lemonade out of the lemons served to them. If only we could be more like that .......  

The First Step ....

  Hello all, writers and readers alike. This is my first entry to this journal and needless to say, I am very excited. It seems that signing up and designing the template for the blog was the easy part, because I was stuck when Blogger asked me to name my blog. To tell you the truth, I hadn't even given it a thought. My mind had been hazed from the bout of enthusiasm that accompanies doing something new. But, now that the question lay ahead of me, it gave rise to a subsequent question ..... What should I write about?

  You must be wondering why I narrated all this, considering how it is clear from the name I have chosen - "With a Book on the Side ", that it definitely has something to do with the written word and the wonder it holds for so many of us out there. But, this journal will not only be about the bestsellers gracing the shelves and their characters. Instead, it will be about life in general, its ups and downs and the small things that seem to matter so much in the end. About everyday things, and sometimes, maybe not so everyday things. I guess, we all will have to find out.

  All of our journeys towards something we aspire may not literally be the thousand mile expedition Lao Tzu had referred to, but nonetheless, they do begin with a single step. Here was mine, and I hope you take yours too.