An ode to summer mornings

The summer mornings commence with the lucid rays of the sun penetrating the blue sky. The world gradually stirs awake from its deep slumber .A general buzz of activity prevails. Unlike winter mornings which are cold , grey, unfriendly and unwelcome ,summer dawns are refreshing and lively. Nature itself welcomes it with open arms. Birds, the little avian creatures,chirp mellifluously ,as if announcing boldly to their kit and kin ,to shun laziness and enjoy the sweet hours of mornings. They work as alarm clocks to many a household. The gregarious myna , the friendless crow, the cooing       pigeon,green parrots  mingling  with the green leaves of the tree , a remote sparrow and the cukoo adding musical vibrations to the air.To top it all, are the  the gentle squirrels busily descending from one tree and climbing the other. Scurrying the boundary wall in high speed, they stop midway and glance hither and thither. It’s that lovely feeling of normalcy that’s enchanting.

An explosion of the myriad hues of green dominates the ambience around.Just slide in your walking shoes and head to the nearest  park .Watch the  Neem surge high like a balloon.  The mango,peepal,jamun,ber and the banyan appear as never to separate friends. Accompanying the tall trees are the bushes and the verdant patches dotting the open space. Don’t they all seem to wish ’ a very good morning.’ The air is cool wafting with the heady smell of bouganvallia, firangipani,champa and jasmine.

 To step out and enjoy the feel of a rejuvenating summer morning, it does have a calming effect on the self. As the day progresses ,the day seems to get hotter by the minute. But that’s another story. Why miss the morning glory , when nature’s abundance seems to overflow in the guise of a picturesque photograph.

              Is it the same for all ?

Walking contently

     

 Very recently I have taken to walking in the evenings. And its doing me so much good . At sharp six , I hit the nearby park with a lot of zeal. If I take one lap of the entire park  it’s equal to a km. I try to take five such laps, but may not succeed everyday. I get tired as it’s very hot nowadays.  I pluck  a flower and then return home.

 The park is quite popular amongst  the residents  here . I guess, it is because of it’s location. The young, the old , the firm, the infirm, the slow ,the fast,  children of every age,  all  conveniently  assemble in small coteries from the residential societies located nearby. And the park glows with life and colour for an hour or two.  

   The layout  of the park is meticulous. It is bordered by a boundary wall on all the four sides. A  fairly narrow stretch of muddy path, runs along the boundary wall inside.  Tall and huge flowering trees planted   at regular distance  impart  that  maddening  green look . Some of them like the Neem, Gulmohar  and the Amaltas  are recognisable. There are many others, the names of which, I have to search. As I walk along the brick layered path meant for walkers, I keep gazing at the trees. God knows for how many years they are standing like this. Atleast they are safe inside. Otherwise someone would have cut them all and built some complex, adding to the concrete jungle around.

    As my legs pick up speed, my eyes swim across the many faces that pass me. Some walk alone ,deep in thought . Some talk affably to their companion.  Some seem to have a purpose. ( specially the twenty something lot) They don’t want to look like potatoes.  They are focussed and sharp. The white haired ladies are the best. They walk in groups . After sometime they sit on the wooden bench the park provides. They gossip non-stop. Teenage boys -loud,brash and strong . They occupy the inner circle. Playing football with all their power .

      When I watch the young , I feel I  should have been like them in my youth. Strong , persuasive, determined, knowing what to get from life. May be they pursue big careers. Then  when my gaze shifts towards the grandmas , I mentally  decide to be like them – happily thriving in the sunset of their lives.  But what to be now--- my midlife.

       Anyway ,this addiction to walking keeps me agile, spirited, refreshed and energetic. I feel focused and introspect deeply about things that are important . Don’t you see the benefits  are too high to be ignored.

Dreams and Dreaming

When I was a child of eight or nine,or may be before that too.....day dreaming the impossible was my occupation. And the dreams were made of such silly stuff that anyone would laugh it off today.In my dreams I would be the unvanquished queen,the winner of accolades from every known face. I  elucidate my vain self with this small instance.

                                                                        Once I had a tiff with my closest friend, Shreya. She preferred Juhi to me. Easily I recoiled into my fantastical world of dreams. I dreamt of all the possible suffering she must be undergoing in Juhi’s company. How the arrogant and possessive Juhi must be stifling Shreya’s fragile soul. Secretly she must be longing to be my friend again,but does’nt know how to proceed. Never mind ,I decide to wait. One day we accidently meet at the school  tap. On the pretext of drinking water, she pours out her endless grief and sorrow in incorrigible words. I am understanding ofcourse and I empathise with her wounded self.Lo and behold! we are be friends again. Juhi is left in one corner sulking and fuming in disgust.

                                                           Reality is always stranger than fiction. On the contrary, I find Shreya and Juhi  getting along famously well. Instead it’s me whose vulnerable, desperately seeking friendship here and there. My days are lonely . I feel low and dull.  Somewhere down the line I start connecting with Tina- an ever smiling ,kind and helpful girl. We share our thoughts, our problems, our views our giggles for hours  non-stop. Every morning there’s something new to convey. Oh what joy  true friendship brings. I was just seven then......... an age when tears and laughter are skimming at the surface, ready to explode at the smallest pretext.

                                                            Even today I  dream , whenever caught in a quagmire –be it home,workplace, relationship or life in general. Again I am the special winner, the unvanquished queen, the trophy girl  in the game of life. I derive momentary healing out of it. My resilience triples and soon I zoom ahead with not a care in this mortal world.

Is’nt it true for many?