Hello! So we meet again! The past half month has been so full of activities and things to do. From doing a photography assignment to finally launching the song analysis podcast, things got done. A busy time of happiness, I guess! The Podcast Lab by Anchor got started and I had some fabulous sessions by awesome podcasters from around the world. After their sessions, I was finally able to put my work out in a podcast format. Wondering what is it and how it works? Give it a listen here-

Laal Ishq Song AnalysisBy Tune ThoughtsPodcast episode

I also put it on Youtube. Search for the channel - Tune Thoughts there and you shall find it!

In case it is the first time you have came here, make sure to check out my previous write-ups.

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Lights and Rejection, Bags and Batman, Washrooms and Cupboards, Driving and Friendship, or Humor and Instant Messaging!

So what is our topic going to be for this open letter? It is about two diverse ways of happiness that we have enjoyed ever since our childhood- Swings, and Fireworks. In case you want to listen to the audio version of it, try this-

Swings and FireworksBy Blabber DabbersPodcast episode

Boom! Bam! I hear certain sounds that startle me and drag me to reality as I sit listening to music and entering a world of trance. I immediately realize that it is the sound of fireworks and there is someone probably celebrating something or the other. Whatever they are celebrating, I fail to understand why do they burn their money for it. I mean, there are thousands of other ways to celebrate, cakes, food, parties, pizza, donation, etc., etc. But who am I to question this ages-old tradition of bursting crackers on various happy occasions? So instead of trying to wreck my mind as to why they do so, I decide to have a look at what it does for people and what makes them so happy about it.

Fireworks are all about grabbing attention. Be it visually or in a sound manner. These attention grabbers pull people to them. Fireworks are essentially used in functions like weddings, especially when the Baarat comes to take the Dulhan. Yes, I get that the wedding is happening and both the families have agreed to it. I am not sure about the groom and especially the bride but the families are okay with it for sure. The fireworks suppress so many things under it. The neighboring noise of people having various chores. In a house is the vacuum cleaner being operated and making the loudest noise. In another is Beyonce singing and the volume is loud enough to reach the whole building. And somewhere down the line, there is the voice of a victim of some injustice like domestic violence that is suppressed.

India is a place where noise is a usual thing. Be it Navratri or Diwali, you are assured of hearing something at high volume which is usually enough to disrupt your sleep. Being said that, the fireworks act as a very unique point of contact. They act as ice breakers. I vividly remember this scene from Love Aaj Kal’s song- Chor Bazaari. Saif and Deepika are dancing freely in a random Baarat. This is repeated in so many movies. I wonder if the firework then works as an invitation to join in for the happiness. Oppose this to the sad events like death or mourning of someone that is very silent and essentially in silence and peace. Fireworks then become a signature of happiness. A sign that they are happy enough to dance on it and spend some time with themselves to light up and blast off their sadness.

That was one type of firecracker- essentially the ones that make noise. The other type is the one that spreads light- the essential Diwali fountain or fawara, the chakli, and the classic skyrocket that becomes a flower in the sky. These are very different from the sound ones as they require us to keep an eye in the sky or we would miss it. That is what happiness becomes. One second here and there, and you miss it. And it is tiny. Tiny enough to make you feel delighted if you spot it. The idea is to light it up and wait for it to do its thing. Sure, there would be instances when the cracker would betray. Sometimes, it would pretend as if it is nonfunctional and it would surprise or shock you. I think that becomes the basic idea of life. The preparation for happiness is not always rewarded when you expect it. Sometimes, it comes later when you least expect it.

Photography by me. @thelightsight on instagram.

I enjoy these flowers of fireworks sitting on a swing at my place. Letting those flowers of a short glimpse of pleasure sink in as I swing from forward to backward in a rhythm that defines life. I believe that swings are the best piece of architecture that is found across the world in different forms. Interestingly, no two swings are the same. I have one that is all cushioned and with a backrest in the building’s garden while the other has planks of metal like a bench. The feel of each is different. The plank one feels lighter and easier to move but the cushion one feels good to sit for hours. I sit on them for hours together. Sometimes in the mornings, around 7 am to feel the bliss of nature. One time it so happened that one uncle came and asked if I was getting up from the swing. I did not think much and got up to give it to him. I had spent almost an hour or so on it. I gave it to him and he was swinging it at almost half of the speed that I did. It felt like his time goes slower than mine and his life has much more peace than mine.

And I saw him for a while as he enjoyed his swing time. It made me realize that I swing in such a different way than him. I swing to get a thrill and also a brief nap. My idea of swinging is to plug in earphones, and swing with eyes closed as gradually the waves of sleep encompass my eyes and take me in a zone of peace and relaxation. His was that of a lazy time in which you just sit and do nothing.

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Swings are so symbolic of life. Some people swing it so fast that you are afraid that the swing might break or get uprooted. I remember one instance where I and my childhood friend swung at the highest speed for a while. Bam. we fell down. Fortunately, none of us got hurt or were even scratched. We realized that we should be a bit more careful in swinging. We started swinging a tad bit slower than the peak we had reached. However, it always changes with people. I sit with mom and she swings it at a slower speed.

Swinging speed is like the speed of life that we live in. Some people are essentially impatient and want to get in the last gear in a jiffy. Some would take their sweet time to reach the peak. The swing just follows the lead that the person gives. It blends into their own mood and there is a symphony of wind that becomes the lullaby for a tired person.

