Birthday and All, How Facebook Is Playing Such a Huge Role!

It's the birthday and all. Yawn! Growing old isn't a good thing, is it? Got up today, hugged the wife, shook hands with son, dressed casual, as it's birthday. Bought sweets for office colleagues, HR department called, HR manager called, sweet girl who recruited me (Trupti) called. There's an avalanche of messages on Facebook, which I will reply to personally, of course. It's amazing how many people know me, I mean, how many people I came across through Facebook and Twitter. And to top it all I got this message written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (whose birthday is also today!) through the medium itself. I will brand these words on my forehead right-to-left and read it every time I look at myself in the mirror. He... he... Joking.

"It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams."  

Oh what a message to receive on your birthday when you are despairing about growing old. Absolutely awesome! Yesterday I thought I should give up one thing: the novel, blogging, guitar. I can't go on with all three. Today I get this message and it changed my thinking! The best wish that I have received so far from Facebook is the picture above sent from Madrid by Marisa Riveira Navarro, daughter of the Spanish famous painter by that name. I have friends across the world with whom I am in touch, daily. 

I won't say how old I am except that I am in the mid fifties. Fifties! Man, how time flies. My son keeps constantly reminding me to grow up, probably because when he was young I used to tell him to grow up. The other day when I coloured my hair he said, "You shouldn't do this. You are old now." Guess youth is unkind and youth is brash. Yesterday a boy, probably ten or twelve, not even a teenager, yet, gave me a "hool". You know what is a "hool?" "Hool dena" is feinting as if to hit, in the local parlance. Shows the total lack of respect for age and maturity by the immature boor. This is how it happened.

I was going out of a hotel and the boy was coming in. On seeing me he thought "Let me give 'hool'" and he came towards me as if to strike me. When I was a bit fuddled and preparing to defend myself, he walked away. That's "hool." "Are you giving 'hool' I asked after him, but he turned away. I know he isn't mature enough for a confrontation, a coward, so he walked away. If I was to confront him I would have told him about the kind of people I have given "hool" to in my younger days. You know, I grew up in a tough neighbourhood, which, in those days, was the petri-dish which cultured the tough gangsters who rule the city today. And I know how to handle a "hool" giver. Hm. Don't mess with me! He would have pissed in his pants, I am sure.

Joking again! Don't take any of the above seriously except the Marquez quote, of course. Thanks friends, fellows, comrades, co-conspirators for the messages. Keep them coming. I am going to need it.

I am @johnwriter on Twitter and John.Matthew on Facebook. I blog here.