Friday, September 16, 2005

LOOK MA, NO HANDS!

Little Me - First time on my own legs
This picture (click pic to enlarge) has a story behind it. It was the first time that I stood on my little legs, without holding on to any support. The moment I took my hands off the wall and managed to gain balance, Dad clicked this picture! What I like most about this photo, is the smile of satisfaction on my face. I am told that I started speaking big words when I was eight months old, but needed almost two years to walk. This was the first defining moment of my life.

I look at myself today. Lived 23 years with my family. Always someone to get things done. In my mother's words, "He wouldn't even pick up a kerchief if it was lying on the floor".

Everything has changed in a month. My moving to this new city has made me (and everyone else who knows me) believe that I can live alone and take good care of myself.

I have discovered that treating every little task completed as a major achievement works wonders for my self-confidence!
Watching me stride up briskly to my terrace to dry the clothes I've washed, my roommate teases me that even Neil Armstrong was not so triumphant when he planted the US flag on the moon!

It feels like I have just stood up on my own legs for the first time, all over again! Dad, you're in heaven now, and I'm sure the view is better. Can you click another picture of me, please?

53 comments:

யாத்ரீகன் said...

:-)

>> treating every little task
>> completed as a major achievement

naaama pannama vera yaar panna pora...

juz the way i felt when i had moved out of home after 21 yrs, to a new place, strange language

ps:
andha photo-vaiyum edit panni orange shade kondu vandhutiya vinesh ;-) juz kidding man...

.:: ROSH ::. said...

Guess most of us could relate to your post on being on our own after being spoiled rotten by folks back home. But hey am sure your mom would be happy/proud to make another quote for you..now that you are almost there standing on your own two legs with no support. Keep up the good work.

Random Access said...

Not connected to the crux of the post, but I thot i shud put this in..

its gud when

Trials lead to Triumph
Challenges lead to Success
Failure leads to Determination
Suffering leads to Hope
Temptation leads to Diversification
Tryst leads to History

but whts best...its when
Death leads to Immortality

Random Access
The search has just begun !!!

Danesh said...

Nice post! I can relate to this fully. I have been in and out of home for 7 years now. But the defining moment was when I first moved out to another city to start work.

Woodooz said...

Vinesh,

Am completely touched by the last few lines of this post. Am sure you father is soooo proud of you... Watching every step and stride of yours !

A wonderful post !

Narayanan Venkitu said...

Vinesh,
First, I didn't know that your father is no more. Sorry my friend.

You look cute indeed. Thank god you were born during the camera days...I don't have ( very very few) many pictures of my childhood, most photos were from my affluent relatives.!! But today, I already have several thousand photos of my kids.!!

And life, teaches us lessons. I was like you in 1983 when I got my 1st Job in New Delhi, didn't know anything...and don't laugh, I left my good job ( Asst. Director trainee at ISI - Indian Standards Institute) and ran back home...home sick.!!

But now...with family and kids, I've learnt a lot, life goes on...Life teaches us lessons. MHO is that staying independent truly gives you a lot of experiences in life..which will be very helpful later on....Just like your photo..it will help you to stand by yourself.!!

Good luck.!!

Saravana said...

dude you have a good blog ... I'm blogrolling you ;)

Bhumi said...

cute li'l nice pic :)

i can feel the last lines written...miss my dad too in all the junctures of life.

Directhit said...

realllly niiiiiiiiice post!! am able to put myself into the same situation......... hope my dad in heaven too is taking pics of me doing well in life .....

Vani Viswanathan said...

you sure do have a proud smile on your face! :)
there are so many times when i've wished my parents could see how i am here, how responsible and calm (!) i am, while i become quite the opposite at home. but i guess that's the nice part, the whole feeling of getting spoilt at home!
and your dad should surely be beaming with pride at his son! :)

Vinesh said...

@Senthil: I do enhance all my pictures with Paintshop. I may have subconsciously put the orange shade there, hehe :-)

@Magic Lens: Thanks buddy! My mom did say a few days ago over the phone that she takes back her quote, hehe :-)

@Random Access: "Death leads to immortality" That was brilliant. Very inspiring lines there buddy!

Vinesh said...

@Danesh: Glad that you relate to this post, buddy! 7 years is a lot of time to be away from home. Naa athana naal thaanguvena theriyale :-)

@Somu: Thank you very much Somu. Your words are always very warm and very personal, and they touch me! :-)

@Narayanan Venkitu: I am also like your children, in the sense my parents have made several albums of my photos :-)

I value your words of experience very much, and I understand that living alone in those days (without fast communication, fast travel etc) would have been more difficult than it is now. I talk to my family every day. I'm sure it couldn't have been imagined until even a few years ago.

Thank you for giving this insight into your life! I look forward to the lessons life has in store for me :-)

Vinesh said...

