SNORING - A BOON OR A BANE?

What a stupid question, you may think; it is not stupid at all. Before I asked this question did you ever think of the pros and cons of snoring? I am sure you did not.

Snoring is a boon…

It reminds your loved ones in the house, including those in the other rooms (if you snore loud enough) that you are alive and kicking. That I am sure is a happy feeling.

It keeps the dog awake so that you need not worry about anybody breaking in.

I am told that the person who snores is physically healthy.

Your better half is alert and would be ready with the morning coffee in time. Any way they would like the snoring to stop.

Snoring is a bane….

No body can have a peaceful sleep. When you snore you make such noises that no one can really sleep and when you stop snoring they are worried that something has happened to you. Either way it is a sleepless night.

Those who want to break in will know that you are blissfully asleep.

May be you are healthy. But what about others with the sleeplessness and tension?

Do you know why those who snore will never accept that they snore?

Very simple…

They never hear their snoring.


PS. My interest in snoring started when I was a child. My father is a fantastic snorer. He could produce unlimited varieties of noises, which you cannot imagine. I have spent several sleepless nights in his room. Several times when he stopped snoring, I would get up and peek at his face to satisfy myself that he is alright. Most of the times, at that precise moment he will wake up and see me staring at him with disastrous consequences for me.

A PENTECOSTAL EXPERIENCE

I recently went to my sleepy small village in Central Travancore for a few days of peace and solitude. It is a small typical farming community with majority Hindus and a sizable Christian presence mostly orthodox Christians. A few years ago when Malankara Catholic Church came into being several orthodox families moved over; after that it is only recently that the aggressive evangelization by Pentecostal churches pulled away several orthodox families.

The Pentecostal church decided to have their convention next door to us. It was a high voltage experience with a music system blaring out high decibel music and a very aggressive preacher giving the lead. It was amazing and unbelievable; the simple meek village folks, some women in the traditional “chatta and mundu” reacting to the blaring music clapping hands and shouting hal el uah, almost hypnotised. Then the preacher takes over mesmerizing the folks with his wizardry with words, commenting on the traditional churches about their fasting and other customs, in between hal eluah rending the air. For me it was the God Channel experience in typical kerala village setting. In the end the folks went home with glowing faces leaving us, the unbelievers, bewildered.

What is it that drives such programmes? It is not cheap; the music group has to be paid for; the preacher also needs money. The simple folks cannot afford it even though they compulsorily give the tithe which they never did earlier.

The poor women of the village who come for these get-togethers must have been leading an oppressed life; the husbands come home drunk everyday; the drudgery of taking care of the children, the day to day struggle with nothing to look forward to. You go every Sunday to the church to hear the same sermon recycled. Nobody tells them that it is in order to feel relaxed at least for some time. You are told that poverty is a virtue; suffering in silence is good for your after life. Then this preacher comes along tells them that it is ok to sing aloud, clap your hands etc. while you pray. For the simple folks this is unbelievable. They go with some doubt for the first meeting; they feel relaxed after the experience; it then pulls them along. I think it is not belief alone which is helping the growth of such churches; it is the informal atmosphere of the 21st century that drives such churches. For the husbands also this is good; the wives are not grumbling; they do not have to drink to get a peaceful evening; they can get the same high by going to such get-togethers.

Do the traditional churches have an answer for this?

WHY I DECIDED TO BLOG?

It was two days ago that in a local newspaper I read about blogs and blogging. Since I had a relaxed day at office I decided to run a search and found this site. Then the dilemma was, I, TOM, as some call me ( tall old man, silly), might stick out like a sore thumb among the young crowd who blog. Then I took the brave decision… I will blog, come what may… so here I am….

Don’t expect fancy postings and colours here. I will try to give an insight to life in my future postings… you will like it…u see I have a few decades of experience with life on this earth, not counting the rebirths (even though I don’t believe in it). Otherwise how can I be TOM?

Traveling around also has helped. My mother used to say- when I became a sales person- when I was about three years I used to lug around a suitcase bigger than me saying I want to travel around. Somebody up there must have heard that and I have not stopped. Luckily wheelers are around; so lugging around a suitcase is no big deal and in India porters are plenty.

I started traveling on job over 3 decades ago. I have exhausted the pages of three passports. Have to get a new one now. Traveling around in those days was another cup of tea. That will be another story and another posting.