This morning I burned my breakfast toast. Actually most human problems are related to their zeal. So did my problem. I was trying to make the toast crispy. Little more than average. While this delicate and complicated process was in motion, phone chuckled

and I remembered that I had left a query at a colleague and he must have replied. Even before I realised, the nostrils warned me of havoc which had taken place on my proposed breakfast. I took out the brosted slices (what else to call to a toast who met his carbon). On close inspection I found that one could be salvaged from all the burned carbon beautifully spread at the top. So I scrubbed off as much carbon as I could and applied extra butter and ate it. Even if some carbon was there, it would be good like a stomach cleanser. Patients who are to be operated upon are given carbon pills for better scavenging.
Burned toasts have a rather nasty habit as a mood spoiler. If a judge is too edgy in the morning, usual comment is that he either had a burnt toast or is having a hangover. But life is never so simple.
People are generally edgy in the morning. Why? Was it because they slept less? While television may have helped the population control, it certainly did not help sleep or the disease called sleep apnea.
The burnt toast today reminded me about a judge with toasted married life or so I was told later. This J was an otherwise humorous person. The court starts at 10.30 AM and I reached at 10.40 and found that my matter was dismissed in default. Now it made no difference because I had to withdraw it as the dispute was settled. But I was amazed at the irritation of the judge because it is never done that way. Reason is that immediately there would be the request for recall and then one hearing would be wasted on that and ultimately matter will start from where it was. Some stupid judges may do it but this one was not stupid. What was the reason? Some burnt toast or the hangover.
It was many months later that it was discovered that it was both. J was a divorcee who remarried and was undergoing a rather harsh second divorce. He has taken up to drinking rather seriously and could be in hangover frequently.
How difficult it is so forget our life and suffering attached even if we are holding a public office? How we tacitly pass on our irritation and sorrow to others? How all the education and oath to office remained shackled unable to remind the holder of a public office to rise above his own suffering? This is another kind of corruption which we accept as human frailty. But we should not. We must not.