Musing: The Train

Image Courtesy: fb/The Idealist 

I used to be a quiet child. I learned to speak much later than was normal for a kid (it had worried my mother no end). But when I could make sense of what was going on in my head, I realized that I had the ability to think a mile a minute. I've perhaps taken myself on innumerable adventures as a child. I am pretty sure the on-lookers thought I was crazy. But I was completely happy in my world of make-belief. 

Being deeply influenced by fairy tales, I would sometimes pretend to be a Princess. However, I wasn't satisfied playing the damsel in distress. So I changed the story. The Princess ran away from the locked tower. The Princess walked out on the Beast (after stealing his whole collection of books too!) The Princess remembered to pick up her stray shoe when it came off. The Princess refused to kiss the frog. In other words, she had learned to be her own hero.

As you grow up you realize that world isn't just yours. It belongs to 7 billion other people too. But the world you choose to build for yourself - that will always belong to you and those who you want to be there with you. In this little world - you can take on any role you want. You can chose to be the lead character or you can choose to watch the show from the sidelines. But I digress...

"I wish the world was just you and me." - Riley
"Then it is." - Maya.
A still from Disney's show, Girl Meet World
Image Courtesy

The image that was shared by The Idealist page, reminded of the times when nothing had mattered to me more than sitting down and sharing conversations about love, life, anything and everything with people who had been very close and important to me. We did not speak everyday. But whenever we did, it felt like we started from where we'd left off.

Some of these people continue to be in my life even today. Our conversations may have shifted from Facebook to Whatsapp, or from e-mails to letters, or from IMs to SMSes, but the very essence of our talks remain the same. When I talk to them the fear of being judged deserts me. I know I can speak from my heart, I can speak my mind - and there will never be consequences. Nothing I say to these people can ever be regretted. They are a part of my life, as I am of theirs.

Sometimes when we are pressed for time the train begins to gather speed and we have to raise our voices over the growing din, we have to shout in order to drown out the warning whistles... Sometimes the train pulls away before we can finish our sentences. But we always know that the train has to stop at the next station, and we will pick up right where we left off. 

I did make friends like these in recent times. And some of them were through the social network. And as the train continues to take us through life at breakneck speed, it is nice to know that despite everything that life might through at you - you have those special people in your lives, who would give you a warm hug at the end of the day and ask, 

"So - do you want to talk about it?"

And the train would invariably begin to slow down....