HUMOUR UNLEASHED -- 19
(Compiled by Subbaram Danda)
Keep smiling, if you want to look young! This is the finding of
researchers at Max Planck Institute for Human Development
in Germany. A study has revealed that nature bestows
a youthful appearance on those whose joviality
can be seen fully reflected on their faces.
Boy’s prayer
When the four-year-old son of a leading cine actress came back from the kindergarten, his happiness knew no bounds as his mother was at home unexpectedly. She had a nasty fall while doing a complicated dance sequence for a film and sprained her legs. The doctors had advised her complete rest for a week.
The boy threw himself on the bed next to her and fondly kissed her again and again. The actress was also very happy that she could now spend some time with her affectionate son. In the past, because of her busy call sheets, she could not spare much time for him.
The week passed very fast and the actress had to go for shooting again. She was not sure when she would again have time to play with her son. She cajoled him, hugged him and kissed him repeatedly. Finally, leaving him to the care of an attendant, she left waving him bye. Reluctantly, the boy too waved her back.
Suddenly, the boy asked the attendant to take him to his favourite temple nearby. There he prayed for a while and sat down on the steps lost in deep thoughts.
The attendant: “What is troubling you? Why is this impulsive visit to the temple?”
The boy: “My mom told me last night that if one prays to God sincerely, whatever one desires God grants.”
The attendant: “Did you pray for anything special?”
The boy: “Yes, I wanted God to give my mom many more opportunities to do highly complicated dances.”
Fast writers
About 50 years ago, English newspapers of South India gave a lot of prominence to speeches of celebrities. They used to carry full text of their talks. It was a time when reliable hand-held electronic gadgets were not available to record the speeches and play them back. Reporters had to totally depend on their shorthand skills.
A person normally talks at the rate of 80 to 100 words a minute. Excellent orators will touch even 200 words. In those days the most difficult to take down were the speeches of Past President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, whose philosophical deliveries used to be peppered with Sanskrit quotations. So, newspapers loved to have on their staff high-speed shorthand writers. These reporters were held in high esteem in journalistic circles.
One evening, newspaper reporters went to a prominent hall in Chennai to cover the speech of Sarvepalli. The meeting was delayed by about half an hour and so they indulged in talking shop.
A veteran from a morning English newspaper wanted to rag the evening newspaper man. He said in a provocative style: “I have to toil it out tonight. But it is not so for my friend from the evening daily, as he can easily lift everything tomorrow from my paper.”
The evening newspaper man, a stalwart himself, replied: “Yes, I know. I acknowledge that you are capable of taking down in shorthand speeches of 200 words a minute. That is why you are occupying the position of Deputy Chief Reporter.” He added sarcastically, “But unfortunately the problem with you is that you cannot read back even a word accurately!” A young reporter of another morning daily, who had just joined the profession, could not control his chuckles.
“Do the same thing”
Buddhu had no peace at home. He and his wife were frequently quarreling. He approached his friend Vivek and sought a solution. The friend told him: “I and my wife Tara had a similar problem. We went to Psychologist Wiseman and he set everything right. I suggest you go and see him.”
Buddhu and his wife met Dr. Wiseman. After detailed discussions with each of them, the doctor decided that the problem was with the man and not with his wife. He advised him: “The treatment to you will be identical to that of Vivek. I had asked him to meditate for 15 minutes a day. You do the same thing. Come and see me after a week.”
After a week Buddhu went to the doctor and reported: “Doctor, there is absolutely no improvement.”
Dr. Wiseman: “In the second stage I had advised Vivek to walk to the temple on the main road every morning, pray to God and come back walking. You do the same thing. See me after a week.”
Buddhu saw the doctor after a week and told him: “No change in the situation, doctor.”
The doctor: “Don’t worry. Your problem will be fixed. I had suggested to Vivek that he should take Tara to a foreign country for a week on a holiday. That helped. You do the same thing.”
The next day Dr. Wiseman received a frantic call from the ortho department of a hospital nearby. The caller said, “Your patient Buddhu has been admitted here and he wants to see you urgently.” The doctor rushed to the hospital.
On seeing the psychologist, Buddhu cried: “Doctor, I did as you suggested. I invited Tara to join me on a tour to Malaysia. And here I am.”
November 19, 2011 (890 words)
***
