Do you wait for THAT special moment in life?

[madbullram]

Its Thursday, 2 pm, I am working tirelessly at an Architecture for a training piece when I get this phone call from a buddy

Friend: Macha, you wont believe this, my neighbour has a garage sale and I saw a brand new unopened LP of Beatles Abbey Road

Me: I already have it da, dont rip me now, I havent slept for 2 days now.
Friend: Few un parliamentary words then You might have, but do you have an Unopened LP signed by the Beatles?:licklips:

Me: WHATTTTTTTTTTTT, are you serious? Where is this place?................
Cut down, for a Beatles fan thats like Beatles themselves coming down to bless right. I make my mental calculation; if I drive down I can be there by 8ish, so I tell my friend to ask her to keep it away. Off I go my PM, complain sick and get mouthful of words from him (you know IT) finally says the four letter word and off.

Havent slept for 2 days, I am driving down the highway with Pink Floyd, Beatles, MJ, Rob Marley for company, my body clearly tells me I have crossed my limit but you see, I see just the LP and Beatles, the highway is my Abbey Road. I reach the place and I find a fine old lady enjoying her evening. She is like You drove down for 6.5 hours just for this I am like Mam I will fly down twice around the earth for this if I can afford. She is like son I know my husband was eccentric enough not even to open this and was feeling little sad to let go, now I know it going to the right person
Bets part, she doesnt even want to sell it, she gifts it to me. I rummage around pick other collections and THEN I see a Meridian 506 in pristine condition that too the 16 bit version. She is reluctant to sell it, I tell her madam, I am leaving for India for good and this is something of a dream for me, pls, and I promise I will never sell this till I hit my grave. She asks what I can pay, I say maximum of 600$ (this is the money I had saved for my D350 restoration), she says take it :yahoo::yahoo::yahoo:

Back Home (US):
My friends ask me to play it, NO WAY sir , I am no way playing, this deserves a special moment, a moment of history in my life, just cant play it right? I sleep with my LP and CDP for one week. Every day I spend almost 1 hr just looking at my Beatles LP signed by them, when you love something CRAZY is just a normal word right?

I have decided my special moment, back home, have bought my new apartment in Thiruvanmiyur, this will be the first song in my new apartment once I have setup my house :yahoo: . After all, a house was my 15 yrs dream so what better way to open this LP and off course my Meridian CDP :clapping:.


Day of shipment(US):
I special pack my Beatles LP separately with 7 layers of stuffing. I dont want to carry it with me bcos someone told me they broke their LP when they took in their carry baggage (due to turbulence!). Cant afford. I pack my other LPs, CDs, Cassettes, Speakers, Pre and Power, Power Conditioner etc But Meridian again deserves a special packing. All done, loaded into my cargo, added a Shirdi Sai Baba photo along with my fav Ganesha idol .


2 Months Later (India):
I was home on leave bcos my shipment is due to arrive, MY BEATLES and my Meridian without which I was so soulless for last 2 months is gonna be here, I wait like a kid whos is going to eat his first ice cream, I wait like a pre-teen who is going to kiss for the first time, I wait like a teenager who is going to get his first bike, I will wait like any Beatles Fan to listen to my own Beatles signed LP in my new house..

The call is here. The man on the phone from US Sir, I am extremely sorry to inform your container got totally burnt in an accident in our ship and we are extremely sorry, we couldnt recover anything from it. Our insurance policy will pay for your damage....

1 Week Later:
After depression and counselling, I ended up selling my Flat bcos all I could think of was my Beatles LP and Meridian CDP playing in my room, I had dreamt so much, it was too haunting for me to see the house....

No more music in my life for two years didnt even have a small speaker system

Moral of the Story:
Enjoy what you have today, dont wait for a special moment, its today /now that matters than tomorrow

Sorry for the long post guys, was speaking to Venkat yesterday and got reminded of the past and I know many of us who preserve our wines, CDs, LPs, gear etc for THAT SPECIAL moment, BUT think again, think what happened, just open that cork, rip the LP, tear the CD cover and enjoy what you have today...