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Then there are some essential swing ‘experts’ that would warn you that swinging at a certain speed might harm you and you should always not go beyond a level. They are not completely wrong and there is a speed at which the swing would start getting lifted from a part but that is rare. One needs to know what speed they are comfortable at and what do they need from the swing. Are they the roadrunner type that needs the fastest level or are they the slow tortoise that can win the race with a slow walk? There is no fixed answer to that. If I tell you that you would enjoy it at a speed of 10 km/ hr you would not necessarily like it. You would like it when you discover yourself.

However, there are certain people that you would love sitting on swings with. They are the ones that match you in your speed and the duration that they swing for. Some swing for 5 mins while some for 50 mins. The hardest part is to meet someone who can make the most of the swings at the same speed and same duration which you like. And you can only find that someone when you sit with everyone on the swings. You may not always like the speed and duration but you are assured to get a different feel and experience. The idea is to sit with everyone until you can find someone whom you can swing with always.

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And most importantly, every swinger would teach you a thing or two about swinging. I remember learning to swing without using my feet from the childhood friend on whose swing we both fell. That is a wonderful memory. We have not sat on a swing together for years but I know that when we sit together, we would have a blast. Then I sit with my mom and she swings at a slower speed. That is enjoyable too because she feels really relaxed and delightful while she does that. Some friends do not swing at all and that is fine because sometimes, you are alone and the best company you can find is yourself.

Swings are such an intimate and public part of you. You create a world of your own wherein you dictate the speed and the amount of fun you can have. Swings come in various forms. You can pick the one you like. The point is to sit in each until you find the perfect one for yourself. Oh wait, that is like a simple formula for everything in life from choosing the perfect career to the perfect house. But a swing is a swing and some swings hurt in the butt while sitting for a long time and you must avoid those. ( I am pointing to you, the chain ridden swings with a seat of hanging rubber that almost wraps the seater)

But one thing is for sure, once you discover the swing, you would be able to notice that the firecracker in the sky is so beautiful and worth noticing. The sound may be not so pleasant but what comes without some struggles and pain?

So, which swing do you prefer and what is your secret to swing the perfect way?


That was my piece of mind for this fortnight! I hope you liked it! As always, here are the customary pieces of art that always inspire me to be a better me.

Navratri fever means some great music

Comic Artist- Chow Hon Lam

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/buddygatorcomics/

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Raj’s Version

Swings, ah! Such a pleasant topic to think about. Brings so many lovely memories rushing back to me. Swings have always had a personal connection for me, and to think of it there are just so many types of swings around us, I can think of all the variety which we have had at our own home and numerous others on which I have had the pleasure to sit, and let my feet feel free in the air; be it at a friend’s place or extended family’s. Swings are so personal I feel, they are the friend we often forget to think about as we tend to think of it only as an object. I feel swings are much more than objects, we spend so much time on our swings and weirdly enough all of those are good memories. I can’t remember having a bad time on a swing! Probably because even on the bad day’s swings have the tendency and the ability to soothe me down. In fact, the swing is actually the place where our life literally begins, we like to call it a cradle. 

The slow-motion on swing allows us a safe space physically and mentally to introspect if it’s an evening or just to welcome the new day if it’s the morning. The struggles of heart and mind may not find peace elsewhere in the world, but a swing will definitely manage to swing your mood (pun intended :p). We also tend to allow our inner child to peek out when sitting on a swing, especially if we are on that typical small wooden swing that has those iron chains that have rusted years ago, the ones that we find in any public garden or in any children’s play area. The sheer joy of it is unmatchable. 

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Aren’t fireworks similar in that way? The sheer amazement in one’s eyes when they look at those flames go off in the sky? I guess both these things have the capacity to draw us back to our younger selves, no matter what our current age may be. Fireworks aren’t only beautiful to watch but so vibrant, symmetrical, aesthetic, and smooth. No wonder it gives insane joy to younger kids. We oldies might sit down to debate about the darker side of this product, right from its production which involves child labor to the harmful effects of fireworks on the environment. Yet, a child’s heart knows no bounds, all it seeks is joy and pleasure. I guess that’s the story of life. So much that seems beautiful in childhood may turn out to be quite ugly as we grow up. Personally, I can’t wholeheartedly enjoy or appreciate fireworks now, even in those few odd moments that I might, I know I am bound to feel guilty for it later. 

We swing between this burden of thoughts, knowledge, musings, and frustrations, while all that the inner child wants is to sit on a nice little swing and watch fireworks go off all night. How do we manage to complicate such simple pleasures? With these new and fancy flats/bungalows coming up, I guess even the old-style one-seater and three-seater swings are no more fashionable, now you only get to see fancy swings that go with the interiors of the place. I hold nothing against modernity, it’s just a lament from an old-school person who feels that the swing should match with the interiors of your soul and not of the flat or a bungalow. 

Nevertheless, it's always amusing to come across so many newer types of swing, always a delight to give them a try, swing a little, and get its feel. And fireworks I don’t know, though my childhood was full of them (my father used to bring tons of firecrackers for us) I still feel quite conflicted on that one at this age, I am as conflicted on it as on veg vs non-veg thing. Maybe our listeners and readers can tell me about how they feel and that might help me. 


Ayee! Thank you so much for reading and I would be so happy to know what you think about this letter. Do feel free to give me any constructive feedback. I would really appreciate it! I write these things fortnightly so see you on or before 16th October! :D

That is all from our side for this edition! See you all! Like, share, comment, subscribe, send kabootars, throw your devices and computers, and make us famous! :P

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