14.0 Let's Travel By Bus And Have Fun.

As there are many stories that happened inside the buses when I was traveling, this is the second portion. As well as this is the first story of this new year and I’m drafting this on the 1st of January 2019. I think this would be a good start for the new year. Today is a company holiday for most and the 1st of January is a holiday for my former office as well. But I’m working half a day today as my career has changed a bit. So, I thought it would be better to work on the first day of the new year.

I wanted to add something from the outside of the story regarding the new year greetings we exchange with each other. Thanking the latest technology, everyone is sharing greeting messages easily. So, most of them do not call to convey the greeting message. 

Most of the time we receive this as an image, video or sticker. Here I’m writing my honest feeling. Sometimes you may agree with me. Most of the times I did not feel the greetings when sending it via the different methods I mentioned above. It’s just another message for me. I felt the greeting much when I’m conveying it via a voice call. As well as sending or posting a greeting card would make both senders and, receivers happier. I think it's more powerful than a voice call. 

However, we liked the latest technology and, we cannot use the older methods by keeping the latest methods away. As usual, the younger generation adored at the latest. So, I think it is better if we can follow these methods according to the types of different personalities. As an example, we can send the greetings to our grannies via a voice call. Then it helped them to discuss more things with us. As you know, the vast majority of the elders do not have the opportunity to share their old memories and thoughts even though they are willing to do so. In this situation, you may have to hear older stuff again. But it would give joy to your seniors in this new year's eve. If we can send a nice greetings card for our close friends by post, it would be a great idea. 

(When remembering some of them, I'm feeling somewhat angry about them. Thing is some friends could type more than a thousand letters to say their gossips and sorrows. But they are not willing to type about twenty-five letters to share a lovely greeting. If you are conscious of everything, you can identify these observations via this small stuff.)

Here, I’m wishing a blessed, peaceful and prosperous new year for you all. May all good dreams come true this year and always keep in mind that this year is yours. The next 365 days given for you to get the revenue for all the hard times you spent. 

Think about ‘Time. You think about the consumption of time while you are enjoying the new year's eve. As you know time is priceless. We cannot take back the time. Therefore, it is necessary to consider whether we have used this time in the past year correctly. Otherwise, I would like to request you to prepare a small plan for this year. I’m suggesting this as one of your best friends or loving sisters. 

As well as you try to think about the truth. It’s my next small request in this new year. The truth here is we have lesser time to live our lives than last year as one year had gone now. If you like to think in that way, it will really help to reduce our faults. Because after that we need to live the rest of our lives peacefully without making trouble for others. Or else most of the people used to think that they will live forever and they act accordingly. I think most of you may agree with my point. Please do tell me your views and, I would like to reconsider my thinking pattern accordingly. If you think as so once, you will identify your status as a human and pending responsibility you have for your society. I’m writing these additional things as I thought to share some good thoughts with you in this new year. 

So, now I'm moving back to my bus stories.

I could see different characters inside the bus. Some people used to sleep as soon as they got a seat to sit. Some of them did not behave well in front of women and tried to harass them. Some people liked to help others and, some of them were thieves. Out of all, most of them used to sleep without thinking about others and, they harassed women. Sometimes you may face or observe similar situations when you are using public transport. 

One day, I asked to move a little bit to someone who sat next to me. At that time he slept well. His seat was not enough for him to sleep well and, that’s why I had to make that request. I did not know that he was of a different nationality. So, he did not get what I said and stood suddenly by saying something. I could not understand what he said to me as well. I think there was a communication gap. Lol... After a while, he sat back. But he did not sleep till the destination. 

Some people liked to talk with us during this two-hour journey. Some people cannot be managed with a few words and had to talk a little bit. So, the headset was one good solution I had. Sometimes I lied and misled them with wrong personal information. Sometimes I acted like sleeping without listening to them. It was a good solution and the headset was not the best one as some people used to knock and talk. Sometimes I slept. As you know, you cannot do that act for a few hours if you do not want to sleep. So, in such a situation, from time to time I woke up and slept again. I did this for a few times and, the person who sat beside me said that 'You cannot sleep at a stretch right?. Even though it made me laugh, I smiled and slept again.

Sometimes we used to talk a bit rude for the people who did not behave well and troubled us. But I did as so when there were few friends with me. One day, in such a situation, I tried to vomit and, it was an act to keep that person away from by making an unpleasant feeling about me. It worked well and, he went away. 

Most of the times we did not talk with them loudly to point out their faults as others used to take us as a joke. They never consider the uncomfortable situation made by the other person. I saw this situation many times in the buses. One day, one lady blamed a person who sat beside her and, that person also said some rubbish words to her. Finally, most of the people tried to get fun out of their fight and, no one helped that woman to get rid of that problem. In the end, she was very helpless and got down from the bus. I felt sad for her and, it was the worst situation I have ever seen️. 

Some people tried to listen to us when we were talking and, it was a disturbance for us. So, we followed different methods to prevent it. One day, we looked around in the window and, discussed the beauty of a kite in the sky. We did not say it loudly as we wanted to know whether that person listens to us or not. As we thought he also searched for a kite in the sky and it made us laugh. After that, he got to know that it was a silly track and, he ashamed a lot. So, he went away.

One day, I watched my wall on Facebook and, suddenly an uncle who sat next to me asked to scroll up to the phone screen. I also could not think much with his unexpected request and, I scrolled up and viewed some posts on the Facebook wall. He wanted to see one post and, at that time I got to know that he also watched my phone screen with me. He looked at that post for a few seconds and said something about that post. 




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4.0 Do Respect Elders & Friends Better Than Seth Godin. The Ultimate Guide For You!

