Nostalgia
Why is nostalgia so strong an emotion?
Scene1: 7:00AM - I have resumed my Yoga class after 3 months. Post an hour long grueling session, I am all sore muscles. But that pleasure which comes with it, only an athlete or a fitness enthusiast would understand. I am driving on a road with ongoing metro construction and makeshift houses on the roadside. As I pass by, I see some kids playing, some still sleeping while the first ray of sunshine fall upon them. Women are busy cooking meals on that temporary chulha before they start for work. That thick smoke and that smell of food triggers something in me. All my growing years were spent in my maternal grandparents home. This brings back a whirlwind of emotions and I am struggling to keep pace.
Those were the time. All we kids slept in a long horizontal queue with only a thin mattress and probably a very thin pillow if we were lucky. Nights were a cat and dog fight on who got the pillow and who would have to make their arms as the pillow and sleep. We would be woken up by the similar aroma coming out of the kitchen where my granny and my aunts would cook meals before it is too sunny outside. There was no electricity and the open kitchens in the veranda made it impossible to be used while the sun shone. My granny would look at us with so much affection while we ate our heart full. Simple meal of potato curry and chapati would taste heavenly. Days were spent idling around in the fields, mango orchards, around the well, in the bullock carts and the most in the small canal nearby just playing and splashing water.
We had no summer camps or hobby class to rush to, no time management classes or speech & drama. We had no mobiles, clocks, alarm clocks to keep a tab on time. Life just happened.
Tap tap, someone knocking at my window urging me to drive ahead as I am creating a traffic behind me. I change gear and drive away.
Scene2: 9:00AM same day, I am rushing on my way to work, driving to office. I see the usual hustle bustle on the roads with everyone in a hurry to reach somewhere. Some vehicles taking wrong lane to avoid traffic, cars honking, people shouting at each other for flouting traffic rules and in all this frenzy, I am trying to find my way to get past the traffic. Suddenly I see a man riding a bicycle and his daughter sitting in the rear seat all smiles and laughter, waving at the strangers passing by while father makes his way in the traffic. He also keeps looking back to check for the daughter. Such a beautiful sight. They seemed to be in no hurry and were smiling all the while it took to clear the road and get the traffic moving.
I am lost again in my thoughts. I can see my dad walking me up to the bus stand for school bus, holding my hands tightly and making his way on the roadside and also ensuring that I don't accidentally step on some puddle or stone and fall. I close my eyes and just walk, as I knew he is looking on the road and will ensure that I don't get hurt. He is talking to me and chiding me for closing my eyes but I would not listen, just smile wide.
Both of these scenes today put me to ease instantly. I wondered why does nostalgia have that effect on me or does it have the similar effect on everyone? It makes us want to forget everything and go back to those times where life was lived and not measured in terms of ROI and making an impact.
May be the life that we are living now does not inspire us anymore. It is just giving us the means to an end and in this game theory where life is infinite and our reasons for day to day life is finite, odds are stacked against us.
Scene1: 7:00AM - I have resumed my Yoga class after 3 months. Post an hour long grueling session, I am all sore muscles. But that pleasure which comes with it, only an athlete or a fitness enthusiast would understand. I am driving on a road with ongoing metro construction and makeshift houses on the roadside. As I pass by, I see some kids playing, some still sleeping while the first ray of sunshine fall upon them. Women are busy cooking meals on that temporary chulha before they start for work. That thick smoke and that smell of food triggers something in me. All my growing years were spent in my maternal grandparents home. This brings back a whirlwind of emotions and I am struggling to keep pace.
Those were the time. All we kids slept in a long horizontal queue with only a thin mattress and probably a very thin pillow if we were lucky. Nights were a cat and dog fight on who got the pillow and who would have to make their arms as the pillow and sleep. We would be woken up by the similar aroma coming out of the kitchen where my granny and my aunts would cook meals before it is too sunny outside. There was no electricity and the open kitchens in the veranda made it impossible to be used while the sun shone. My granny would look at us with so much affection while we ate our heart full. Simple meal of potato curry and chapati would taste heavenly. Days were spent idling around in the fields, mango orchards, around the well, in the bullock carts and the most in the small canal nearby just playing and splashing water.
We had no summer camps or hobby class to rush to, no time management classes or speech & drama. We had no mobiles, clocks, alarm clocks to keep a tab on time. Life just happened.
Tap tap, someone knocking at my window urging me to drive ahead as I am creating a traffic behind me. I change gear and drive away.
Scene2: 9:00AM same day, I am rushing on my way to work, driving to office. I see the usual hustle bustle on the roads with everyone in a hurry to reach somewhere. Some vehicles taking wrong lane to avoid traffic, cars honking, people shouting at each other for flouting traffic rules and in all this frenzy, I am trying to find my way to get past the traffic. Suddenly I see a man riding a bicycle and his daughter sitting in the rear seat all smiles and laughter, waving at the strangers passing by while father makes his way in the traffic. He also keeps looking back to check for the daughter. Such a beautiful sight. They seemed to be in no hurry and were smiling all the while it took to clear the road and get the traffic moving.
I am lost again in my thoughts. I can see my dad walking me up to the bus stand for school bus, holding my hands tightly and making his way on the roadside and also ensuring that I don't accidentally step on some puddle or stone and fall. I close my eyes and just walk, as I knew he is looking on the road and will ensure that I don't get hurt. He is talking to me and chiding me for closing my eyes but I would not listen, just smile wide.
Both of these scenes today put me to ease instantly. I wondered why does nostalgia have that effect on me or does it have the similar effect on everyone? It makes us want to forget everything and go back to those times where life was lived and not measured in terms of ROI and making an impact.
May be the life that we are living now does not inspire us anymore. It is just giving us the means to an end and in this game theory where life is infinite and our reasons for day to day life is finite, odds are stacked against us.
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