Insight No. 31 Author: Mani Skaria, Ph.D. (the Silly Goose Grandpa)Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M–Kingsville Prepared on November 19, 2025 Yesterday, my wife Anne and I (first name, Mani) stood before a quiet, dignified building called Mani Bhavan on Laburnum Road in Mumbai. The wooden balconies, iron railings, and filtered sunlight made the façade almost glow….
Insight No. 30 Author: Mani Skaria, Ph.D. (the Silly Goose Grandpa)Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M–Kingsville When I was preparing for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) examination decades ago, I immersed myself in India’s long and layered history. One of the figures who stood tallest in my imagination was Emperor Akbar, celebrated in every textbook as Akbar…
Insight No. 29 Author: Mani Skaria, Ph.D. (the Silly Goose Grandpa)Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M–Kingsville During my recent travels in Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Karnataka, and Rajasthan, one sight kept repeating itself — a biryani shop on nearly every corner. From roadside stalls to fine restaurants, the word biryani glowed everywhere like a shared cultural…
Insight No. 28 Author: Mani Skaria, Ph.D. (the Silly Goose Grandpa)Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M–Kingsville Opening Reflection My wife Anne and I, along with many friends from South Texas, had the privilege of witnessing something truly special in Jaipur — the wedding of Tirthik and Kshama, a young couple whose story reminds us that love, when…
Insight No. 27 Author: Mani Skaria, Ph.D. (the Silly Goose Grandpa)Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M–Kingsville THE RIVALS THE TEACHER WHO SINGS LOVE TURNED INTO PURPOSE There’s a friendly competition in our home — one that plays out in the bright eyes of my grandbaby, Lilah. The rivals? Ms. Rachel and Grandpa Lalli — and, truth be…
Insight No. 26 Author: Mani Skaria, Ph.D.Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M–Kingsville “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” — Steve Jobs, 2005 Stanford Commencement It wasn’t…
Insight No. 25 Author: Mani Skaria, Ph.D.Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M–Kingsville “Do not blame your food because you have no appetite.” — Rabindranath Tagore A PERSONAL REFLECTION ON INDIA’S ANCIENT FLATBREAD Yesterday, my wife and I had lunch at the Taj Hotel in Bombay — the city where I first arrived decades ago as a young…
Insight No. 24 Author: Mani Skaria, Ph.D.Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M–Kingsville “Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work.”–Vince Lombardi (1913-1970), one of the most respected figures in American football, and one of the greatest coaches in sports history. The 80-20 principle explains that…
Insight No. 23 Author: Mani Skaria, Ph.D.Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M–Kingsville In a world spinning faster each day, contentment is the quiet thread that holds everything together. It isn’t the loud victory of achievement but the calm assurance that life is enough as it is. True contentment grows where purpose is clear, relationships are tended, and…
Insight No. 22 Author: Mani Skaria, Ph.D.Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M–Kingsville “You can tell a lot about a man by the way he says hello, and by the dust on his boots.” — Will Rogers, American humorist, actor. When a Texan says “Howdy!”, he isn’t just saying hello. He’s offering a handshake without touching your hand….