The WhatsApp forwarder wakes up each morning with a purpose. While the rest of us are brushing our teeth and wondering whether there is enough milk for tea, he is busy saving us from the end of the world. This morning, he warned us that drinking cold water after a…
The Crucifix That Fell..!
About twenty seven minutes into an evening Mass in Guayaquil, Ecuador, a large wooden crucifix fell from behind the altar and struck Father Patricio Sánchez. The priest died, leaving his congregation and family to mourn a sudden and terrible loss. The Mass was being livestreamed, and footage of the tragedy…
The One Minute Presentation..!
“You have one minute to introduce your business,” says the chairman. “Thank you! Before I begin…” And there goes the first ten seconds. Last night I addressed the Fishers business group on making a One Minute Presentation. For many of us, that is barely enough time to clear our throats,…
I’ve Kept It Safely..!
“I know I kept it safely,” I announced, with the confidence of a man who had just made a terrible mistake. My wife looked up. After years of marriage, she knows that when I say something had been kept safely, we should cancel our appointments for the afternoon. There are…
Ziklag and my Book Launch..!
For months I had prepared to launch my book, One Note at a Time at the party after the concert at Jamshed Bhabha Theatre. I had imagined applause, smiling readers and books disappearing from the table. The books were on the table. Unfortunately, it was the readers who were disappearing,…
What the Minister Said..!
Foreign Minister Jaishankar recently reminded an audience, with his American counterpart present, that Indian talent and skills had helped shape the technological era in the United States. Absolutely right! Our engineers have helped build America’s digital world. Unfortunately, reminding the landlord that you kept his house clean does not automatically…
The Tip of the Conversion Iceberg..!
“Have you taken permission to believe?” I can almost hear an official asking, adjusting his spectacles and searching for the appropriate form. “God may have called you, but has He submitted the necessary documents? These heavenly communications must come through the proper channel, preferably in triplicate, with two passport photographs.”…
Holding the Bow and Arrow..!
“You need to stand properly!” That was one of my twin grandsons getting instructions during an archery lesson in America a few months ago. Apparently, looking enthusiastic while pointing something dangerous in a general direction did not qualify him as archer. A useful discovery, which I wish our national leaders…
Control Freaks..!
“Go ahead,” said my friend to his wife. “You decide.” She did. His expression suggested she had just declared war on a neighbouring country. “Why ask me if you’ve already decided?” she demanded. “I wanted your opinion!” he protested. Apparently, her opinion was welcome, provided it arrived wearing his clothes…
Using Fright to Subdue..!
“Any questions?” asks the man at the microphone. A youngster raises his hand. The man looks offended. Apparently, the question was part of the decoration, like the flowers beside the podium. Nobody was expected to take it home and water it. I thought of this while reading about the postponed…
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.