Rekha's Ramblings

  October is 'Mental health awareness month.  My mother, in fact, both of my parents always told us this," मागा म्हणजे मिळेल", "ask and you shall receive."  You may be going through a tough time, hurting, grieving but unless you ask for help or confide in someone, no one will know, no one can help.  There are plenty of resources available. Please reach out, find someone to talk to.  There is no shame in asking. There is always someone who cares. This year's show theme of my children's school marching band is based on the same.  I tell them and all their friends to please reach out. I and I know several other parents, who are available, willing to help in whatever capacity, but you must ask.  Do not be shy or feel ashamed. I am glad I have people to reach out to and I am not shy to ask for help when I need it. My ramblings on this Sunday!   

On our recent trip to India, visited Elephanta caves, they are on an island, just a short ferry ride off Mumbai. Several ferries leave for the island daily, all day long at about 5-10 minutes interval. There were ferries in front of us, back of us and the scene everywhere was pretty much the same. Besides the smog, there were plenty of seagulls hovering over these ferries. The hawkers were selling chips/Cheetos and people were in turn feeding them to the seagulls. Their behavior is so altered that we didn't see even one seagull diving for a fish but all of them circling the ferries, travelling the entire distance with them looking for Cheetos, just like the squirrels at Zion national park. We talked to one of the vendors, he said Kya Kare (what to do), he is very aware of what he is doing, how it is not good for the birds, the environment; however selling Cheetos is the only thing which puts food on his table, he has no other means of making money, he has no education. It was heart...