Just a thought...

Different People.... Different Strokes!

Its amazing how people can affect you.. in ways u really cant fathom. They just trigger different emotions in you. But when you really think.. itz not them but u!! Nothing can really bother you if you refuse to be bothered. Nothing can make u happy if you are determined to be unhappy. Nothing can frighten you if you refuse to be afraid.But we do meet different people....Strangers whom u admire, people who leave u baffled, aquaintances who have left u stunned, people who make u more humble, But all of them touch your life in a strange way and add more meaning to life.

There was this stranger in the train when I came from Coimbatore to Chennai. He was speaking to another co-passenger about books. Since the topic was about books, the conversation immediately caught my attention. The person was talking about Tamil literature and quoting some hi-funda verse from Thirukural or god-knows-what. The knowledge and enthusiasm sparkled in his eyes. In a few moments he was quoting Milton and Robert Frost.. my favourite lines too.."The woods are lovely, dark and deep but I have promises to keep. And miles to go before I sleep. And miles to go before I sleep". And then as the conversation proceeded he quoted verses from Hindi Literatue.. some dohas and poems. I was just stunned. I thought he must be a writer.. n when the other person asked him abt it, he said(almost nonchalantly) "I just have a passion for it". He spoke about a lot of things... Literature, art, music... I dint speak much and was only listening to him. But he smiled and pointed out that I seem to be interested in Hindi n English stuff. And asked me if I got bored when he spoke about Tamil books. I wondered how he gauged my reaction. But I soon found out.. Apparently hez a Chemistry Proff. Must have seen so many students in his life!:-)But I was impressed. You dont get to meet such personalities often.

When I came to Chennai last year during Christmas, I was standing in the balcony n saw a lady...a very old lady..must be around 70-80. She was a thin woman, short and bespectacled and kinda cute. She was pushing a wheelchair on the road. The person I saw in wheelchair was crippled and had a Santa's mask on his face. It was an odd sight. There was this "I'm a self-made woman" attitude about the lady as she pushed the wheelchair slowly n steadily. As they went on in cheerful banter, There was something about them that touched me. You dunno what.. but u kinda feel something. I saw them many times again after that, talking loudly as they went past. The person in the wheelchair was a man who was around 35-40 years old. I think they stay somewhere close to where Im staying. Not seen them for more than a month now. I wonder where they are...

Another stranger who comes to my mind was the auto driver who was dropping me, Vani and Dhivya from Sathyam to Abirami theatre. He broke into long conversations with us coz we were from Coimbatore and his "would-be" is also from that place. A very enthusiastic person. He told us how he "brought together" 2 people. Here goes his story..'A lady got in. Then a man too got in. They sat in the corners, not speaking. Apparently they were strangers. The auto driver wantedly made a sudden turn so that they collided. And both of them looked at each other and laughed...embarassed. Somehow that broke the ice and they started speaking'. As the three of us looked at each other amused at his story, He happily proclaimed.."Its February and love is in the air. I just tried to do my bit". A simple man with simple pleasures. :-)

Hmm... Different people.. Different Strokes. To each his own!!!!!

posted by sreeshma @ 3:43 pm