Z : Zoom in #AtoZchallenge

There was a time, not so long ago, when there were no digital cameras and no mobile phone cameras. For taking still photographs, we used to have that prized Kodak film roll camera. The film roll had a  limited capacity. We could only click 36 photos on one roll. The process of converting them to actual pictures was painful and often disappointing. Painful, because it was a long process and involved a photo studio. Disappointing, because often we would discover that some photos haven't turned out great and there was no way to capture that moment ever again. 

Compare that with today's scenario, when digital / mobile cameras rule the roost. One you don't need a roll, so you can go click-happy and click as many pictures as you want. Second, the output is right there in front of you. So if you are not happy, you can click another picture. Third, as digital / mobile camera also is your storage and retrieval device, there is neither any hassle of storage nor any chance of photos or your negatives getting damaged. You can also now share pictures with the click of a button. 

But there is a down side as well. There are so many pictures now on our phones and we are so busy in creating new ones, that we have lost the sense of wonder associated with browsing through our old albums and photographs. I have always believed that the key purpose of photos is to provide us with the ability to look back. To feel nostalgic about the times gone by. Sadly, that purpose has been muddled in the race to get more likes on Facebook. 

We had gone for a college trip to Goa during my engineering. When I browse through the photo album of one particular day from that trip, there I see a picture where one of my friends is standing besides me on a rock by the sea shore. There are 5 photos with us standing exactly in the same pose at the same place. 4 out 36 photos in that roll were wasted. Because we all were wasted that day. We had been drinking beer for hours. Had it been a mobile camera, we would have deleted those 4 additional pictures and may be that memory as well.

But I am digressing. I am fascinated by one particular feature of digital cameras. Zoom in feature. Once you have clicked a picture on a digital camera, at any later time, you can zoom in and find surprising details which you may not have noticed while clicking the picture. That is not possible with pictures clicked on film roll cameras. You can look as long as you want at the pictures in your photo albums (physical ones), but you won't be able to zoom in. 

I just imagined, what are the kind of things you would discover, if you had the ability to Zoom-in on your older pictures. 

1. Would you find out in your school's group picture whether that girl is smiling at you or not?

2. Would you find out the beer brand you had 15 years ago, because the bottle you had thrown carelessly around is still in the bottom left corner of the picture?

3. Would you find out who really was clapping for you standing by the wings of the stage, when you were receiving the award at your school's annual function?

4. Would you find out who borrowed your favorite Enid Blyton book during the bus ride to Ludhiana, while returning from that school picnic?

5. Would you find out whether your best friend was digging his nose or just scratching it?

6. Would you finally find out who was the one who was wearing spikes while giving you birthday bumps?

7. Would you find out who all had tears in their eyes at the farewell party?

If you had the ability to Zoom-in, you would definitely find things in your old pictures, that would surprise you or may be even shock you. You may find answers to some questions that have always bothered you or you might feel cheated, because you had always thought something transpired otherwise. The possibilities are infinite and tantalizing. But the moot point is if you had this ability would you really Zoom-in or would you just let it be!

You can't go back in the past and change anything. That Enid Blyton book is lost forever. The girl who clapped for you from the wings may have married someone else, completely oblivious to the feelings you had for her then. You have memories - some strong, some faded - of the events in past, the way you thought they happened. What is more precious? To know the details? To know the truth? Or to just keep your memories the way they are? Isn't life less burdened when you don't Zoom in? Sometimes it is not the specifics that matter; what matters is, the larger picture!!!

Memories are the key not to the past, but to the future ~ Corrie ten Boom

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My last year's challenge post from letter Z was about linguistic jokes. It was about my mother-in-law pronouncing Zebra as Jebra. That led me to a discovery about Zebra / Jebra. Read it here.

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My theme for this year's #AtoZchallenge is all about writing stories, anecdotes and observations from my life in form of easy to read listicles. You can read the theme reveal post here. 

Y : Yes and No - The success mantra #AtoZchallenge

I once knew a man, who was strange, in one particular aspect. Let us call him "The Boss". 

When posed with a categorical question, a normal person would respond with a specific answer. Especially if the categorical question is the classic Yes or No question. 

Example Question: Would you visit my blog again? (It is categorical and a Yes or No question)

Possible Answer 1: Yes

Possible Answer 2: No

Agreed, the world became more crazy when Market Research was invented and a third possible answer got added to the list.

Possible Answer 3: Maybe

But "The Boss" was special. He manufactured a Possible Answer 4 and used it very often. And you, my dear reader, can easily guess, who was at the receiving end. Every time he spouted the Possible Answer 4, I was left scratching my head. I had to make sense of it fast, so as not to look like a fool. And I failed miserably. Every time. Every awful time. And here is his invention - 

Possible Answer 4 : Yes and No

Do you realize the futility of it all? It is not a 'Maybe'. It is not a 'It depends'. It is a 'Yes and No.'

Example Question I posed to "The Boss":  Are you delusional?

Answer: Yes and No. 

My interpretation: Yes, he is, in office. No, he isn't, in front of his wife.

Real Question I posed to "The Boss": Do you approve of the creative?

Real Answer by him: Yes and No.

My interpretation: Yes, he approves it now. His opinion will surely change after some time. Let me work on more options.

Real Question I posed to "The Boss" : Do you agree customers are getting more demanding? (In context of changing a particular course of action)

Real Answer by him: Yes and No.

My interpretation: Yes they are. But he doesn't really give a damn and wants me to do what he thinks is right. 

But the thing is that "The Boss" was immensely successful. And I believe Possible Answer 4 was the reason behind this success. And I want to be the smart one. And definitely, I want to be successful. So I have decided to use Possible Answer 4 in the following situations.