@Saravana Kumar: Thank you for blogrolling me, buddy! :-)

@Bhumi: My Ma always says that he is definitely watching me. Well, whether our fathers are watching us or not, it is our duty to "live up to their name"

@Anoop: Anoop buddy.. I wish I could give you a hug now!

@Vani: "...i guess that's the nice part, the whole feeling of getting spoilt at home!"

Come to think of it now, I wonder if I go back home....if I will do any work at all...hehe... jus sleep on my bed like a lump :-D

Ramo said...

It should have taken toll on your parents to take the picture on the exact moment...

My first visit to your blog...and it is worth.

mmm...You look smart...you blog smart...I'll blogroll you..Cheers and hugs.

Jeevan said...

i feel very bad to read the last line. your photo is nice.

Jagan said...

Am not sure how I should be reacting to ur last para .

on the lighter side .. nee seriyana tubelight pola irukey ..2 years to stand on ur leg without support :-) . ellamey knjam late ah ? or is it norm for kids to take 2 years to stand without support ?

Anonymous said...

Hi viney,
As usual i read the first few lines with light heart ended up with heavy one...i can never think of such a situation in my life..my papa is someone..u know ...a Guide for me...i will be a blind one...if he isn't.
i am sure your dad would be very proud of you,..his son makes everybody around him laugh and be merry..

Vinesh said...

@Ramo: Hi buddy! Welcome to Orange Juice! :-) And thank you so much for the blogroll! :-)

@Jeevan: It's okay buddy. I'm a big boy now :-)

Vinesh said...

@Jagan: It is not normal buddy! Many children start walking first, then talking... some other way round, like me...but still two years is two much! :-)

Adhule mattum dhaan slow. Matha ellame fast :-)

@Radio: Thanks for the warm words buddy! They say we don't appreciate happiness if there is no such thing as sorrow :-)

Priya said...

:) u looked so cute then.. wat happened now??!!! :o

..p..

Anonymous said...

Last para was touching. On the lighter side ponnunga ellam firstle irundhe avanga velaiya avangale paarthupaanga teriyuma

Ram C said...

A very cute photo.. There is a general say that girls do everything fastly when they are grow up - talking, walking etc., It seemed to have happened in your case... since you started walking very late.

The last few lines were news to me, since I am frequenting your blog only in the recent days. Feeling sorry about it, young man. Anyhow, you are cheering up others around you.. good job

cutefreaky said...

so true.. could relate so much to myself. THough have always been used to doing most of my things, my parents always made sure they helped me or least forced me to take their help. well now all alone in a new country, i get to know how much i miss their help esp when it comes to remembering small things. Am getting too forgetful, romba vayasu aguthu illa.. lol...

by the way.. the pic is sooooo cute........

am sure your dad is very proud to have a son like you and is looking forward to boast about you with your future achievements.. all the best...

tata
sukku

Anonymous said...

That was such a touching post. You know my mum used to always complain how lazy I was. I didn't even bother making the bed or even doing my own laundry. Once my mum asked me how I am going to survive if I had to go to college and stay in a hostel..So, me being the unpredictable creature that I am told her "Well, we'll get you signed up for a Phd course. You can then be my roomate too!" Since then, mum has nearly given up hope on me. But really, I have started doing things like making my own cup of tea. Baby steps are big things. And Vinesh, wish you all the best for the new Independent You!!

Mysorean said...

Vinesh,

Nice post! Nice blog!

To blogroll you is my pleasure! :)

Keep writing! Me will keep reading!

Just one question: What does this "Orange juice for the soul" mean? Any funny take on the "Chicken soup for the soul?".

krishna said...

Great timing by ur dad when he took the pic..:)

nice one

PreethZzZ The Original said...

such a touching post... its an amazing moment in your life... being able to stand on your own to feet and thats what happened then and now... cute pic... perfect timing... I am sure your dad will be looking upon you and knowing his son has passed another significant stage in his life... he would be very very proud of you... all the best for everything...

Mirage said...

Feeling tall?! Man, I cant wait to stand up either...!

Shashi Iyer said...

i wonder if the smile of satisfaction came out on your face when you wrote this. great post.
p.s. first timer... nice blog... will appear more frequently :)

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Unknown said...

I'm happy u were fully clothed when u first stood on your feet! Else i wonder if this post would have happened at all :P! And i now understand how u have such a mature view on death and its non-glorification(ref: ur post on nursery rhymes)..click, click... :)

And dude, speaking of photographs, i always wanted to tell u how much i used to laugh over all your morphed and spoofed photos in AJ/VJ's house! They were awesome da!!

KRTY said...

I had a similar smile on my face. Very recently.. after a super cool accident, and after 2 months of bed-days... i stood up and i nearly fainted... I had the Armstrong effect.. huh !! :)

BTW, i dont know why.. Am dreaming wildly after reading this post..

