Cryptic Clues

As they say, a child is God’s image on earth. Pure and innocent. It is a different story that in our defiled world the age of innocence has come down starkly.  Nevertheless, children while still stammering or scurrying on four limbs teach the most valuable lessons of life in their innocence. And trust me, they are politically correct too. If only we could be more receptive and less self-obsessed.  Children are great learners and teachers, I know, yet I didn’t expect my infant of ten months to teach me one of the most precious of human qualities, i.e., to build and nurture a relationship. He does not speak a word, he only SMILES… he smiles with innocence, with joy, with a spark in his eye. The sweetest part is that he smiles at every stranger.

When we stop at traffic signals, he peeps out of the window and gives his enchanting smile to whoever is on the bike or car next to us. The person naturally responds back (thankfully our species has not turned that cold yet) with a smile or a playful gesture that makes my little one even happier and excited. Next thing I know is the stranger and I exchange a smile. It happens quite naturally then and the vibe is more of affability than of civility. Never before have I bothered or thought of smiling like that at people (no, I had no fear of appearing lunatic). It just never occurred that it’s the simplest thing to do to make our world more livable.

When my cherub gets all cranky, I take him outdoors. He instantly calms down and keeps staring at our watchman to catch his attention. Once noticed, he beams heartily and the watchman has no option but to match it. Meanwhile, all the people coming in and going out of the building including domestic help of our neighbours are recipients of his bunny smile. And of course everybody reciprocates with a funny gesture. On one such instance I realized that never before had I acknowledged, forget smiling at, the watchman or the sweeper or the other maids in the building.  Here was my toddler reminding me that, “Mamma, it’s not so difficult to smile after all. It just makes the surroundings more pleasant and every recipient of your smile experiences the same feel-good-factor whether he walks back home or drives an Audi home.”

God endowed us with the most beautiful asset, a smile, guaranteed to win hearts. Sadly as we grow into adults this asset is lost in the heat of the day.  And by the coolness of the night, it is too late. There are huge problems in our personal and global world. And of course a smile will not solve them all but it certainly makes for a more joyous living and undoubtedly has a trickledown effect. In the heart, we all know it’s true but the fact has slipped from the mind. We have grown so increasingly self-centered,  divided by social strata, attitude and mental conditioning that the most natural instinct possessed as a child is the most difficult to retain as an adult.

A smile, as I experienced, connects you to a fellow human being.  It is a subtle message to that stranger that I acknowledge and respect your presence on this planet. My son communicates with his smile because that is the only way he knows, but I know much more now. My honey bunchie just taught me that “the language of the heart speaks most beautifully, Mom.”

The Airport "Transfers"

The great Indian summer is back again with more heat, lesser mangoes and usual watermelons. As much as the heat pricks, the joy of summer vacation soothes. Sadly this joy abandoned me a decade ago when I graduated. In fact, shortly I’ll be looking for schools for my little one and with him will come once again the vicarious pleasure of awaiting the summer holidays. Holidays are always about fun and friends but most importantly they are about planning for that long awaited trip. Trip to new destinations, family reunions or visiting grandparents.

The excitement of going on an outstation holiday is not the prerogative of children alone. Right from short listing of the place to booking of the tickets and packing the bags, it all adds up to the zealous momentum irrespective of the age. However, by my personal experiences I have realized that our enthusiasm on a vacation at two particular places of logistics is dependent on whether we are the arriving or departing passenger and guest. Have you noticed how eagerly you wake up at 4.00 a.m. to catch the 7.00 a.m. flight that takes you to Goa or Simla or Kabini? Do you feel the same joy waking up at 4.00 a.m. otherwise? Forget waking up, your city airport no matter how dilapidated, seems like the most wonderful place buzzing with people some coming in, others going out and you are amongst the departing passenger. When I look at other passengers who aren’t holiday goers like me but travelling for work or other mundane purposes, I feel quite sorry for them. Here I am all exhilarated with my back pack while they worry about the presentation on their laptop.

The feeling of exultation continues as I arrive at my destination. In fact this new airport appears even more wonderful but now my heart goes out for the passengers in the departing lounge. Poor them, while my holiday has just begun they are going back to the old trap. Candidly, I kind of feel fortunate and superior at that moment. However, time does its own justice. After 3 nights and 4 days or 6 nights and 7 days of languor, I am eventually back at the airport and this time I am at the receiving end of those imaginary smirking looks by the arriving passengers. Now forget the early morning flight, even the noon flight seems too early, packing, sorry I should call it dumping clothes in the bag seems like a task and that wonderful airport looks most dreadful, about to transport me back to my morose routine.

Another place that invokes similar emotions in me is the hotel lobbies where I check-in for the holiday. At the time of your check-in, naturally there are others who are checking-out, their luggage piled in one corner while they wait for the shuttle bus. I do feel bad for their holiday coming to an end and wonder my fate would be the same after 4 days. But then I have to remind my silly self that before the 4th day there are 3 days of absolute chilling out you fool. And thus returns the delight of the experience called “Holiday”. However, the same plush lobby with its balmy surroundings no longer delights you when the concierge has gone to get the luggage and the airport shuttle is at your service. You see the airport “transfers” -pun intended, can actually transfer your mood.

I found my psychology and behavior as a tourist or holiday-goer quite amusing. There is no attempt to understand the why’s and how’s of my mental working but it’s surely interesting to jot it down and share it around. It’s just a game of perspective and angle depending on where you are and who you are i.e arriving guest or departing passenger. Well my way to end one holiday is to start thinking of the next. Waste no time and start the hunt for the next destination in the in-flight magazine itself. It not only eases the pain but makes the arrival in your city airport bearable. Once at home I browse through the atlas and travel magazines, it not only gets you going through the rut but has done some good for my miserable geography.