Hello there!
Curiosity is on the list of the ultimate list of must-possess quirks. Agreed. Curiosity for a meaningful existence, a joyous ride, and a heightened sense of awareness. As essential as the air we breathe.
But when I realized it has been nearly 2 weeks since my last blog post, I realized there's yet another essential quality that needs to ride along. Commitment. :)
As you walk along, it's amazing to meet all kinds of new people- the 'step back, easy go' variety, the 'must solve all of the world's problems tonight!'variety, and my personal favorite- the downright wacky variety who instill my faith in the essential crazy streak. Today, I'd like to list the 3 most memorable people in the past month that I only caught a glimpse of, but they stuck with me and left a lasting impression.
The first to go is a man I once saw in a restaurant. It was the kind of restaurant so ubiquitous in South India, where you walk in, order breakfast, grab a quick bite standing among other fellow visitors, nodding to them in polite acknowledgement, perhaps say a line or two about the latest bruhaha in politics or talk about the beautiful weather. This man I saw was unassuming, and had nothing unusual about him to elicit a second, closer look. Within a few minutes however, this man began talking. To thin air. Oh no, not the usual- "drat! I forgot to bring my wallet" or "oh that looks yum, must order it!" It was a genuine, intense conversation filled with emotion with, well, nobody. I stared at him in disbelief, and I wondered what he saw. Did he see a ghost? Did he have an imaginary evil twin? What/who did he see that none of us saw? I left wondering who was better off, our seemingly mundane but 'normal' lives, v/s his enormous, endless world of possibilities.
The next on my list is a patient I encountered in the hospital corridors last week. As my friends and I were hurrying for Ophthalmology class, we were addressed by this man. It's not uncommon for patients to stop us for a moment to ask for directions or ask about drug regimens. When we stopped for this man however, he began abusing us out of the blue, He alleged we were 'roaming about' in the campus, and mockingly asked us what we had studied. "Have you even done your MD?" he asked. He is right, we haven't, sigh, long way to go, we know. The man hurled abuses at us as we passed by. The poor man probably had been at the receiving end of a terrible blow of some sort. The loss of a loved one, a bad news, a worrisome diagnosis. Sometimes all they need are a few kind words and a comforting pat on the back, non?
The last person on my list is fresh on my mind because I met him only yesterday. Our interaction was short lived. He was a shopkeeper selling marbles, chalk, betel nut and other miscellany on a busy street in Bangalore. It's a lovely bazaar, the one this shop is located in, the kind you can photograph a hundred times and still emerge with a different scene each time, the kind you can walk slowly by wishing you had more senses to take in the sights and the scenes, and the kind where there's life and energy right in the midst of the hustle. I was fascinated by this shopkeeper, and asked him where he was from. Unruffled, he replied, "I'm from here madam, from Hindustan!" :')
So many people come and go, and if you look closely, they all make a connection with you somehow, some for an instant, others for a lifetime.
Curiosity is on the list of the ultimate list of must-possess quirks. Agreed. Curiosity for a meaningful existence, a joyous ride, and a heightened sense of awareness. As essential as the air we breathe.
But when I realized it has been nearly 2 weeks since my last blog post, I realized there's yet another essential quality that needs to ride along. Commitment. :)
As you walk along, it's amazing to meet all kinds of new people- the 'step back, easy go' variety, the 'must solve all of the world's problems tonight!'variety, and my personal favorite- the downright wacky variety who instill my faith in the essential crazy streak. Today, I'd like to list the 3 most memorable people in the past month that I only caught a glimpse of, but they stuck with me and left a lasting impression.
The first to go is a man I once saw in a restaurant. It was the kind of restaurant so ubiquitous in South India, where you walk in, order breakfast, grab a quick bite standing among other fellow visitors, nodding to them in polite acknowledgement, perhaps say a line or two about the latest bruhaha in politics or talk about the beautiful weather. This man I saw was unassuming, and had nothing unusual about him to elicit a second, closer look. Within a few minutes however, this man began talking. To thin air. Oh no, not the usual- "drat! I forgot to bring my wallet" or "oh that looks yum, must order it!" It was a genuine, intense conversation filled with emotion with, well, nobody. I stared at him in disbelief, and I wondered what he saw. Did he see a ghost? Did he have an imaginary evil twin? What/who did he see that none of us saw? I left wondering who was better off, our seemingly mundane but 'normal' lives, v/s his enormous, endless world of possibilities.
The next on my list is a patient I encountered in the hospital corridors last week. As my friends and I were hurrying for Ophthalmology class, we were addressed by this man. It's not uncommon for patients to stop us for a moment to ask for directions or ask about drug regimens. When we stopped for this man however, he began abusing us out of the blue, He alleged we were 'roaming about' in the campus, and mockingly asked us what we had studied. "Have you even done your MD?" he asked. He is right, we haven't, sigh, long way to go, we know. The man hurled abuses at us as we passed by. The poor man probably had been at the receiving end of a terrible blow of some sort. The loss of a loved one, a bad news, a worrisome diagnosis. Sometimes all they need are a few kind words and a comforting pat on the back, non?
The last person on my list is fresh on my mind because I met him only yesterday. Our interaction was short lived. He was a shopkeeper selling marbles, chalk, betel nut and other miscellany on a busy street in Bangalore. It's a lovely bazaar, the one this shop is located in, the kind you can photograph a hundred times and still emerge with a different scene each time, the kind you can walk slowly by wishing you had more senses to take in the sights and the scenes, and the kind where there's life and energy right in the midst of the hustle. I was fascinated by this shopkeeper, and asked him where he was from. Unruffled, he replied, "I'm from here madam, from Hindustan!" :')
So many people come and go, and if you look closely, they all make a connection with you somehow, some for an instant, others for a lifetime.
