 By Samir Shukla
No Resolutions. Adjustments. Another year has dissolved into a permanent slumber while its young offspring has arrived at the door and is ready to go off to the races. Once more around the sun. It's another day in another year. We work, play, love, walk, run, cry, laugh, plan, dream, scheme. Live life. Our efforts sometimes pay off, while other times skid off the road and are redirected via bumps in the road or too heavy a load, societal dictates, biological bugs or political thugs, personal or familial trials and triumphs. Some of it our own making. Much of it out of our control. Lives rerouted. Adjusted.  By Samir Shukla
This past September, while watching the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards and Ron Wood interplay their guitars as Mick Jagger sang and strutted on the stage at Bank of America stadium in Charlotte, the full majesty of rock, driven by guitars, was cut loose of its moorings. The sky wept in joy. Practically every kid I knew in middle school and later high school dreamed of playing the guitar. Like a rock star, of course. It was the late 70's and early 80's and rock 'n' roll ruled the radio airwaves. The lead guitarists of rock bands were our idols. Their guitar strings spewed mighty sounds, from subtle to loud, melodic to feedback. In an era before music videos, the Internet, and social media, their mystique added to their legends.  By Samir Shukla
It was drizzling while I walked to my car, subconsciously matching the rhythmic dance and trance of a soft rainfall. I kept my head down so the water from the rain wouldn't wet my face. But then I gazed up at the playful gray clouds releasing their collectively held moisture to the ground. I stood there for a moment. The drizzle felt cool on my face during this warm summer day.  By Samir Shukla
I cherish my dual being. I'm a proud American who is proud of his Indian heritage. This combination has helped mark my place in the world. Indian Americans for decades have embedded in the American ethos, culture, and mainstream while preserving their cultural markers – language, food, art, philosophy. Indians have migrated to America for over a century, but the numbers began increasing in late 1960s and early 1970s. According to the 2020 Census, there are about 4.3 million Indian Americans in the United States.  By Samir Shukla
Climate change has almost won. Those are fighting words. I don't mean them in a defeatist sense. I'm a logical realist. Human imprints are so pervasive on this planet, that making changes to our destructive natures is a bit like coming to the party as the empty bottles and cans are being cleaned up and most folks have left the building. |
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