Mannya's Musings

22nd June 2019 My journey with Compassionate Clowns began a week before today, when I spoke to Harish over the phone and asked him if it was possible to intern with them on Saturdays as part of our community service. After listening to the requirements of our course, he agreed and asked us to meet him today, at his office.  His office is situated in a peaceful and beautiful locality; the kind of place that shows you the true “Garden City” side of Bengaluru. We introduced ourselves, after which Harish told us about himself and how his journey led him to start Compassionate Clowns. He describes Compassionate Clowns as "a bunch of people who love cheering people by playing clowns in hospitals and spreading joy in the lives of others". He then proceeded to tell us what are the different things they do and, to help us understand further, we read a couple of reports written by previous interns. He then asked how many of us are willing to intern at CC and how many wanted to ...

One of the most difficult things in life is to let go. Letting go of a person, a place, a relationship, a feeling. All that you're left with is a memory. And that memory is what makes letting go so difficult. I feel that letting go of something is more difficult for someone who gets easily attached to things. You form a bond and then you don't want it to change. You fight to hold on. But I guess, one should always remember, that nothing is constant. You are in a certain place today, surrounded by people who you may or may not like. Whatever the situation is, always remember that it will change. So make the best out of every situation. Never miss an opportunity to make a memory. After all, change is the only constant :)

Most people have one person in their life whom they look up to. That one person who makes them believe in themselves. That one person who tells them to never lose hope.   For me, that person is my father. To me, Appa was one of a kind. One year before I was born, he was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), which means that his body’s immune system started attacking his joints, thereby causing inflammation. For Appa, it had affected six of his joints; knees, elbows and wrists. He also had a permanent bend in his knees. I don’t remember those initial years much but I do remember that he had undergone some Ayurvedic treatment. I remember sitting and watching as he used to apply oil on his limbs. Even now, if I come across those vapours, it takes me back to my childhood. As I grew older, I got to know from Amma that things were not like how they were then. There was a period, in the beginning, where Appa was on a wheelchair and had to learn to start walking again....