My Treasure

This week, our good old friend COVID-19 has re-entered my life. Somehow, somewhere, it found its way up my nose and into my lungs. It brought along the familiar but horrid fevers and chills and sniffles. Thankfully, it did not take my smell away this time. 😂

As I rest in my bed awaiting a speedy recovery, I have been reflecting on my life in the 9 months since I last got COVID. So much has happened since then that makes me feel grateful -

1. I made some cool ad films for my company, and wrote about it in this poem:

   JOY

2. I completed 50 editions of Hello Universe, and wrote about it in this poem:

   Monetize it?

3. I took a vacation and hung out with friends and family in new places, something that I wrote about in this poem:

This New Guy

4. And right now, as you read this, I’m at the edge of completing my career transition to a new city that I wrote about in this poem:

A Blip In Time

So many new experiences! So many new feelings that I got to share with you, dear reader.

And so, in today’s poem, I count my blessings and share my thanks with you for being such an amazing supporter of this tiny newsletter in which I write some silly poems. I hope reading my poems gives you as much joy as it does to me when I write them.

Alright, poem starts in 3… 2… 1!

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They clicked on the email,
and read what he wrote.
The thoughts and ideas,
behind every note.

They scrolled and they smiled,
as they read for a while,
the words that were neatly
arranged in a pile.

Some frowned, and some laughed,
and a few even shrugged.
A few even felt that their
heartstrings were tugged.

The fact that they read it
was his treasure trove.
And he felt so grateful
for all of their love.

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That’s it! Thank you, dear reader for being my partner on this journey. If there is any Hello Universe poem that’s stuck with you in the time you’ve been reading, please share your thoughts about it in the comments!

Check out Some fun stuff below.

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Some fun stuff:

This is a place where I share something cool to read, something cool to listen to, and something cool to watch! The underlined words are links that you can click to visit the recommended content.

1. Check out Respectful Smartass by Ariana Newhouse: Ariana is a writer and comedian, who shares snarky, silly, and sometimes serious write-ups in her newsletter Respectful Smartass. I discovered her writing thanks to a mutual friend, and found it hilarious! Subscribe now to brighten up your week! (You can choose between free and paid subscription tiers)

2. Listen to “Land of the Giants” by Vox: This week, a podcast recommendation. Season 6 of this podcast about Silicon Valley’s biggest companies dives deep into the history and the future of Meta (formerly Facebook) as it transitions from a social network to a VR company. This show has some fascinating insights about decisions made at FB, like its acquisition of Instagram, how it deals with criticism, and how it views itself and its own power in the world. Great reporting, amazing stories, worth your time. Check it out on your podcast platform of choice by clicking this link.

3. Watch Rick Steves travel around Europe and the world: 73 weeks of writing Hello Universe, and I’m surprised I haven’t yet introduced you to my family’s favorite Youtube channel - “Rick Steves’ Europe”. An upbeat demeanour combined with a curious and open mindset are what define Rick’s adventures as he travels across some of the most beautiful places on this planet.

All of us in the Thakkar household absolutely love this guy and must have watched each and every one of his videos during the lockdown. Now that I am isolating again, I found myself seeking comfort in his videos once more. Is this the best travel channel on Youtube? I think so. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - CHECK IT OUT!

That’s it for this week. Thanks for reading Hello Universe. See you next Tuesday!