Brighter moods

hView of NJ from the commuter ferry on the Hudson at sunset

There are some days in our lives that end so perfectly, that one gasps at the audacity of hope. One heads home from work having been engaged all day, in solving some deliverable at work. Having made some good progress, one is even able to take an earlier ferry home. On the commute the view of a glorious sunset, is an added bonus from our universe. The vistas of lower Manhattan and the other boroughs, are best viewed from the harbor level. With Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty one really gets a historic view, of what the original immigrants saw, as they arrived at these shores. Many moved westwards from NJ on the trains, into the hinterland. This was the melting pot as millions of refugees arrived over the centuries, and somehow became Americans themselves. They then welcomed millions of others, as the lands continued to open up, and the World Wars helped push employment higher.

 The latest growth is largely related to technology, innovation and services. Wealth is still being created in America at a steady pace, and that in itself is good. The problem is that the distribution is flawed and leads to serious inequality. In no way am I advocating universal Income for all, but am merely stating that if we let an enormous section of the population fall below poverty lines for long periods with no hope for improvement, it is a problem. Meeting basic human needs is within our reach, and we must reskill and educate our population, for the future.

The future with driverless transportation and smart cities is already shaping, a brave new world. Green energy holds promise and technology with IOT and AI, will be everywhere. From being individual knowledge repertories, human brains are going to become social animals again. With social media and personal information already on the web, each of us will have our own unique digital halo. We have finally become part of these terabytes of data, which humans are creating at an unprecedented rate. Each minute creates more than the previous century, or some such crazy number, and it continues to grow exponentially. As more things become tracked and measureable, they also open opportunities for improvement of their performance, and interactions in our society.

On the more hopeful days one crosses the Hudson in a brighter mood. The buildings seem to look more remarkable and shine brighter in the light it seems, with our heightened awareness. The glass and steel towers reflect the sunshine, and depending on the angle turn to gold and dazzle the spectator into awe. The view is breathtaking and oftentimes the only sound is the waves hitting the ferry, as it plows steadily upriver to deliver its load of tired passengers. On days like this, other fellow passengers feel the joy of their existence too. They march forward to the front, some already wearing their sneakers, and ready to break free, into the arriving dusk. They cross over onto the land in more determined strides, with a new purpose of life discovered. Go forth I say and create a unique life, and experience for ourselves. Life is a precious gift and I bow down and receive it, and then look up at the view again, and wonder how I became this lucky. To all of us I simply state that let us remain blessed in our present, with rising hope to build a more compassionate and realized future for all.

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About Rajiv Kapoor

Rajiv Kapoor was born in New Delhi. He was educated by the Jesuits at St Xavier’s, and graduated with Honors, from The University of Delhi. Rajiv Kapoor did his MBA in International Business from Penn State and is now settled in the US. He has traveled across most states of India, when he was working on modernization of Rice Mills, and understands their diverse culture and history. This book is a historical fiction, dedicated to his city of birth. His extensive research dives deep into a critical moment, in India’s long history, for his latest Historical Thriller “The Peacock Throne Wars”..

3 thoughts on “Brighter moods

  1. Yes fighting our post holiday winter blues, and hoping to make other folks get into a brighter and healthier mood. As our thoughts rise, we need to direct them to encourage good actions, to help everyone. This will make all our lives better as we can all combine compassionately, to make a better future!

  2. Nice picture and good article.
    The only way is to be in total gratitude and receiving what we and others are meant to receive…..

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