The Power Of a Walk

This blog of mine is pretty close to my heart.

I had put on a few extra pounds.A very close friend of mine,suggested me to start walking daily,though I agreed to her, I was reluctant on doing this.In fact I had decided in my mind I wouldn't being doing this.But life doesn't always allow you to do what you wish to.I guess I had to forcibly walk myself out.

It was during my holidays in engineering first year,first semester I was terribly bored one day.It was 10.30 p.m. and my dad had assigned me a work that I had kept pending for a few days.Despite my dad's repeated reminders I hadn't done it.
I guess I was destined to go for a walk that day.I just wore a white T-shirt[one of my favorite ones].Then put on my shoe and plugged the earphones to my ear and started of by playing my favorite songs.It all began like this.

I set out.Playing the song "heal the world"by michael jackson one of my favorite songs of his.I could find a new energy in me I was totally disconnected from the world.All my anger and negative thoughts just drained out my mind.I guess I needed to bring this change in me.I started liking this walk.I began to look at things in a different perspective.The simple things on the road were appearing very different.The wind blowing the sun shining were all so wonderful.The walk helped me catch up with things I had missed earlier.I guess its never late to catch up with things.I cherish every moment of it.I wondered how much I had missed without going to such kind of walks.

Before I developed this walking habit of mine I always was just hopping on my bike and going out to get whenever my parents used to ask me to get something.I somehow never liked walking.Whenever I was asked to get somethings even from the shops close by i just hopped on the bike and used to get those things.But now I realized that walking is so much fun.Every small thing on the road and the streets looked so differently.Let me tell you about one special walk that I have cherished a lot.

I received a text message from a very close friend of mine saying that there was some kind of exhibition going on in our school,an annual exhibition that takes place in our school mainly the dealing with science and social science projects.She said that she will be going for this and also asked me to come along.I wasn't interested to go.sensing my disinterest she left the matter then and there and there ended our brief texting conversation.The exhibition was to be held a day after I got the message.It was morning and I came home from my uncle's place as I had to go there to stay.Then I took my bath and had my breakfast too.My dad asked me to drop his cell phone bill cheque in the drop box at the telephone store.It was about two and a half kilometers from my home.Since the mobile store where I had to drop the cheque I decided to go to my school too.


I texted the friend of mine to ask her when was she coming.In a surprised manner, she asked me "what are you coming????",my reply was..."Ya why shouldn't I come????",she told me the time she was leaving so I decided to adjust my time of the departure so that we would be able to be at the place at around the same time.This walk I put on the earphones as usual but in addition I had a backpack in which I was carrying a cap [gifted to me by my cousin],though the bagpack wasn't of any use I just wanted to carry it, I don't know why,I guess it was my childish behavior.I set off on the walk,it was a sunny day and the sun was shining brightly and the weather was pretty hot.But that didn't deter me from going for the walk.As my every walk I began this walk too with MJ's song "Heal the world".Like my usual self while walking,I just watched around looking at the very common things,though it looked very interesting to me.Somehow every time I walk I feel a strange but a good feeling,I guess this the feeling that has kept me going.Coming back to the walk,I just went on,the song playing at the background continue-sly one after the other and me lost in the world of walking.In addition to all the good things I learnt during my walks I also learnt I could meet the people I knew but wasn't in touch with,while on my way I met my teacher,one of the teachers who has inspired me a lot,a man who has always inspired me with his humility,patience and most of all TEACHING.I owe my tenth's standard's good result to him,though I was late for his admission time, he still gave me a seat in his tution class A GREAT GESTURE OF HIS,without which I wouldn't have been able to get the good percentage that I was able to achieve.He was waiting for a bus at the bus stop,on seeing him, my face light up and I just ran towards him and spoke a few words to him.While his back came so we had to leave.I then went on,I felt so happy that I met my GURU,a man who was responsible for the slight success I have gained,a different feeling altoghether.Thats one moment I couldn't forget.it made my walk more enjoyable.Then I continued with pleasent memories of my encounter with one of my greatest teachers I have ever seen.I walked about a hundred metres and there I was at the mobile store,I dropped the cheque at the drop box and then again continued my voyage towards my school,where I was supposed to meet my friend.I went on like that, covering every step, covering every step with a childlike enthusiasm.I just reached a junction about thirty paces from my school.I don't know what happened to me,I just looked at the school and went in the other direction.I don't know what happened to me,I just didn't feel like going to the school.Instead I went in the direction of the bus stop from which I used to catch my bus to reach home.All the memories of me running to catch the bus,appeared in my mind,the memories of me and my school friends eating at the roadside fruit stall reminded me and made me smile for myself.All the fun frolic times I had with my good old school friends who used to accompany to the bus stop,was running like a motion picture in my mind.This is what a walk can do I said to myself.The wonderful and the ever pleasant memories all came to my mind.The memories that were long lost in my brain,all arose in my mind.
As I was walking with all such wonderful memories in mind,I noticed a Lassi bar,Lassi a favorite drink of mine.That Lassi bar is one of the nicest places where we get the best of sweet lassis.I just love the LASSI there.I just went straight to that place and then ordered myself a sweet lassi my most favorite lassi.Then the shopkeeper gave me the lassi and I took it and just sat on the footpath and just then my friend messaged me saying I saw you crossing the road,I replied why don't you come to the lassi bar I replied,but she then texted me saying,she wants to attend the exhibition.I said ok fine.go on I relied.She replied back saying she would be going to thw bowling alley along with her college friends.SO she said she won't be able to meet,though I said its ok U carry on,she said sorry to me.I was a little heart broken that I couldn't meet my friend.Forgetting all that I was engulfed by the taste of the sweet lassi enjoying every drop of it.I finally finished it and handed over the glass to the shopkeeper along with the money.
I started walking back home,all the pleasant memories in my mind and the music playing on the earphones everything was going on so nice.I guess that day was a day of joy for me,as I was walking I saw a person who resembled someone I knew,I didn't identify him in the beginning,as I approached him and after googling his face in my brain,my brain told me that it was the man who used to take me to school everyday,to be more precise he was the automan[the term we use for auto drivers who drop kids home and also drop them to school].He was a very nice gentleman,soft spoken and had a good sense of humor,a rarity to see among other people in his profession.I just went near him and asked"en uncle hegidira???,ella aaraama kelsa chennagi naditidya???"[meaning how are you doing is your work going on well??]he replied with a gentle smile"hoon ella chennagi naditide"[meaning all is pretty well].It was so nice to meet that gentleman after a long time.Its really nice to meet people who have helped you what you are today right from your teachers to the peons who have taken care of you when you are young and also gentlemen like this man here who have helped you in your academics and your life.They feel elated when we acknowledge them for the help they have offered to us even after we have parted.The happiness he got from the fact that I spoke to him was quite visible from the the happy expressions on his face.I was so happy to meet those to people that day.All these people reminded me of my pleasant past.Thats what a walk can do I guess it helps you meet the people who had an influence in your life.A great feeling altogether when you meet them.
With such wonderful thoughts and incidents I just went home with a great and cheerful smile.After coming
home I just analyzed all the incidents,I just realized how wonderful people we can meet when we just go out for a walk.I just realized what I had missed all these days.
At the end of the day I just realized how important a lonely walk is.What it can do for a man,today we humans are so stressed out,we get angered very easily by even slightest of things.I guess the only that can end all these ill things to the humans is just giving a little time to yourself by going for a walk alone.It did a great deal to me,a much needed change in me.I would like to thank two people for it,my friend who forced me to walk and my sister who told me do just leave the bike and start walking.THANKS A MILLION YOU TOO,I have really enjoyed every walk of mine.To all those who don't walk I certainly tell U have missed something very wonderful.

