Song Of The Road

I was reading a friend’s mail. He had written about unwelcome visitors and the words ‘Song of the road’ kept coming to mind. They come to mind at unexpected moments. These words fascinated me from the moment I read them in Pather Panchali by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay. This is a beautiful book. There is a song in everyone’s road. There are different types of songs suited for the time or the place or emotions of the traveller. My friend is in his eighties and is having a difficult time now. He writes about his unwelcome visitors, pain and cancer. But at the moment his is not a sad song. He says, ‘Determination is my weapon, never to let up but fight all the way.’ Of course there will be bad moments but they shall be overcome. He inspires and I am glad he is a part of my life, however small a part.

My mind goes back to my son’s classmate. From the first moment she left a deep impression on my mind. There was something very attractive about her, the way she dressed; she was so well dressed in the traditional Indian way. She carried herself with so much assurance. She is blind. She has so much confidence in herself and is a vibrant person. Her blindness does not matter to her. She has completed her PhD in English Literature and is teaching. She has so many interests. She is married to a wonderful person and they have a son. In spite of everything the song of her road is a happy one. Life has its ups and downs and she is facing them with a smile.

Talking about confidence, my thoughts go to the owner of a small hotel. One Sunday morning we decided to see some temples in small, serene places, not very far from our place. We stopped for breakfast on the way. This hotel is well known for its preparations. We enjoyed ourselves. While leaving we complimented the waiter and then the owner. Both accepted the compliment and said that their preparations were good. There was so much confidence in them. We liked it. There was only humility and no arrogance in their tone. There is such a thin dividing line between confidence and arrogance. I wonder when the former changes to the latter? When we have confidence in ourselves, others have confidence in us.
The songs within us become the songs of our journey on this road of Life.



‘The singer has everything within him. The notes come out from his very life. They are not materials gathered from outside.’ ~Rabindranath Tagore


‘Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come.’ ~Chinese Proverb


‘You don't love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear.’ ~Author Unknown

 

Thank you Vaidehi, it is good when people come into our lives and make it richer and leave their impression . Regards, Lakshmi