P.S: The abbey road is always a distant dream...still havent mustered enough courage to buy a Beatles album

 

[Dushie]

Ram those are true words that mean a lot, one should take life as it comes and live up the moment, sometime planning too much for that special moment builds up lot of expectations, which if do not materialize leaves one disappointed and dissatisfied.

I am sure this has been a good learning experience for everyone here in reanalyzing our approach towards special moments and objects

 

[gobble]

Madbulll

I am sorry to hear about the situation you went through. It is good to hear such stories because it prepares us mentally to be a little more detached from our material possessions and reminds us about the impermanence of joys that arise from mere ownership of objects. Hope you rediscover the romance and move on to enjoy good music spiritually and emotionally from whatever new possessions (Hi-Fi gear) you bring home.

Cheers to your emotional recovery from the loss.

Regards

 

[dinyaar]

Hi guys,
Why value all this so much?

Am just expressing my opinion here and in no way mocking anyone s feelings.
Yes there were/are special occasions in all our lives but I prefer to live each day as though its special as i truly feel it is.
Most material goodies that we add along in our lives can be replaced, if not exactly then with something similar, why would i sadden myself with things that i cant do anything about in the present moment.

I am now more & more un attached to all things & am very consciously doing it. The fact that my 'beloved' car was stolen (years ago) and I never saw it again does not bother me, never really lament about it but i miss my last pet (a loving dog )even today.

Stay in good health and enjoy whatever life throws at u.
Rgds

 

[thevortex]

While I would love to be like Dinyaar, I wonder if I can. In fact I doubt it.

Madbullram - am sorry to hear about your loss. Am sure that expressing yourself here is going to take a load off your mind. I have found that it often helps to write when you go into a depression. That way you can get it out of your system. And what is more - if you read what you written after a month or so, it might also provide a bit of comic relief.

And I wish you all the best when you decide to setup a stereo system and get that Beatles LP. When and not if!

 

[Kamal]

MBR,not a new one ,but considering the contents of this thread ,I found it apt...

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar...and the beer.

JAR OF BEER​

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to
recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the
important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends, your favorite passions--things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house,your car, other material possessions.

The sand is everything else--the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play more. There will always be time to clean the house, and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers."

 

[stevieboy]

ABSOLUTELY! seize the moment for there might not be the next one. by that logic also, do get back on and get yourself a new LP madbullram! might not have the signature but sure will have the music

me i've taken up spanish and the spanish/classical guitar so life is good right now

 

[madbullram]

Thanks guys. More than my misery I wanted to emphasize the point of enjoying what we have. In our constant quest of perfection we sometime stop enjoying what we have.

Dinyaar: I sure cant be totally like you but today if this has happened, I wont be that badly affected. I am out of it now but cant be totally off it

Vortex/Stevie: LP is not in for now, but I have decided i will hunt for a signature series again . I have anyway started building my stereo and Beatles are up in the list

Kamal: Have stopped beer long time ago, realized how many CDs I can buy for that money

 

[psychotropic]

Hey Dinyaar, i envy you for the place where you appear to have reached in your life. I guess this is a place that most of us strive to get to, where we can have a level of detachment from material things that helps us deal with the smaller problems in life without experiencing too much stress. At least as far as I am concerned it's a work in progress.....and progress is slow!

 

[anm]

No matter how full your life may seem, beer will always create more room for itself. To believe it, you need to see my beer belly

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers."

 

[dinyaar]

Hi to all,
Psycho /vortex and Mbr, have not reached any special place. Am sorry if my post misled u guys in leading u to believe i'm some kind of 'yogi' !! Just that the material joys are losing sheen tooo soon. I think and ponder and get all excited about a purchase and wait patiently for it to arrive (last example is the car and the amplifier) and that feeling vanishes too soon. That makes me truly wonder. New car is now a year old and all i have done is 2800 kms and new amp is maybe a month old and i must have heard it for about 15hrs. If the excitement was there i probably would be using both a bit more i guess.
In fact my elders tell me its not good, at my age (i.e 40) i should be more expressive!!!
I see my older audio nuts really enjoying what they have, showing it off, gloating about its virtues and i too wonder what went wrong, and when, in my case!
Rgds

