Alphabet C – Crosswords

A to Z Challenge

Day #04    ** Theme – Kaleidoscope of thoughts **

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An affair to cherish ❤ !

The first ever crossword was printed in the “The New York” newspaper on 21 Dec 1913 and was called word cross.

Now practically every other newspaper and online site publishes their own cross word. Some follow a theme and they have different levels of difficulty. Some are quick and easy while others cryptic and hard to crack!

I first fell in love with the cross word during my college days. I had to travel long hours by train, to and fro to my college. I would pick up an afternoon daily which was my constant companion for the next three years. A true partner it kept me engrossed every day without fail during my hour long ride. One day, after reading a fair bit of newspaper, my eyes fell on the crossword puzzle. Why not I try my hand at it, thought I. So began my long affair with the puzzle. It was definitely not love at first sight. In the initial days it was a lacklustre affair. I couldn’t make much breakthrough. But my sustained perseverance and intelligence, melted its strong demeanour. I learnt the nuances of cracking it and soon it was a torrid affair, I couldn’t do without a daily meeting with it!

I have cherished memories of the beautiful affair that unfortunately had to end after college, as time did not permit me to continue it. But I do visit it often during my free time and even today it does not disappoint me 😉

Alphabet B – Busy!

A to Z Challenge

Day #03    ** Theme – Kaleidoscope of thoughts **

 

Let’s rewind life to about half a century back in time. Technology was still in its nascent stage. We had to do many chores manually. Life was simple and people were happy in spite the various hardships they faced. They had time for each other, there flowed a warmth in their conversations, festivals were celebrated in its true spirit, and the neighbours, friends and relatives all partook in the wedding planning and preparation. Joint families ensured a constant support system in place. Words like busy, stress, tension, burn out, anxiety, depression  had not made its inroads into people’s vocabulary.

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Pause at today. Technology has ensured that we have the best of comforts and conveniences. A press of the button is all it takes to get work done. Travel is faster, machines help us with our daily chores, and everything is delivered at our doorstep. We are surrounded by gadgets that do everything for us. So when everything is automatically done for us, why are we still so busy with no time to spare? We are always on the run. No time for family and friends, children do not have the time to play. Gadgets have eroded into the human interface. We connect only virtually. The calendar needs to be checked before meeting friends. Spending time relaxing and vegetating spikes up our guilt factor.

Thanks to the busy schedules we all have, we have many lifestyle related diseases affecting both adults and children, which were never heard of earlier. Meeting and connecting with family and friends has become a rarity. People are happy with their own self for company, of course with their gadgets. We lead a kind of robotic life, devoid of emotions. Isn’t it a scary scenario?

Stop being as busy as a buzzing bumble bee!

Don’t you think we need to break free from being busy all the time? Would love to know your views!