1. Whenever my direct reports want me to take a decision but I don't want to take one. At the same time I don't want to look indecisive. 

Example Question by my direct report: Can I take a leave tomorrow?

My Answer: Yes and No.

What should my direct report think about my response and me : Yes, I can take a leave. But not tomorrow. My boss is so cool.

2. Whenever I am in a meeting with two powerful people who differ on an issue and they ask me to break the stalemate. And I don't want to offend either of them.

Example Question by them: Person 1 - Should we give a pay hike to the employees this year given company's bad performance? (Person 2 wants the pay hike given his body language, while Person 1 is responsible for cost cutting)

My Answer : Yes and No.

What should they think about my response and me: Yes, hike should be given. But only to the people in this room. This guy is really smart and cares for everyone. 

3. When I am asked my opinion on a subject that I lack knowledge in. And I don't want to sound dumb.

Example Question by a colleague: Do you think government should introduce tax breaks on bosses farting in front of their colleagues?

My Answer : Yes and No

What should the colleague think about my response and me : Yes, tax breaks for me. Not for my smelly boss. My colleague is such a sorted person. 

4. When during my appraisal I am asked a tricky question. And I don't want to sound boorish and risk a fat paycheck. 

Example Question by boss: Is money more important than a challenging responsibility for you?

My Answer : Yes and No

What should my boss think about me : Yes money is important for him. No challenge scares him though. He is the best resource I have.

I should write a management book titled "Replace your OR with AND : Make your path to the corner office rosy." 

Do you think I should write this book?

a. Yes

b. No

c. May be

d. a. and b. 

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My last year's challenge post from letter Y was about my food memories. The post was titled after my Zomato handle Yumdude. Read it here.

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My theme for this year's #AtoZchallenge is all about writing stories, anecdotes and observations from my life in form of easy to read listicles. You can read the theme reveal post here.

X : X words and other tough things #AtoZchallenge

Do you know that Oxford English Dictionary (OED) contains over 1.7 lakh words currently in use? If we add obsolete and derivative words to this number, the number of words go up to around 2.3 lakhs.

Now, guess how many words among these 2.3 lakh words begin with letter X! 400!

Read slowly - F O U R - H U N D R E D. Yes, a paltry number. 0.17% of the words that are there in OED start with the letter X. And then these words beginning with the letter X, are so esoteric. To write a topic on these esoteric words seemed like an e(X)tremley difficult task.

And you now how letter X compensates for it?

By coming at the end of the most important 3 letter word in this world. The mere mention of that word, shakes us to the core.

TAX.  What did you think?

In India, it comes at the end of a three letter word, that starts with the letter S and the word that every Indian shouts every evening with excitement, over and over again.

(Hint : A Google Fact - S is the letter from which most words in English begin, E is the letter which is midway and X comes last in the pecking order)

SIX! SIX! while watching the IPL cricket match. What did you think you single track mind?

But I am no pushover. I am not a person who gives up easily. I believe in the cheesy maxim that even the word "Impossible" says that "I M Possible". But did you notice that the person who coined this maxim has made an error? "M" and "am" are not really the same. By the way, show me where is the letter "X" in the word "Impossible"!

So I thought of writing on the following topics starting with the letter X and rejected them for the reasons mentioned.

• X - Factor - I didn't want to write on something which is intangible.
• X - Men / other movies that start with letter X - I didn't want to confound my Indian readers. I didn't want them to think that this is an adult blog.
• X - Chromosome - I was almost sure that I would write on female foeticide. But I was not in the frame of mind to write about a serious social ill today.
• Xenophobia - I didn't want to offend some of my close friends.
• XAT / other entrance exams I sat in for MBA admissions - Everything I have to say on this subject is already on pagalguy.com. 
• Xtreme / Xcel / words which actually start with Ex, but phonetically with X - I didn't want to cheat on you, my dear readers. By the way E(x)es itself could have been an eXplosive topic!
• Xenon - The only periodic table element that starts with X - I was weak in Chemistry in school. 
• .XLS (Excel Sheets) - I deal with this data shit the whole day. I didn't want to pollute my blog.
• Xerox - I already had covered it in last year's challenge. (Read it here)
• XL size clothes - I didn't want to write about my personal struggles today.

You get the drift? Right! I wanted to write on a topic starting from letter X. But I found it tough. So I am going to list some of the other things I find tough in life.

I. I find it tough to say "No", especially to girls. 

II. I find it tough to say "No", if am offered a dessert. Cheesecake anyone?

III. I find it tough to resist popcorn, while watching a film.

IV. I find it tough to wake up early in the mornings.

V. I find it tough to talk to someone with bad breath. I am tolerant of bad body odour though, surprisingly. 

VI. I find it tough to smile (with my teeth showing) for a group picture.  I am all for candid pictures.

VII. I find it tough to talk to strangers. I need time to warm up. 

VIII. I find it tough to shed the e(X)cess baggage that I carry. I am not talking about the emotional one. And here was one more lost opportunity for the letter X.

IX. I find it tough to ask for a raise. I hope my boss reads this one and gets the message.

X. I just realized, there was the letter "X" in point 9. I should have used the letter X as in Roman numerals and could have written any random list of 10 things. Silly me! Now I find it tough to write another list of 10 items.

Did you realize, I actually wrote two lists with 10 items in each?

Did you realize, I have listed so many topics from letter X today, that you can participate in this challenge next year without worrying about the X?

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My last year's challenge post from letter X was about my college notes getting xeroxed and how. Read it here.

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My theme for this year's #AtoZchallenge is all about writing stories, anecdotes and observations from my life in form of easy to read listicles. You can read the theme reveal post here.