 

[suri]

Hi to all,
Psycho /vortex and Mbr, have not reached any special place. Am sorry if my post misled u guys in leading u to believe i'm some kind of 'yogi' !! Just that the material joys are losing sheen tooo soon. I think and ponder and get all excited about a purchase and wait patiently for it to arrive (last example is the car and the amplifier) and that feeling vanishes too soon. That makes me truly wonder. New car is now a year old and all i have done is 2800 kms and new amp is maybe a month old and i must have heard it for about 15hrs. If the excitement was there i probably would be using both a bit more i guess.
In fact my elders tell me its not good, at my age (i.e 40) i should be more expressive!!!
I see my older audio nuts really enjoying what they have, showing it off, gloating about its virtues and i too wonder what went wrong, and when, in my case!
Rgds

empathise with you, and i, too, wonder, what went wrong with my flirtation with innocence. (for too brief a period - 18 to 24)

and my elders tell me that i have become a recluse, and that i need to come out of a shell - i cannot - perhaps have become a cynic?

 

[thevortex]

Hmm... then you must have acquired some other new toy or passion that we dont know of here.

Just kidding.

I have gone through periods where, after having been glued to books for months, I hardly touch them for a year or so. And then something strikes me and I go back to active reading. Hobbies appear to be somewhat seasonal in my case.

 

[srikarkav]

Hi ram,

That post brought a lump in my throat.Glad you have come out of it now.
I have already wished you in another post for a fine stereo system and i wish you again here.

Fortunately i have been the 'enjoy the moment man' all my life and i have no regrets.

'Nattathum roja indre pookanum' :yahoo:


cheers,
sri

PS:For those who are not familiar with Tamil the last line roughly means-
The rose should bloom the day it is planted

 

[hemantwaghe]

Stop acting as if life is a rehearsal. Live this day as if it were your last. The past is over and gone. The future is not guaranteed.

= Wayne Dyer

 

[venkatcr]

Dinyaar, I am older to you, so I am going to take the liberty of giving you some advice. And this comes from a man who has been through what you have/are felt/feeling.

Over the years, life has been disappointing for me in many ways. Maybe I aimed too high, maybe I dreamt of too many things I wanted to own. Maybe I had too many falls. I don't know. But, the end result was that nothing simulated me in terms of ownership. There were days I used to spend hours in a stationery shop buying mundane things, that, in hindsight have no value. I have a carton full of pens, pencils, refills, leads, etc., I have not even opened. The other issue with me is that I will not use an item unless everything related to that is perfect for me. For example, I find it difficult to drink a glass of milk unless the cup/glass or whatever is sparkling clean, of the correct size and shape. I hear a CD, and there is single scratch noise, I usually break it and buy a new one.

Over the years, I have and am continuing to learn a lot from youngsters including my son and my niece. My niece is special to me as she continues to teach me what life is all about. She comes home many mornings, and says, 'baba, let us go for a drive'. The first day this happened, I wan wondering what was in store for me. She picked up half a dozen of my CDs, ran to the car, and said let us go. I love driving and, in Chennai, we have a road called ECR which goes from south Chennai to Mahabalipuram. This road is well maintained, and once you cross the traffic areas, you can cruise at 100KMPH without too much worrying. As we reached the limits of the city, my niece was sitting cross legged in the front seat, her eyes closed, and singing along with the songs that were coming from the CD. I was jerking my head like an idiot between watching the road, and gawking at my niece. Here was a person, who irrespective of the system and it 'audiophile' capabilities was enjoying the songs I have heard, more than I have ever enjoyed them. After that day, we have taken these drives many times with both of us bawling our heads out to the songs. Today, I really look forward to these drives.

The other day I had, after fighting with the support of Belkin, received the top most wireless router of Belkin in exchange for the one I had before. I did not even unpack it and was sitting admiring it and wondering what the price was. I already had another router working at home, so was wondering what to do with this expensive item. Worries, worries, worries. In comes my son, who just picks up the carton, rips it open, sniffs at it saying he just loves the smell of fresh plastic packing, quickly glances at the instructions, and, installs it - all within ten minutes. And I have been staring at the damn thing for over 24 hours. I was on the verge of screaming at him, then realised his innocence and my own stupidity. He did something he loved without thinking, and here I was, an idiot, worrying about the consequences.

