Having a cold...

[JUSTIFY]Today, I ask you Lord, to throw any adversary you can think of at me, but never again, this damn cold. Ever given extra thought to what that 'common cold' can do to you? It not only makes your nose run so hard it could win a marathon; it changes your entire life.

Suddenly, you can't eat what you want. You can't buy soft drinks, ice creams and all those chocolates that suddenly appear twelve times tastier. Instead, you have to buy no less than 7 extra rolls of tissue paper.

You can't sit in office without irritating your colleagues with a *snort snort* every few minutes. You annoy them even more when you request them, with your flum-dripping nose, smelly handkerchief and *achhoo* saliva dripping mouth, "Do you mind if I switch off the A/c for a while?” Imagine what being a constant annoyance at work could mean. It can affect your team, your morale, your work atmosphere, your productivity, your share of your colleague's lunch and so much more. But try asking for leave because you caught a cold, and they say, "Come on, it's just a cold". Just a cold? It could cost me my job, goddamnit!

If you're a student though, colds can be fun. At least, for your classmates. It is afternoon, the room is warm, the boring lecturer is droning on to glory and everyone daydreaming with glazed eyes. And then, suddenly, "Acchoo!” There is a muffled mutter of 'Excuse me'. In the next two minutes, "Achoo Achoo" again. Now everyone's attention is focused on you. They are glad for the change - even sneezing sounds better than the lecture. The lecturer glares at you and goes back to his notes. He begins to speak again, "So, as I was saying, the most important concept you need to understand today is" - "Aa... Aah... Aacchhooo!” Now the class is in splits. "I'm so - *achhooo* - sorry, sssir" *acchooo*

Sleeping is a nightmare. If you sleep at all, that is. To start with, the A/c is switched off. Your delicate body that was accustomed to sleeping at 18 degrees centigrade refuses to sleep in the 30 degree nights of Chennai. And then there are the mosquitoes that use the non-a/c nights to the maximum and threaten to leave you anemic by morning. Then of course, there is the cold itself. Your nose either runs rivers down it (like Mumbai in the monsoons) or blocks itself up (like the Cauvery dam). Net result - you either need to keep awake all night trying to wipe goo off your face Or, you die of suffocation.

What cannot be cured has to be endured they say. But the thing with colds is that you have to endure them till they decide to cure themselves. Colds have character. Sometimes I can almost hear them mock at me when I pop in a pill, "You think you can kill me with that? What a joke, Haha!” Well, say what you want, this is one character I'm never gonna be able to make friends with.

All the owners of running noses in the world, I'm with you in your struggle against this horrible disease! See a doc, Stay patient (in both senses) and May the Lord bless you with the virtue of endurance. Amen.[/JUSTIFY]

 

Thank you readers..and for those 'acchooo's , Bless u !