How You Tube connects to the heart

Recently, I was at a business lunch and the conversation touched upon the recent You Tube phenomenon. Why did Google pay 1.6 Billion dollars for a company that enables mass sharing of video clips?

Apart from the market segments and analysis of people's trends and views etc. that it may generate, I think the value goes even further. On a grassroots level, it has the potential to connect people with each other thru an easy media, accessible and available to anyone.

This new pipeline enables the sharing of ideas with visual candy for the eyes. Great for an MTV generation that connects through music, action clips and reality TV. Since it is not however driven by corporate ownership, sponsors of commercials etc, it is grass roots, people sharing with people. And as our deeper connections with each other gets lost through our frenetic paced lives, perhaps something as simple as sharing a video clip can get us back to a more civilized, closer humane way of life. These 2 videos will help explain what I mean.

The 1st one is about a quest for Free Hugs, and a true story about a person who found ways to hug humanity. And all for free! (the clip seems to be sometimes available and others not, so try again soon!!)




The 2nd clip is a great insightful story about a person's path towards understanding why we should care about today's world, in today's time, and seek more answers than just what we are fed or witness. This completely sheds light on exactly why critical thinking about the "Why" is life can be too strong to ignore.



19 years from tomorrow, the path he took also became my own...and I am still finding new dynamic truths everyday.

Learning about my Dad

Today is my father's birthday, he would have turned 72 had he lived. But he passed on when he was 58, during my first year of law school. I spoke to my Mom about him and found out interesting stuff about his history, my history.

I have been reading In the Line of Fire, a memoir Pervez Musharraf, the President of Pakistan, which is the place where my parents are from.

In the beginning of his book, he describes his family's journey from India to Pakistan during the bloody partition which was deadly for both Muslims and Hindus, Indians and the newly formed Pakistanis. The President was about 4, and somewhere on that train or a train just like was a 13 year old boy named Tajammul Gill. My father was 13 when he joined thousands across the new border transferring into new land, hopefully to a new home. To avoid being killed, he was hidden under a carpet basket so that no one would notice, and luckily he escaped harm. How scared he must have been, wondering each moment whether it would be the end. Perhaps as a 13 year old, he was not in fear, but happy to leave India to go to Pakistan with his family, or perhaps he was angry or so terrified at what he witnessed on that ride. I will perhaps never know, at least not for a long while.

Apparently, my Father's family had not always been Muslim. A few generations back (Great grandfather I think), a Sikh family with the name "Gill" had several children, including boys and girls in a family of landowners.

Since there was a family near by of Muslim faith, and that family could not have children, one of the sons was provided with love and trust to the Muslim family. That boy was raised Muslim, and began my Father's heritage to end up in Pakistan.

I never knew these details, nor the path that my Father took to bring himself over to Pakistan. I often wish that he could tell me stories to answer the hundreds of questions I have for him. As a Mother, a wife, a lawyer, a woman of Pakistani/Sikh and actually Afghan heritage (that part was from my Mother's side), I discover new questions everyday that I would love to ask him. A long time ago, when he was around, I often sat with him and chatted about how I believed the world would be a world of peace one day, and that my life would be one of hope. He was a happy man, and despite his many sufferings, he could always find a smile and find time to take a walk with me and just chat, as a Father and as a friend. But when I was younger, I knew so little about what life would become, and I often miss his great advice, and he was so reasonable!!! At least in my eyes, he was just, considerate and very funny, always full of charm.

Well, it is his birthday today, and I think he is listening. I love you Dad and miss you all the time. My family, Pieter, Isabella and Alec would have absolutely adored you, but for what they do know, I think they already do. Bella even said a prayer for you this morning to remember you! : )

Becoming Fruit

I have recently subscribed to Oprah Magazine, a magazine that has more content than advertising, at least it seems that way. It contains multi-generational/racial images that seem more positive and inspiring that most other "female" oriented magazines.

Anyway, inside are random poems, quotes etc. that sometimes strikes the perfect chord.

I will not die an unlived life.
I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire.
I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me,
to make me less afraid,
more accessible
to loosen my heart
until it becomes a wing,
a torch, a promise.
I choose to risk my significance,
to live so that which came to me as seed
goes to the next as blossom,
and that which came to me as blossom,
goes on as fruit.
---Dawna Markova

The woman who wrote this has a site called: smartwired.org it is a very smart website aimed to help each parent find the gems hidden in each child/which really relates the children's best qualities which are sometimes not always visible or apparent under our current educational system. I completely support this and actually Pieter and I are beginning to find new ways of spreading this notion to others in our community.

We started "fruit classes" a class that aims to help children find their noblest selves through games, stories and activities on virtue training. This was originally developed and based on RUHI 3, a book on spiritual education that was developed originally by a grassroots organization in Colombia (the country, not Ohio) but is now translated and used through out the world. Ruhi classes (so far there about 7 different themes) are based on a new type of learning, not by a standard "teacher-learner" model but rather a facilitated program provides a method so that each person can learn as you go, actively and organically with everyone involved. This is very cool when this is applied to children since they have amazing imagination, an untapped potential and great energy.

Bella already told me that she will be a MANGO in the fruit class. The "fruit class" name is based on thinking of a seed of a wonderful fruit and finding our true and best selves through these activities which will last every other week besides holidays etc. until May of next year (a total of 15 in all). We have invited Bella's friends and I hope that some of them will join us, share, learn and grow together so they can find what fruit they can become too.