Marc said...

Like everybody else who posted here...I can totally relate to what u have said...been at home and not lifted a finger...n now living by myself and having travelled far and wide..I find it an achievement to have come this far on my own.

Random Access said...

I guess u r receiving a lot of kostins on ur blog title...I thot I will add a few more...

Q. Whats ur fav color?
Q. Whats the time now?
Q. What fruit do u like?

Cha, same answer ba ;)

Random Access
The search has just begun !!!

expertdabbler said...

"Dad, you're in heaven now, and I'm sure the view is better. Can you click another picture of me, please"

Should go down as the sentence of 2005.

great post dude. keep it up

narayanan said...

vinesh that pic was too cuuuute :D. side'la oru Amstrong padam (ofcourse orange shade'la) potturundha supera irundhurukkum :-).

mother's words, "He wouldn't even pick up a kerchief if it was lying on the floor".

paravalla konjam dejent'a sollirukkanga. enga veetla vera madiri sonnanga :P

sure ur dad will be proud of u buddy. and its this chinna chinna satisfactions is what keeps us going :-)

PS: naanum un blog'a uruttiten :P

Me too said...

When at home, your folks' words would have entered thro' one ear and exited thro' the other. But now doesn't every word ring in your ears?

Well done! Keep it up!

Vinesh said...

@Priya: Guess I became cuter, hehe ;-)

@Vasanthi: Yes, I've seen most girls doing that. They are groomed to be wives right from the time they are born, aren't they?

@Ram C: Honoured to have you as a frequent visitor :-)Naanum unga photo-ve paathu neenga chinna payyannu nenachittirundhen. Only when I read the post about your child in your blog did I realize your age :-)

Vinesh said...

@Sukku: I'm sure being in a different country is more challenging than being in a different city from home! :-( Take care, vayasaana paatti :-)

@Divya: Asking your mom to be your roommate was hilarious! :-D And thanks for your nice words! :-)

@Adi: Thank you so much for the blogroll Adi! :-) And yep, my next post will probably be about why I named my blog Orange Juice :-)

Vinesh said...

@Krishna: It sure was, buddy! :-) Lucky he had the camera loaded at that time!

@Preethi: Reading your comments was like drinking a fresh glass of orange juice! Thanks so much! :-)

@Mirage: Buddy, am sure you will feel very tall too, the day you get to stand up on your own :-) I never believed it until I did!

@Shashi Iyer: Thanks so much for dropping by, buddy! Do come often :-)

@Vikram H: To make a very cruel pun on death, let me say "This too, shall pass (away)"! I'm glad I was clothed too when I was clicked, hehe!!

Hey man, you remember those pics from AJ-VJ's house, wow! Photographic memory! :-) Glad you had fun with those :-)

Vinesh said...

@Keerthi: Buddy, you are dreaming wildly after reading this post?? I can imagine if it was after my previous post (hehe)... Dreams or nightmares? :-9

@Marc: Wow Marc, you do sound like an achiever, will check out your blog soon..

@Random Access: What's the time now: Aaranju ;-D Buddy that was a good one!!

@Prabu Karthik: Thank you buddy! Your comment was VERY flattering :-)

@Narayanan: Thanks so much for your comments, and blog-urutting me :-) I guess my mom has been very decent with her words :-)

@Me Too: I do think a lot more about their words now than I did back home, yes! :-)

Sneha Acharya said...

tht was very cute one ... sometimes ur posts are really touching :-) .. Wish u all the best thngs on every other walk u take in ur life [on ur onw] :-)

Anu said...

:)..beautifully captured! (in words and picture)..Wish you the very best in life! (and yes, I read your tag!)

still_figuring_out said...

that is a major achievement really. a guy who does his own laundry deserves a huge glass of orange juice with some strawberries dipped in chocolate to go with it. or not, since chocolate "fattens the mind". ;)

Anonymous said...

That was cute.. Aunty would really feel proud on reading this...

Vinesh said...

@Sneha: Thanks for your wishes Sneha :-)

@Anupama: Thanks for your nice words :-)

@Still_Figuring_Out: Hey, you read my comments from Kr00pz' blog!! hehe, thanks for the award :-)

@Chelli: Why only her? Are you not proud of me di? :-p

still_figuring_out said...

i`m sorry, but who is kroopz? you left that on mine.

Paavai said...

seivana thirunda chei, ivan thandai ennorron kol enum sol - these two flashed when I read your blog and I am sure you are living up to both

Vinesh said...

@Still Figuring Out: Sorry about that... confused myself :-)

@Kary: Thank you Kary! :-)

@Paavai: I try my best to live up to the kuraL, Paavai :-)

DreamClicks said...

Dad, you're in heaven now, and I'm sure the view is better. Can you click another picture of me, please?

Loved it dude!

On a serious note, how come you look a lot better when you were young?

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