8 Km in Right Direction!!

8 Km Walk

Today, like most other days, I went for my morning walk. I thought I have walked for 8 km and felt so happy about it as often walk in the morning hours is a challenging tasks for mom of two school going kids. Suddenly, I saw that on the path that seemed lonely until now was crowding up with uniform-clad boys and girls of all ages. They suddenly sprang up in front of me, as it happens in the hills, when somebody from the hill climbs up on to the road via shortcut. I smiled at them and they responded. I just asked one of the little girls, hardly six years old, where is her house? She named a village I haven’t heard of but still I nodded like I understood. That was to keep up the conversation. She was struggling with the heavy bag. I said you will take bus from the next bus stop? She said: “No, I have to walk to school every day. My mom says she can’t pay the fees of the bus.” I felt a lump in my throat, choked, but still in an endeavour to make the moment light, I said: “you know I walked more than 8 kms today. I am so happy about it.” To this, her older sister walking in front of us and over hearing our conversations replied: “We walk daily 12 kms one way to reach our school every morning.” It took no time for me to lose the pride and the realization to set in that what one does for pleasure or fitness can be an obligation for the other person. My eyes went a little teary although I managed to hide my emotions still. At that very moment, I stumbled on a small uneven patch of the road. Quickly the little girl responded: “If you will cry, your eyes would be filled with water, and you won’t be able to see clearly.” I got the hint and the message too. I thanked her, helped her lift her bag on the way until my home came. I waved her and her friends goodbye.

That SMALL “8 km of walk” made me learn and reiterate a few already learnt lessons of life until now. If you hold on to emotions and things that you can't change, you just end up stumbling as you can't see with those "water filled eyes" clearly. To make a change, you need to see and think clearly. There is no time when you think that others have more comfort and facilities can stand as a true statement. There is nothing that a person can’t do, if it is a necessity and obligation. Will power and confidence are just the words invented for those who are already too comfortable to fight back. There can be no way of qualitative assessment to judge who is superior to whom in terms of quality of character that a person holds – no age, no class or status. There are those who preach and debate on “destiny” vs “karma/ deeds”; and then there are those who just know one way of living, and that is through “karma/actions” because they don’t have time for tea-time debates. They need to get their work done in the time and resources they have.

Where do you learn lessons of life from? No book and quote can change you overnight. There is no teacher in the world better than your own observation and attentiveness towards nature and people around. Your own consciousness towards things around you answers all your questions. All beautiful flowers are protected by thorny leaves. They don’t need somebody else to do it for them. The water, air and even roots of plants grow out of the slightest of the cracks in a cemented wall. That is so because they don’t read good or bad, they read life as it is! Maturity is one word that mustn’t be used for human beings at all because humans just age, they don’t mature. Look at that huge Peepal or Banyan tree which bows down and provides shade and shelter when it matures. Sadly, humans with more education and age, most often tend to become stubborn and “fixed-ideas” people. I can’t use the term “child like” for immature ones because I have come across children who are far mature and open than any of us. One of the biggest contentment and learning that I received in this lifetime is being in touch with children of ages from school to college due to my teaching jobs. What they and their company can offer you is incomparable to any other pleasure and wisdom on this planet. I am just a big fan of all the children! A BIG LIKE to this Universe that created everything in a perfect balance….and….left it on individuals to evolve or devolve!

Some ten odd years of my youth had been very challenging in terms of surgeries one after the other, and in terms of coming across all the wrong people. Today, I am so thankful to all those times that made me more sensitive and observant towards other's, may it be people or nature, that I only learnt the adaptation and learning with time. No bitterness can set in if you are taking everything as a lesson to be learnt, and a mistake not to be repeated. For all those who are going to take up something in their life for the first time fearing that it might not go well, and for all those who thought that the "good time" has passed and won't come back, this post is just a kind reminder to just learn, grow, and move on! There is a past which however good or bad, can't make you good or worse until you want to be. Then, there is this "Present" that can make you all you want to be today, and in the future. Overshadowing the present with the past won't let a wise person anywhere except in the circumlocution and endless wastage of hours and emotions.

just the usual poetic musings (though not that great at all ).............................

You were meant to be some body

a doctor, an engineer or a model.

You thought you would make headlines one day

seems a far fetched dream though today

as to destiny's false name, you surrendered! 

You cried and cursed all around you

the people, school and friends

even the water, air and cool shades

as your bigger dream was shattered

and so were you with the passing time.

Oh! this little plant creeped out of a crack suddenly

the ant slipped and got back to the wall

the sweepers swiped in the rain too!

Can you be the only meek to not walk

and just drag amidst the pool of "unworthiness".

You got a prick in your finger for blood test

it pained so much until you set eyes on

five year old's operated body on nearby bed. .

What seems pain is just a reminder that it

could have been what you really fear!

Since you are saved, you know now

nothing is lost, nothing is slain.

Your promise of tomorrow can still

be achieved, may be with some 

improvisations indeed! Nothing there 

is that is LOST until you THINK it IS!

There is nothing "positive", nothing "negative" ---- Come out of illusions! This is just "Life's Stretch" with rich tapestry of experience!