Ctrl-App-Delete-Time to Look Up!

Ever too often in the recent past I have seen the 'Look up' videos. It highlights a campaign which aims at minimizing the time spent with technology and admiring the real world. For me, it meant spending more time with the kids. After I saw the 'Look up' videos, I started taking note of the times my kids had to nudge me to life to get mine or the husband's attention. And it was always! Each time either of the kids came to us for something, both of us were staring at our phones. Most of the times it was a game for me and Twitter for Mohit. We both complained of the iPhone's draining battery. No one told us we use it too often that we drain the damn thing of its life.

So to take control of my life, stop to smell the flowers, hug the kids and kiss the Mr., I have decided to do an experiment with myself. Each Saturday morning, I will delete an application from my smart phone. This will go on week after week until I delete all 45(just counted) of them from my life. Today is the first day and I didn't choose the app. Yes, that is another strict test that I am subjecting myself to. I asked my kids to randomly select an app on my phone and I deleted it. Today was the turn of the Times of India(TOI) app. It is gone! Now i am down to 44 apps.

On an average I was perhaps opening the TOI app 4 times during a day. Mostly while in the loo. And mostly reading random, crazy news or surfing stupid fashion pictures. Nothing ventured, nothing gained! But a lot of time wasted perhaps. After all, a TOI app isn't the only way to stay updated with the world's news. In fact, even if I am not updated about the latest volcanic eruption in Iceland then how does it matter? Would I miss the volcano news for the first time my 15 month old calls me 'Mama'. You bet your boots!

This is the first week and an easy app is out of my life. The coming 44 weeks might mean deleting Facebook and Twitter which if left to me would be the last to go. That is the reason I left the option to the kids. It is them who deserve to pluck the culprits who are eating away the mummy's precious time. After all, the kids grow up only once. Apps come and go!

I am learning! I suggest each one of us does something to 'Look up, Take notice and Live!

10 things I learnt From Archie Comics

So all through my teens and adolescence and adult life, I have read Archie Comics. I still try to steal the time out to read the occasional comic only now in its digital avatar. Nevertheless Archie, Betty, Veronica and Jughead continue to humour my daily life out of its monotony even though I am 3 times the age of when I first discovered this Riverdale Gang. Going back I realise if it wasn't for Archie and his friends there would be so many things I wouldn't have known. Simple everyday things, but very important to know thingies. I decided to  make a list to share. So here are the top 10 things I learnt from Archie Comics-

1. How the School Tap works in US Schools- Now for some one like me I grew up in a standard school which had a normal tap which gave out water vertically downwards. If I had not read Archie Comics I wouldn't have known the existence of the tap that gives out water upwards. I would be ignorant and made fun of during my trips abroad.
2. Ek Ladka Ladki Kabhi dost nahi ho sakte- Even before Salman Khan was told this in his Maine Pyar Kiya, Archie Comics had already taught us this. Thanks to the love triangle/quadruple of Archie/Betty/Veronice/Reggie, we already knew that the opposite sex can only fall in love.
3. Kissing- Now actually kissing is something that I had never done. even talking about kissing was taboo and next to porn. But Archie randomly kissed Betty, Veroninica and other girls. So the learning was that a kiss isn't taboo or porn, it is actually an emotion, an affection.
4. There is something called Drugs- At the back of each Archie Comic used to be a message called 'Say No to Drugs'. I used to wonder what do they mean. Drugs were medicines and medicines are important if one takes ill. Quite later I came to know what drugs meant. Dope aka grass aka hash came into the lives of an Indian teen of the 1990's quite late thankfully.
5. Drown your sorrows in a thick Malt- I had never heard this word. Jughead was responsible for this. He introduced me to malt and that someone can actually drown their sorrows in a malt. I follow that to the tee. Only I put on weight and he is on a different metabolism completely.
6. The Detention Room- Though I still have to see an actual detention room but if it wasn't for Riverdale High and the antics of Archie and his friends I would've never known what detention is.
7. People can have red hair- Carrot top, or whatever you call him. He is truly adorable. But neither had i ever seen or known that a human can have red hair. Archie walked into my life with a totally new colour of facial hair.
8. Weekends are for fun- Growing up as a youngster in a small town, we had no concept of fun, parties or weekends. Archie and his gang looked forward to weekends and long drives and parties. I am glad they showed me and the world this. Otherwise how would Varun Dhawan croon 'Saturday, Saturday!'
9. It is good to be skinny- a decade before the size zero mania hit the country, Betty and Veronica had already told us that it is fashionable to be thin and in shape. I could never manage that though.
10. Good guys don't finish last- whatever stupid things Archie did, he was always the quintessential good guy. and at the end of each comic, he did manage to get the girl. Thus the old adage 'Good guys finish last' was beaten and hope was restored in the goodness of people.

This lovable gang has now evolved to include a more modern outlook with a gay couple coming in the picture. Archie has even died I have learnt. But they continue to be such cool people for me. they are my 5 minute cat nap that I don't get in the day. They are my cooling gels that I use when there is no one around. And see they taught me so much. I sure wouldn't be this cool if Archie wasn't around.