                             

This short story comprises of specific traditions limited to our Sri Lankan culture. I think, we have our own customs and traditions with regard to Respecting Elders. 

This series of incidents happened when I was three to six years of age kid. I could say that these stories are very memorable to me.  

Job Transfers! So that day came with a job transfer of my father and, he has to move to another area. Those days my memories have attached to the river I had bathed, ducks and that ‘Soldare’ (Upstairs) in my friend’s house. But I do not remember the feelings I had when we had to leave that place. However, I was joyfully prepared to go to the new house. Every item of the house has stacked into a major lorry and, there were a couple of companions of my father to help us. But I do not remember how I left my friend and, I couldn't recall whether she was there or not even. She was not there, I think.

A woman who took care of me and, my sister additionally joined us to go to the new place and, her mother also came to visit us on that day. As per our Sinhalese traditions we used to respect our elders by adoring when we need to greet or express farewell to them. However, we used this tradition with very close relatives and respectable elders only.  In any case, we utilized this convention with close relatives and good Elders as they were. So, on that day I needed to keep up this convention with numerous elders as we are abandoning them.  Most of them asked me to behave well. I think some of them might think that it’s good to lose our company because of the small troubles they faced with me. 

So, this is the most valuable episode that occurred on that day and, I would state that is the most key respect I showed to an elder amid my lifetime.  

Culture Vs Feelings! Among numerous elders, I pick our take carer's ('Renuka') mother as a reasonable elder to state farewell by following up on our customs. If you exactly do not know the way we are following up on this tradition, I will try to explain it in this way. This is actually kind of respect that we are showing to our elders as younger. Here we should keep our knees, hands, and head on the floor by twisting back well in front of the elder’s foot.

That Incident! At that time, as a child, I might not think about her as our baby sitter’s mother. I may think about her as a mother of the most soft-hearted and genuine person. There are various reasons to state that 'Renuka' was the best woman who cared for us well among numerous in our childhood. I don't know the amount of tolerance she had when considering my tolerance limits with my sister's little one. I used to deal with my patience hard when I needed to deal with him for a couple of hours. However, 'Renuka' was an extremely kind-hearted individual who adored us and took care of us for a long time. I used to drink milk only if it has prepared by mother or ‘Renuka’ in those days.  

As I remembered, ‘Renuka’ needed to roll out a few improvements in food before feeding me. If she came prepared milk to drink, then the first time it’s excessively hot. Second-time sugar was not enough and, the third time I said there’s no foam in the milk cup.  In this way, to roll out these improvements, she went to the kitchen, a few times without saying anything. Always we could see her affection through her eyes too. I think it was a legitimate and regular inclination to respect 'Renuka's mother by following up on our traditions. However, you realize that others can't envision these things at first sight and they got irate with me. Even though I could not see any reactions, I got the result as soon as I moved to the new place. I got numerous recommendations in regard to the methods for choosing elders who are reasonable for our respect and, they revealed to me that they felt disgrace as a result of me. It was a reason for them to worry for a few days. 

However, I still feel that the lady blessed me with her honest thoughts.  

When I was respecting her, she told me many things as blessings and, hugged me. The genuine tears in her poor eyes touched my heart and, I felt happy with her companion that day. Sometimes it may be a memorable moment for her as well, even though she also a bit confused and inconvenient due to an unexpected incident. The other memorable incident happened when I was in grade one. There was a convention to offer our respects to our class instructor as per Sinhalese traditions, before leaving school. For some reason, instantly, I went over a few tables without holding up in the line and respected my class teacher. It might be the hurry I had to return home. However, the manner in which I adored was not impeccable and, I did it without twisting my head much. My teacher noticed my behavior and asked ‘Don’t your parents teach you the way of respecting us’ by consolidating all the faults I did at that time. Now you know how I have adored and respected elders right. Lol...

Even I did not tell this to my mother, later on, she got to know it from a few of my classmates’ mothers. However, after this incident, I used to respect them by keeping my hands, knees, and head on the floor by twisting my back well. I didn’t make this mistake again when respecting teachers who taught me. I recalled this incident every time when I have to respect them.

On the other hand, there was another practice when saying Goodbye to my friends. 

My Tradition! On those days I hugged and kissed my friends when leaving school as a good-bye practice. So, I used to hug every girl and boyfriends and, I thought it shows my companionship to them till I meet them the next day. Most of the time I came back with my mother or a lady who looked after us and, they saw this practice many times. But there were no complaints from them. However, I had to stop this practice in one day once my father came to pick me from school. So, as usual, I hugged my every friend and returned home with my father. On the next day as well, my father observed this practice once he came to pick me.

Actually, I don't comprehend what's your opinion about the next sentences that I will right now.

I'm writing about the scene. As you know, beef is not acceptable nourishment according to Sinhalese traditions.  However, according to my view, there ought to be the same consistency for every animal. Therefore, we realized that beef is not worthy of food from a kid's age. If you are a beef lover, you think about, feeling about clans who eat human meats and, it will comprehend the comparable inclination we had those days. In this case, my father exhorted me not to hug them as they are eating beef as their nourishment. I don’t know how to explain the exact feeling I had at that time honestly. However, it was not pleasant for me. I always remembered the innocent brown colored cow stretched out in the backyard of our housing scheme. I felt very sorry about that animal. I worried and cried a lot. 

But my father's technique worked fine. 

Very recently I got to know that sad and unpleasant thoughts are also sin after listening for a sermon of  ‘Ven Thiththagalle Anandasiri’ Thero. (Sermon: "Maha Sinha Nadaya")

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