Life never ceases to surprise and yesterday, I was caught unawares again!
On my way back from office, I exchanged glances with an elderly woman at the bend outside my house. Listening and humming along my favorite songs as I moved ahead, my rhythm was interrupted by a gentle tap on the back. I turned around only to find the same elderly woman. She pointed towards my untied shoe laces. I thanked her but instead of tying them I just tucked it in my shoes as I had almost reached my apartment. As I was about to move on, I realized that my act of laziness had not escaped the scrutinizing gaze of the old lady. She looked at my shoes and then at me as if asking, " What's wrong with you son? Why don't you tie your laces?". I told her that it was fine but she insisted that I tie them. So I did. But the tough task master that she was - she was still not happy and asked me to apply a double knot to the laces. In absolutely no mood to bend again a third time, I just thanked her again and reassured her that it was fine. Before I could utter my next sentence, I was surprised by her sudden gesture.
Before I could utter my next sentence, she bent and started tying my laces herself.
Standing there at the pavement, in crimson twilight, right in front of my apartment, with a septuagenarian tying my laces - I was dumbstruck. Afterall, it's been 2 decades since someone else tied my shoelaces. It was one of those moments when suddenly your mind is inundated with a flood of conflicting emotions and your sensory receptors just stop responding. I didn't know if I should apologize to her or thank her; if I should ponder over my callousness or admire her for her kindness and humility; if we really were strangers or had met someday, somewhere before...
As we moved along, she told me quite animatedly that tucking the laces in shoes might effect their elasticity. She also explained that a single knot may open again and I may fall and hurt myself;so the double knot. She asked me to be careful while walking on road with untied shoelaces. By that time, I had reached my apartment. I sincerely thanked her and bade her good bye. The whole experience lasted just 5 minutes. But it was very pleasant, very humbling. For next couple of hours or so, I was engulfed by an inexplicable sense of satisfaction and happiness.
Sometimes, we set ourselves on a journey to achieve long-term goals or wait for some big events to happen that we think, will make things better in our lives and in the world around us. More often than not, the wait for such events stretches to an eternity or the goals just keep on evolving. In pursuit of those goals , in wait of those events, we often forget to savour the random, the smaller delights that either we can offer to others or what life has to offer to us. But actually it's these little acts of kindness, these little words of luv, in unknown lands by unknown people that really have the potential to overwhelm us and can make the world a better place to live in !
Before I could utter my next sentence, she bent and started tying my laces herself.
Standing there at the pavement, in crimson twilight, right in front of my apartment, with a septuagenarian tying my laces - I was dumbstruck. Afterall, it's been 2 decades since someone else tied my shoelaces. It was one of those moments when suddenly your mind is inundated with a flood of conflicting emotions and your sensory receptors just stop responding. I didn't know if I should apologize to her or thank her; if I should ponder over my callousness or admire her for her kindness and humility; if we really were strangers or had met someday, somewhere before...
As we moved along, she told me quite animatedly that tucking the laces in shoes might effect their elasticity. She also explained that a single knot may open again and I may fall and hurt myself;so the double knot. She asked me to be careful while walking on road with untied shoelaces. By that time, I had reached my apartment. I sincerely thanked her and bade her good bye. The whole experience lasted just 5 minutes. But it was very pleasant, very humbling. For next couple of hours or so, I was engulfed by an inexplicable sense of satisfaction and happiness.
Sometimes, we set ourselves on a journey to achieve long-term goals or wait for some big events to happen that we think, will make things better in our lives and in the world around us. More often than not, the wait for such events stretches to an eternity or the goals just keep on evolving. In pursuit of those goals , in wait of those events, we often forget to savour the random, the smaller delights that either we can offer to others or what life has to offer to us. But actually it's these little acts of kindness, these little words of luv, in unknown lands by unknown people that really have the potential to overwhelm us and can make the world a better place to live in !
PS: The fact that we didn't even have a common medium of communication (She was speaking French the whole time while I spoke English) made the episode even more special.
And secondly, the twilight was not really crimson. The color was used just for special effects !
And secondly, the twilight was not really crimson. The color was used just for special effects !
U r evolving!!! loved this piece. You should get it published :)
ReplyDeleteits good. Very nice effort :)
ReplyDeleteAbbu!!! Very nice man...I cant picture the person who wrote this as the guy i knew so long ago...evolving indeed :)..good job!
ReplyDeletewow abu!! wonderful and delighted!!:)
ReplyDelete