Many politicians in our country love talking about their humble beginnings, and since most of our country are poor, they manage to get votes doing so. I love people who have come up by their bootstraps, but often wonder whether they really come up? Have they raised themselves up in…
Goin’ Up In Smoke..!
“Want a smoke?” asked my friend Ramesh as we sat in the college cafeteria, many years ago. “No,” I said, but watched fascinated as Ramesh pulled out a pack of twenty from his shirt pocket, lit a cigarette with a flourish, and holding it expertly between his fingers brought it…
When Asked for Your Honest Opinion..!
“Do not use a hatchet to remove a fly from your friend’s forehead..” Chinese Proverb How often we are approached by someone who wants an honest opinion about his short story, a poem, maybe a decision he has made or even what you think of the interior of his house:…
Improving Our Eyesight..!
The other day while walking in the park, near my house I passed an eighty year old man, who seemed to be walking a tad slowly and pensively, “A penny for your thoughts?” I asked. “Just realizing I’m getting old!” he said sadly, and at that time his daughter passed…
A Risen Lord, Stretched His Arms to Me..!
A Risen Lord stretched out his arms to me! I smiled at friends as we sat in the bar, “We’ll stand by you through thick and thin,” they slurred drunkenly, and we raised a toast to each other in a stupor of revelry. I looked for those same true friends…
Easter, Ukraine and Russia..!
Tomorrow is Easter. It’s also Easter for those fighting the bitter war in Ukraine and the forces from Russia. It’s also Easter for the countries who are supplying arms and ammunition that can be used against Russia. Most probably they will all declare a ceasefire, for their men to attend…
Good Friday Rejoicing..!
In the realms of heaven, on that first Good Friday long ago, the angels were hushed. They could not believe what they were seeing down below; their Lord and Master, their very God, nailed to a rough wooden cross, after being beaten, whipped and humiliated by the very ones He…
Healing through Pushing Yourself..!
Tom came over to my home. He walked with a pronounced limp, dragging his leg behind him, his right hand hanging useless at his side. He sat down, his eyes wet with tears. “Why doesn’t God heal me?” he asked bitterly. “Why should He?” I asked. “Because I pray for…
Facing Rejection Head-On..!
Sorry folks I’m not talkin’ ‘bout those rejected by their lovers, but I’m talkin’ of we poor writers and the continuous rejection we face as we try to build a career in writing. History is replete with examples of writing that was rejected time and again that finally made the…
Encouragement Power..!
I see lots and lots of children going back to school after the lockdown, but there’s little joy on their faces; instead looks of stress and tension cloud their otherwise smiling young visages. “What’s happening?” I ask a youngster walking along with his mother. “He’s got his exams today,” says…
Robert Clements is a newspaper columnist and writes a daily column, which has graced the pages of over 60 newspapers and magazines, from a daily column in the Khaleej Times, Dubai, the Morning Star, London, and in nearly every state in India, from The Statesman in Kolkata, to the Kashmir Times in Kashmir to the Trinity Mirror in Chennai.