This is the Elite Vattam signing off for now until next time BYE BYE NAMASTE AND SAYONARA.

The Urban Bane

Its been quite sometime since my last blog . I was pretty busy with my college and studies .My first semester exams got over on the 15th of January and we friends decided to celebrate.A solar eclipse was to happen on that day.As part of our superstitious traditions, I was supposed to have food by nine in the morning and till 4 in the evening I was supposed to fast.As a good child to my parents I followed it with utmost respect.Our celebration plans also got delayed .The reason being after the eclipse is over I had to take bath and then only consume food.So after my exams got over at around 5 p.m. all we friends decided to head home and then meet up at around eight at brigade road to have supper.I went home and took bath and since i was so terribly hungry I ate the upma prepared at home nicely.I then spoke to my sister for a while and then the clock read seven thirty and so it was time to time to leave. I got ready and took out my bike and headed straight to brigade road. Though I am a bangalorean by birth I haven't been to brigade road many times.In fact in my eighteen years of life in bangalore I have just been to that place about four to five times.

Anyways coming back to the celebration plans, I reached the place at 8.00 exactly and then texted my friends to know where they were, one of them had arrived and all the others were on their way and one of my friends was lost.I didn't know the exact location of the place we were supposed to eat.So I was told to come at a particular point which i knew and then my friend would take me from then on.

MY friend had not arrived yet, in the meanwhile I decided to just roam around brigade road.Since I haven't seen this place so well I decided to just take a walk.. people who don't know much about brigade road its the hangout place of most banglaoreans with some of the best eating joints right from the road side food to the most luxurious restaurants we find them all there.Its a favorite hang out place for college going students too.Not only eating joints we find different shops of the top brands of garment and tech and many more....

I would like to call it the times square of Bangalore..

This place is the epitome of the rich and most stylish People. One can see the most stylish and the most sophisticated people here.People plugging in their music players to their ears and wearing some of the most expensive clothing and accessories and dining out and partying with in the poshest restaurants.

What I noticed in my visit to brigade road is that amidst all this fun frolic and richness there exists a section of people who don't even have the most basic of needs like food and clothing.In this center of TOP urban living,we find people who are struggling to find even one meal a day.Among the rich urban freaks are people who have made the footpaths their home and the have taken up begging as a means to earn food.People who are struggling to survive.
The majority of them being small kids in the age group of 5-12 yrs,begging in the signals and also begging on the footpaths for their survival.Its very sad to see this.Let me put it this was the so called brigade road the people where the rich and the famous hang out and shop and party and dine,is also the place where kids beg to survive and live on.The so called epitome of the rich urban life is also sadly the epitome of terrible poverty.Its a sad feeling two kinds of life totally versatile and the bandwidth of their living being so very wide is something which is eye raising.

Most of us might have paid money for watching the movie "The Slumdog millionaire" and we even might be very proud of the fact that it even won oscars for music.I would say instead of paying for the move and watching it, a visit to this road would have definitely got them the essence of the movie.

The Society is so partial.The rich are getting Richer by the day and the poorer are getting poor.

Once again this is the Elite Vattam signing off until next time Sayonara and Namaste