Today, I was swimming at my club, when an American lady and her young child came to swim also. As I came back from my long lap, I saw this child handing on to the ledge and staring at me. When I looked at her, she gave me a big grin, shouted 'see what I can do' and flipped herself backwards into the water. I just could not help myself, clapped, and congratulated her. Believe me, the next 30 odd minutes just flew in the company of the child.

When I was driving back home in the evening, it was raining and there was this really old man who was tapping on a biker's back and begging for some money. When he turned around, I realised he was over 80 years old, completely wet, and shivering in the rain. And, he had a completely flat stomach - not from exercise, but from just lack of food. Something hit me badly then, and brought tears to me eyes. I just took out the first note I could lay my hands on and gave it to him.

These snippets made me realise something. People like me are fools. We are so fortunate that people love us and we can afford to buy a lot of things. What we have is a bloody mental wall that inhibits us fro me enjoying what we have. I have resolved to break that wall, smile at people, and enjoy myself.

There will always be people who are more 'fortunate' than us. There will always be people who look to be in control of their lives. But, what the heck, we are so much more in sync with life than so many others. But at the end of the day, why compare at all? Let us enjoy what we have and what we can lay our hands on. A little ambition will spur us to work harder and get things that we want. The other day my CA was telling me that I must be the only man he has ever met who can see a movie in the afternoon, and say that is part of my job profile !!

Three cheers to life!!

Cheers

 

[goyal.sanchit]

@ madbullram

I was reading your post with much excitement and was surprised to see your excitement and was enjoying the post. Suddenly I was taken aback on hearing that your container burnt and you ultimately had to sell your flat!!!!


Life is pretty tough sometimes. Many times we feel helpless. Though I am glad you shared it with us so that people realize how much important is PRESENT and we should enjoy that. Special thnx to Venkat for the post!

 

[dinyaar]

Hmm... then you must have acquired some other new toy or passion that we dont know of here.

Just kidding.

I have gone through periods where, after having been glued to books for months, I hardly touch them for a year or so. And then something strikes me and I go back to active reading. Hobbies appear to be somewhat seasonal in my case.

Arre vortex no such luck!!! No more toys now.
Just play with existing ones!!!! Hahaha

BTW cricket season starts for us in bbay. New toy if i can call it that is a new cricket bat!!! Lots of good games coming up for me(inter club matches) all the way till march.
I know u are sold on the game too so if u plan a trip to bbay bring some 'whites' and jump in!!
Rgds

 

[thevortex]

Arre vortex no such luck!!! No more toys now.
Just play with existing ones!!!! Hahaha

BTW cricket season starts for us in bbay. New toy if i can call it that is a new cricket bat!!! Lots of good games coming up for me(inter club matches) all the way till march.
I know u are sold on the game too so if u plan a trip to bbay bring some 'whites' and jump in!!
Rgds

Oh man - now this whets my appetite even more to visit the great city of Bombay! I try and play a game of cricket every week here. But its been raining nonstop here for 2 days now. No chance at least for the next couple of weeks I think.

Will surely give you a tinkle if and when I am at Bombay.

PS - Which bat did you get? Recently I got two bats which have pretty much become the apples of my eye. A GM Catalyst and a Slazenger first grade willow. Now, this is one passion my wife simply refuses to understand.

 

[srikarkav]

Hmm... then you must have acquired some other new toy or passion that we dont know of here.

Just kidding.

I have gone through periods where, after having been glued to books for months, I hardly touch them for a year or so. And then something strikes me and I go back to active reading. Hobbies appear to be somewhat seasonal in my case.

Hi Bala,

Have you read the books of one Lee Child? Well they will not tickle your intellect. But like good old MGR flicks they are good entertainers.Only one guy appears in all the novels.Jack Reacher. He does not have a home, no baggage.Roams all over America with just a tooth brush! If you have not already read give it a try. You may like him.


Author Lee Child

cheers,
sri