Thursday, April 9, 2009

Musings On A Morning Walk

(sketch by me)
I walk in the lone corridors of the building in the bustling morning…all alone! I wish for company most of the time but then I realize I am my own company! I see people rushing to the office(now n then). Doors open and slam marking their rush. I often wonder at their lives. Who would they be (personally)? Would they be loving to their wife or husband? Would they be a loving mother or father to their kids? Would they be a conscious citizen(as I didn't see anyone here switch off their lights to mark solidarity on Earth Hour as we sat in the dark & had a good time)? Would they have a good time working in the office(as I don't have an "office job")? Would they be temperamental? Submissive? Cold-hearted or whatever???

(I frequently get a glimpse of these people rushing past, I try to pass a smile but they are too Busy to return one!)

In my company I am not even once without thought. My mind is always working. I hope that it is the same with everyone… I try to stay without thought by counting the steps I take. Even in the midst of it my mind steals some silly thought or something profound(??) that results in my writing this write up. But according to Robin Sharma one should not let one’s mind handle the matter. We have to be in control of our mind not vice versa. I am trying Robin, I am!!!

I observe a lot when I am alone!

Doormats, for instance…has anyone ever thought of it? Sounds silly, right? The other day I became reflective about it. I see the doormats in most of the front doors and try to explore the not-so-obvious…like plain doormats – the master(s) are not interested in how it looks. After all it’s just a doormat!!! Step on it, brush and walk away! They are the not so conscious people. Doormat with stripes (vertical and horizontal) – either way it’s a doormat but I do care a little as (maybe) they’ll help to clean the shoes better. It could even look a bit better! Then there are those with butterflies and hearts on it…they love beautification and décor of even the doormat!!! Doormats in the shape of Rabbit, tortoise and the like, they are nature enthusiasts!! Doormats with ‘WELCOME’ on it (do they really mean it??? Think positive, deepa)…they like people who call on them and they perhaps follow the Indian tradition of ‘athithi devobhava’ (the one who doesn’t look at ‘thithi’ or date to call on another…which obviously means very close folks).

Hope we had a wonderful walk together…
(Wanted to share this beautiful poem as well)
A noiseless patient spider
by Walt Whitman
A noiseless patient spider,
I mark'd where on a little promontory it stood isolated,
Mark'd how to explore the vacant vast surrounding,
It launch'd forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself,
Ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them.
And you O my soul where you stand,
Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space,
Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them,
Till the bridge you will need be form'd, till the ductile anchor hold,
Till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, O my soul.

I do expect that you too have some insight to add to. Please do share with me.
Thanks for reading!

23 comments:

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

this post totally brings out the artist in you.your observation on something as ubiquitious and yet as unnoticed as doormats was amazing.
and yes, you write very good prose.
thanks for liking my poem :)

Deepa Gopal said...

Thanks L'tl Girl. But don't you think we all notice something or the other which is apparently insignificant to others.
Blogging is encouraging me to come out with such thoughts![as there are some valued readers like you:)]

FitFoodieMegha said...

OMG...I also went in a thought process...It was gr8 walking with you...:) Take Care..The painting is very nice..Clean and clear..:)
Keep in Touch Dear!
Megha
Art on Sketchbook

Anonymous said...

:-)

Aniket Thakkar said...

I wrote a similar post once Deepa... a long time ago. I was not into fiction writing back then and used to write just whatever came to mind. Sadly, I deleted all those posts when I started fiction writing. Like you are amused by doormats, I posted on latches, of how we all have locked ourselves in some or the other. Protecting ourselves, not being able to share or not wanting to.

People in small towns are still good at this. They'll greet you as you pass...always. We are losing humanity day by day...which is very sad.

Calli said...

very nice post - great food for thought which we can all use!

Thank you for sharing and for your recent visit to my blog!

~ Calli

Julie said...

One thing I have noticed in doing memes on the blogs is that we all seem to have a lot more in common than not! I find that amazing...we can be on opposite ends of the earth and have the same likes and wishes and dreams! It's a fantastic phenomenon!!!

Deepa Gopal said...

Megha, Thanks for taking a walk with me & enjoying it.

Karmanna,Thanks for lighting my blog with ur smile:)

Aniket, So we all do have our fondness or atleast interests on some "ubiquitous yet unnoticed"(L'tl girl) objects. And your 'Latch' is a fine thought-evoking idea. That would certainly have been a nice write-up especially with your humor. Sorry, you deleted it! Else I could've read that:(

I am someone who values the simple pleasures of life a lot. I enjoy friends, their company, even acquaintance...I like to laugh...my friends say I have too much..but I like that! And in today's world I think people are forgetting to smile...no time even for something as simple as a Smile!

