Thank You තාත්තේ !

Text message received from my daughter on the recent Fathers Day Celebrations made me rethink of my father.

How do I start was the main question.

He was a man of a few words.

I resembled most of his physical appearance than my other siblings but this quality of a few words, I was not blessed with.

My younger brother has received it from him and the God has very mysterious ways of working and assembling things.

He showed us the world literally by taking us to various places but his world was just confined within our shores only.

By introducing and encouraging us to read, he managed to take us far beyond his physically confined shores.

Every week he used to bring at least two books from the Library and we were on them like the vultures on a carcass.

He wanted us to think freely and never to be afraid of asking questions.

Though he was a man of few words, where his political alliance lies was no secret with Das Capital on the Book shelf.

With a rear show of emotions, he clinched his fist and held up in solidarity when the Nine o’clock News announced the departure of the last American helicopter from Vietnam.

We were having dinner in Badulla that day.

His other message though conveyed in a very subtle way but not in words was “Never come home by get beaten up”.

He was a southerner and his words and deeds truly reflected the enterprising southerners’ spirit always.

His two messages “Think Freely” & “Never come home by get Beaten up” came in really handy in our later lives but I do not think that none of us got around telling him that how much we were benefitted from those two messages. 

At least now we have such celebrations like “Fathers’ Day”, which we have never heard of when we were growing up, gives me an opportunity to at least say “Thank You තාත්තේ ! “ though it is a bit late now.

Thank You තාත්තේ !

Text message received from my daughter on the recent Fathers Day Celebrations made me rethink of my father.

How do I start was the main question.

He was a man of a few words.

I resembled most of his physical appearance than my other siblings but this quality of a few words, I was not blessed with.

My younger brother has received it from him and the God has very mysterious ways of working and assembling things.

He showed us the world literally by taking us to various places but his world was just confined within our shores only.

By introducing and encouraging us to read, he managed to take us far beyond his physically confined shores.

Every week he used to bring at least two books from the Library and we were on them like the vultures on a carcass.

He wanted us to think freely and never to be afraid of asking questions.

Though he was a man of few words, where his political alliance lies was no secret with Das Capital on the Book shelf.

With a rear show of emotions, he clinched his fist and held up in solidarity when the Nine o’clock News announced the departure of the last American helicopter from Vietnam.

We were having dinner in Badulla that day.

His other message though conveyed in a very subtle way but not in words was “Never come home by get beaten up”.

He was a southerner and his words and deeds truly reflected the enterprising southerners’ spirit always.

His two messages “Think Freely” & “Never come home by get Beaten up” came in really handy in our later lives but I do not think that none of us got around telling him that how much we were benefitted from those two messages. 

At least now we have such celebrations like “Fathers’ Day”, which we have never heard of when we were growing up, gives me an opportunity to at least say “Thank You තාත්තේ ! “ though it is a bit late now.

Men Who Care.

This was my response to the below stated Bolg;

http://srilankaunites.blogspot.com/2012/06/men-who-care.html#comment-form

I enjoy reading and agree on most stated points.

But if the trend had to be reversed and or to bring down to a very low level, then WOMEN has a very bigger role to play.

Not as you say, conservatively dressing up, as such standards have No University acceptable standards, hence any one can interpret it to his or her own convictions and believes.

I believe dress should act like a barbed-wire fence.

It should be there to do the work it is there to do for but not obstructing the view.

Now let me come to the point, how do Women have a big role to play in this situation.

Mothers take pride in appreciating when her son does something uncalled for or bad protecting him by saying “Boys are Boys” and or “He is my Boy” and worst of all is calling him “Chip of the old bloke”.

How many mothers send their Boy child to kitchen to learn how to pour a cup of Tea or cook a simple meal, darn a torn trouser or a fallen button.

Instead they do it for them and set a very bad precedent and set him mind up that some works are gender based and male are superior.

If mothers can change their mind sets, soon the world will be a much better place.  

Men Who Care.

This was my response to the below stated Bolg;

http://srilankaunites.blogspot.com/2012/06/men-who-care.html#comment-form

I enjoy reading and agree on most stated points.

But if the trend had to be reversed and or to bring down to a very low level, then WOMEN has a very bigger role to play.

Not as you say, conservatively dressing up, as such standards have No University acceptable standards, hence any one can interpret it to his or her own convictions and believes.

I believe dress should act like a barbed-wire fence.

It should be there to do the work it is there to do for but not obstructing the view.

Now let me come to the point, how do Women have a big role to play in this situation.

Mothers take pride in appreciating when her son does something uncalled for or bad protecting him by saying “Boys are Boys” and or “He is my Boy” and worst of all is calling him “Chip of the old bloke”.

How many mothers send their Boy child to kitchen to learn how to pour a cup of Tea or cook a simple meal, darn a torn trouser or a fallen button.

Instead they do it for them and set a very bad precedent and set him mind up that some works are gender based and male are superior.

If mothers can change their mind sets, soon the world will be a much better place.