The Dusty Mic Chronicles

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Songs of the New Day."Sunrise, and the new day's breaking throughThe morning of another day without you." These are the opening lyrics of a song by Uriah Heep. While the song is excellent, I consider the opening lyrics depressing, with a person whining about their lost love. I much prefer "Morning Has Broken" by Cat Stevens, a song that celebrates the dawning of a new day.A new day breaks at dawn, bringing life to everything. Most of us associate dawn with the sun's rising, but dawn starts much

Vrindavan is a strange town.Like most towns, Vrindavan is strange and has its own contradictions. Yet, because of the Yamuna River, its deep links with mythology, its temples, and stories of the enduring romance between Radha and Krishna, it has a unique character.I did not explore Vrindavan during my days as an upright, uppity, respectable corporate citizen because the business potential was insignificant. If my memory serves me well, I visited Vrindavan a few times during my business career and

Our Brief Trip to Govardhan & GokulOur trip to Gokul and Govardhan was brief. You might say we made a lightning trip to the villages. Some refer to the two places as towns, but they are not much more than glorified villages.As in most places in Braj Bhoomi, the legends, stories, and myths of Radha and Krishna saturate the towns, so I wondered if the villages only perpetuate the old stories. Pilgrims arrive by droves to pray, especially during important festivals, and many circumambulate the temples

The Three Musketeers travel to a riversideOne day, the three of us traveled to a riverside. Memory can play tricks on us. I remember the discussion about the place, its proximity to the state border, the craggy rocks, fierce water, and its isolation. Yet, I don’t remember the name of the place, my mind being wiped clean, the disc space formatted, and data lost forever.I remember taking a bus to the riverside. There were three of us, one girl and two men. I don’t know why I refer to the young woman

A new adventure one year after Nandi Hills.On the anniversary of our small adventure at the Nandi Hills, the five of us embarked on one more adventure. Our classmates, impressed by our maiden venture to the Nandi Hills, decided they wished to accompany us on weekend journeys. These trips included women, and gained a corporate flavor, with vehicle and hotel reservations made in advance. The organizers planned everything: seating arrangements in the tempo, room allocation, meal planning, and the

My start on the streetWhen I started photography on the street, I hid behind poles, traffic lights and anything I found. If nothing was available, I leaned against a wall, zoomed in close and pressed the shutter button. I looked away if someone noticed me with my camera and caught me shooting them.One word described me. Shifty. Yes, I was a sneaky photographer, keen to put a great distance between myself and the people on the street. I was proud of the space between us, believing this behaviour made