Deepa Gopal said...

Calli, Thanks as you think that it's a "great food for thought post" :)

Julie,my fellow cactuteer,I very much agree with you in that I have found more people here who share my thought than anywhere else...its genuinely amazing.

Aniket Thakkar said...

You are very right Deepa.

Everyone is in such a hurry that no one stops even for a second to stop and admire what is around them.

A couple of weeks back, I was returning from office late in night and I was fuming, coz I had a very bad day and was stuck in traffic.

There was a little girl (not lost) in the car in front of me. Her parents were sitting in the front seats so she was probably getting bored. She must be hardly 4-5 yrs old and was the sweetest girl ever. She started waving hands and making faces at me from the back glass and I couldn't help but do the same.

In those couple of min. I forgot all the tension I had, heartily smiled and wished traffic wouldn't clear up...

All it took to make my day was a smile...

Deepa Gopal said...

Exactly Aniket, I keep telling this to all my dear ones That there is nothing in this world that can't be eased with a smile and a hug(though not a very touchy kind of person...I do completely agree with that...confirmed it after seeing our very own Munnabhai's Jadoo ki Jhappi)..I am evolving:)
And my daughter does the same thing everytime she's in the back-seat of the car. I am enjoying my l'tlun's ways of growing.

Aniket Thakkar said...

I am sure you do Deepa...

These are her wonder years after all.

soulbrush said...

what an interesting post.i see you and i have a lot in common, we are both deep thinkers, i prefer to be alone and am a lot of the time. i enjoy walking and looking (and now i use my camera a lot too)...doormats, never thought of them that way...ours here in london are all boring and tough to withstand the wet weather..and the door latches aren't very intersting, but look at my 'world tuesday' posts for some good doors and windows and gates....your drawing is sweet and just enough...i know you are going to have fun with the atc cards...i will send them after easter....hugs.

Lynn Cohen said...

Well, I took my walk with you and enjoyed it...I feel refreshed.
The concept of doormats got my interest...but do I want my personality depicted by mine?
The one at our front door outside is very practical, with long brushlike fibers good for cleaning dirt from shoes...one right inside the door is flat and brown, again very practical. At our back door outside is one that has a picture of a cat curled up on it or did before the rain pretty much washed it away or dulled it. But I think our cat appreciates it in honor of him. Or so I like to imagine~
Your walking sketch has great motion to it! Well done! Have a good weekend.

Deepa Gopal said...

Soul,I am so happy that u liked the post & u find something common between us. Even I am using camera a lot these days that I finally lost it day before yester'. I carry it everywhere & God alone knows how it was taken from my bag.I had it in my bag before we entered a restaurant, had dinner, left the restaurant, opened my bag to get a pic of my daughter & it wasn't there!!! I am so unhappy coz of tht:(
I keep seeing all those beautiful gates & windows & I keep commenting too.

Deepa Gopal said...

Lynn, Thank u so much for taking the walk & feeling refreshed.
I liked your cat from what you described...
Ur doormats point towards ur being a practical artist...nice combination.
Thanks for liking my sketch as well.

Renee said...

Deepazartz I totally enjoyed my walk. Hopefully we will have many mornings ahead of us to walk along.

Renee xoxo

Deepa Gopal said...

Thanx a ton Renee...I would look forward to ur company:)

Mahesh Sindbandge said...

Hmmm..that was very thoughtful...

I am kind of same thinker as you when it comes to our thinking minds... :)

Good post..:)

Cheers...

Deepa Gopal said...

Thanks a lot Mahesh...I like deep thinkers esp when it comes to l'tl things in life...Aren't these l'tl things that matter most & that most of us forget or sideline in life?

Bella Sinclair said...

Happy one month anniversary! And congratulations on your award! What a wonderful blog you have. I enjoyed this walk and listening to the thoughts that stream through your mind. I walk quite a bit these days, and most of the time I enjoy this bit of quiet time to myself. I observe the small changes around me, but I can't say I'm lost in deep thought while walking. I'll have to listen harder to what I'm thinking next time.

There is one lady who jogs around my neighborhood. She is older, and she waves enthusiastically and cheerfully greets everyone with, "Good morning!" Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be her, so outwardly happy and friendly.

Thank you so much for visiting me!

Deepa Gopal said...

Bella, Thanks so much...for enthusiastically walking with me.
Keep visiting:)

Mahesh Sindbandge said...

Yes they are important and that is what i have been saying in my blog all the time ..)

i have already seen aniket's blog and have read few posts in it...

still a thank to you :p


Cheers