Footage of a Frenchman walking across (yes, ACROSS) the WTC Twin Towers, from a 1974 CBS News reel.. And walking is not all that he undertakes! Monsieur prances, lies down and plays the monkey.
You have to see it to believe it!
15 things that make me happy (in no particular order)..
1. vanilla with nuts and chocolate sauce (a brownie thrown in- makes me happier)
2. Seeing a happy child
3. seeing an elderly (read ancient) couple still in love with each other
4. a shot i'd never played before (or never thought i'd play) in the adrenaline rush of a match
5. an india win, especially a 'come-from-behind'. on the same note, a tendulkar straight drive still brings a smile to my face; or for that matter, a wasim beauty.
6. an sms/e-mail from a long lost friend
7. eye play with an attractive girl
8. technology - esp. the internet and the mobile phone
9. rock n roll, baby!
10. lush, and carefully thought out cinematic sequences. or better still, a great movie!
11. Friday evening exits from office.. yippee, yay!
12. competent customer service
13. an early goal in any football match i'm watching. or for that matter, a goal of beauty!
14. puns, crisp and witty writing. along the same line - a smart advertisement.
15. Hitting on a good movie just as it's about to start on any of the channels. Which probably happens in the worlds occupied by unicorns and Peter Pan.
when human relationships can commence with something as simple and natural as a kind word, a fleeting glance, a passing remark, the trace of a smile, an empathizing gesture or even an ear lent - why are so many people around the world lonely, and unable to make new friends? Why do so many of us prefer to hang out with the same old set of friends, with all the excess baggage?
Some of the most long-lasting friendships I've had, were borne out of the most hum-drum commonalities. Both of us happened to be tall; both were the first to head out of a boring lecture to the nearest cigarette shop, or even when both of us uttered similar simultaneous sarcastic ripostes to a profoundly stupid question - commonalities that aren't exactly earth-shaking.
The human mind is constantly aching for another mind to understand it - and maybe even appreciate it. The human need for love and understanding is boundless, and it is this need that propels people to get emotionally closer to their fellow human beings.
So where do we go wrong in touching more lives? Are we too averse to risking something as complicated as another human personality in our lives? Or maybe, the fear of rejection lurks too large in our minds. Or simply put, it is too inconvenient - and who has the time?
But, of course, we have all the time in the world to mope before, during and after a lonely evening.
