Vol 29: Random good stuff from everywhere

Good times to you, Peeker (Positivity Seeker).

For the past many months, we’ve had a series of themes to define our volumes. Well, this week’s different. This week, we don’t have a theme. So the theme becomes Random good stuff from everywhere.

Feels like a potluck of positivity, doesn’t it? Enjoy!

News from the public domain

Dementia fake village

Mirroring the magical feel of Hogwarts is Hogewey, a gated village on the outskirts of Amsterdam. In some ways, Hogewey is even more of a make-believe place than Hogwarts. Because its residents are either patients of dementia or their caregivers. The patients believe that the village is “for real” while the caregivers take great pains to sustain the illusion. In other words, this place is akin to what Jim Carrey experiences in the movie The Truman Show. Except that this place has dozens, perhaps hundreds, of Trumans.

Why go through all this trouble? So that the dementia patients can continue to enjoy a normal life. They can go shopping, step into a pub for a cold one and give instructions to their “servants” on what needs to be done. Even a semblance of normalcy comes as cool relief for family members of dementia patients. Seen in that light, this is a arrestingly beautiful lie called Hogewey is a place made in heaven.

The resurrection of Uthappa

It wasn’t surprising that Robin Uthappa exploded into the international cricket scene at a very young age – he had the talent, the spunk and the enthusiasm to make it.

Having said that, it wasn’t surprising when the handsome and articulate Coorgi was dropped from the Indian cricket team – he lacked the temperament and seemed reluctant to evolve.

When you reach the zenith and then collapse at a young age, there’s good news. There’s sufficient time to bounce back in style. Our man Uthappa seems to be in the midst of one such fairytale bounce back, as described in this superbly compiled Business Standard article. Let’s wish him well.

Do what you love

Jim Carrey (yes, he features twice this week) is a Sultan of Slapstick. In a moment, you will watch him in a different mood. But rest assured, he knows how to bring freshness to a well worn message.

How to be happy

We can’t resist a good List, you know that about us by now. So here are 15 habits of supremely happy people. Please pay particular attention to point number 11 (Change your perspective). Our Positivity Weekly is based on this idea.

So do read.

You must have come across some annoyingly happy people in your life. Well, you could be one of them!

Importing and burning garbage

You can rely on the Scandinavian countries to do things that positively shock the rest of the world. In some realms, they are so far ahead of the curve that their actions appear incredulous.

In this article, we learn that Sweden has, for the past couple of years, been importing garbage to be burnt in its power plants. Now, mind you, this move may not be as Eco-friendly as it sounds at first. The debate on the pros and cons is in progress. But still… at a time when Bangalore is unable to dispose off its garbage, Sweden is importing countless tons of the stuff. Isn’t that a development worth celebrating per se? You tell us.

Brilliant literature… faster than lunch

Want to watch an excuse melt away? Conduct this experiment:

1. Find a person too lazy to read a book. Preferably somebody who doesn’t have a short fuse.
2. Narrate to this person all the benefits one accrues by indulging in top quality literature. Be persistent. Annoy the person.
3. Wait for the person to use the excuse: “I just don’t have the time to read.”
4. Smile and send the person this wonderful link, filled with great stories that can be consumed faster than a lunch.
5. Accept the person’s gratitude as par for the course.

That first date

This video is included because… it resonated with us. Also, it’s so sweet, one might call it cloying. You might love it too.

This happened to me

 Yes, we’re reviving this section. Till you populate it with your stories, I – Eshwar Sundaresan for those who don’t know – will narrate pertinent sequences from my own life.

Today, I attended a workshop conducted by Centre for Child and the Law inside the premises of a “juvenile” Observation Home in Bangalore. Attendees included doctors, surgeons, interns, mental health experts and social workers. Many speakers discussed what they knew about the plight of children in conflict with the law. We also heard of the sacrifices made by government workers who run such Observation Homes. They do this despite being publicly blamed for any and every mishap that happens within such premises.

The willingness of everybody involved to make a difference in the lives of these children was palpable.

Sitting in that room, I got the sense that so many people nowadays have risen far above the miasma of their own problems. They have embraced richer dimensions of life. They now want to make a difference in arenas that are home to the toughest battles.

It is their positivity that I carry in my heart at the moment. And I know that they have already made a difference in one child’s life – my inner child.

In conclusion

Till next time, we hope your inner sun shines brighter than the gloom that you encounter outside.

As always, do write in with your feedback, story ideas and personal anecdotes. You can reach us at positivityweekly@gmail.com

To read the previous volume of Positivity Weekly, please click here.
To read the next volume of Positivity Weekly, please click here.