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Thursday, September 14, 2006

Ah,Wilderness!

They say that every blogger gets a blogger's block at some time or the other. I haven't really written in a while. Part of the reason is that I have been immersed neck deep in professional commitments. The other part is that the blog was not doing much in terms of helping me purge out my emotions which was its initial objective in the first place.

Anyways, I am still single but I do have something going on. I have kind of become superstitious about these things lately and will hold off on writing about it for now. In the last few months, I have had a chance to meet with a few other Sikh guys who are in a similar age bracket and in kind of similar situation as I. Most of them do agree that the story about Sikh women and turbans is not an urban legend but a tangible reality and they have related to me real life incidents to prove the point. The good thing is these guys have had a better luck with non-Indian non-Sikh women who seem to be more understanding and more adapting. One of my new friends summed it well:" I am not going to waste my life trying to convince Sikh women to love me. I am going to find love wherever I can. And if I find a woman who loves me, I am not going to care who she is. And if Sikh women don't want me, too bad for them."

I mostly agree with his thoughts even though I think such a thought process does not do a didly squat about the real problem but I think there is only so much one can do.

Anyways, another anniversary of 9/11 sneaked past us. The day that changed the world and showed us all the grim realities of life. Five thousand innocent lives destroyed in a matter of hours. It was also the anniversary of the murder of Balbir Sodhi as part of a brutal hate crime. If nothing else, this day should serve as a reminder to all of us to work towards increasing awareness about Sikhs in the world. I know a few people are diligently working towards that goal but clearly a lot more grime and blood needs to be put in.

One thing that has been bugging me for the past few months has been the fact that turbaned Sikhs are not allowed to serve in the US Army. We, as Sikhs, strive to live upto the stature of Saint Soldiers. I am sure there are those among us, who would like to fight against the evil of terror by enlisting in the armed forces. Yet, it is unfortunate that such a thing is not possible. I think it is important for Sikh leaders to work towards the goal of a change in laws that would allow young turbaned Sikhs to join the US Armed forces. This would help to improve the visibility of Sikhs and exponentially increase awareness about Sikhs.

I know I broke away from the tradition of my blog and talked about something other than my search for a wife. But variety is the spice of life and my blog is no exception. Anyways, to revert to the hopeless romantic that I am, I will end this post with following words of Omar Khayyam:

Here with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough,
A Flask of Wine, a Book of Verse - and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness -
And Wilderness is Paradise enow.


Suffice it to say, that my wilderness may not be too far from Paradise.