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Never could I imagine that cycling would become a rarity. That was when I was in
school and college. I was in class IX, when I got my bicycle. I was so proud of
it that I used to keep it spotlessly clean and never give it to any friend. I
was worried that they may not handle it properly. I used to go long distances on
Sundays just enjoying the roads and most of the time discovering them. And then
there were those adventurous trips also with my friends to the far off
Hathi
Bagan to see the weekly Market (Haat) where they used to sell all kinds of
birds, animals & fishes. And on the way back, trying to discover how the
furniture Auctioneers do their business at Russell Street. Later in my pre
University days, I used to cycle with a close friend of mine and we used to
discuss God knows what. We had lot of issues in front of us and thought that the
world’s problems needed our urgent attention. Apart from all other benefits e.g.
Good exercise etc, Cycling made us look at life in slow motion. |
I could see different types of people and
could also go to places where city life had not crept in and life was still
fresh. Cycling, then, was life. And then, I moved on in my life and got employed
and the cycle was replaced with the bike and then the car. I could think of a
place and go there immediately, at great speed. And I started enjoying that. But
then I stopped observing life, those little things that passed me by, nature and
its splendor. The speed of life made it difficult to observe these things. But
then the awakening came and I rose out of my slumber.
One fine morning the monsoon rains had just
stopped. It was around 6.30 AM when I borrowed the watchman’s cycle and took off
to relive my old memories. I went to the places which normally did not form part
of my daily route. And what an experience it was! The roads were narrow but
good. And on both sides, houses were having large spaces covered with trees and
plants. The rains, just then, had made them more green and wet.
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I could see few
people on the road. Nobody bothered about me. I could feel them pass me by
unlike when I was in the bike. The odd teashops had some customers sipping away
hot tea. It was so peaceful and it made me very happy. It was all in slow motion
compared to my day-to-day life. I thought about the paperboys who experience
this everyday and I envied them. But, can they ever know that they are a
fortunate few? Now, I have decided to make myself fortunate, if not daily, at
least a couple of times in a month. I want to cycle my life in slow motion and
enjoy life in the best possible way.
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Contributed By:
Murali Krishnan is a Chartered Accountant in practice.
To read more
Musings India, visit contentwriter.in
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