Insight No. 21 Author: Mani Skaria, Ph.D.Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M–Kingsville A humorous reflection on Kerala’s most disciplined citizens and their two state-sponsored devotions. Author’s Note: In the past week, I’ve written about everything from Food to Nobel laureates to motherhood to the fine art of bending low to rise high. So, I thought it was…
Insight No. 20 Author: Mani Skaria, Ph.D.Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M–Kingsville Inspired by a reader’s reflection on a previous post After sharing my previous essay on humility — Bending to Rise: The Hidden Power of Touching Someone’s Feet – one comment from my friend Joseph V. Mathew stayed with me. He wrote about “Ojigi”, the Japanese…
Insight No. 19 Author: Mani Skaria, Ph.D.Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M–Kingsville “When the fruit grows on the tree, the branch bends down.” – Indian Proverb There is great cultural, scientific, and spiritual significance behind the act of touching someone’s feet — a gesture deeply rooted in humility and reverence. It examines parallels across civilizations — from…
Insight No. 18 Author: Mani Skaria, Ph.D.Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M–Kingsville “A mother’s love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity; it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path.”— Victor Hugo SJ, a young mother, is preparing for one of life’s…
Insight No. 17 Author: Mani Skaria, Ph.D.Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M–Kingsville This is the gentlest and most timeless interface — where memory meets imagination.Grandparents carry wisdom; grandchildren bring curiosity.Through stories, smiles, and shared silences, they convey not just data but also identity. Only a few months ago, while visiting my granddaughter’s family in Manhattan, a small…
Insight No. 16 Author: Mani Skaria, Ph.D.Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M–Kingsville From the cells that defend our bodies to the molecules that draw water from air, this year’s Nobel Prizes celebrate science that sustains life itself. Medicine preserves life by understanding it; chemistry renews life by restoring what the planet needs most — clean water. Patience…
Insight No. 6 “Sometimes the roots of scientific revolutions are found in the most unlikely places.” Author: Mani Skaria, Ph.D.Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M–KingsvillePresident & CEO, US CitrusProduction Date: August 31, 2025 Executive Summary This Inside Story reveals a hidden chapter in citrus history. While Dr. Richard Hensz is celebrated as the father of the Texas…
Insight #5 Author: Mani Skaria, Ph.D.Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M–KingsvillePresident & CEO, US CitrusProduction Date: August 31, 2025 Narrative Human progress is inextricably linked to mistakes and failures. From early childhood to the frontiers of science, no individual or society has advanced without stumbling along the way. Mistakes and failures are often grouped together as if…
Insight #4 “Gratitude is not spoken—it is cultivated in labor, watered with sacrifice, and harvested in love.” Author: Mani Skaria, Ph.D.Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M–KingsvillePresident & CEO, US CitrusProduction Date: August 31, 2025 Narrative Growing up in Kottayam, Kerala, I was part of an agricultural family that valued frugality and hard work. We had a man…