Thank The Stars!

It’s just 6 am. The onslaught on my senses has been phenomenal. I will be the first one to say that no one is responsible for that but me! Feeling this way after waking up at 4.45 a.m., doing half an hour of meditation? If you say, “What are you doing in that meditation?” Trust me when I say I ask myself that every single time. But sit I must or rather do I must – some yoga, some meditation. For every good day of staying quiet, I have 3 days of restlessness if not more. So, on days like this, I am busy acknowledging my thoughts and redirecting my mind to stillness. Today certainly was one of those days and all the redirections did not make a difference. I blame it on the fall I have had – that right arm still reminding me that it needs my attention still. So, with no yoga, I am just sitting! As I finish the meditation and get up with a groan from all that sitting, I decide that I will get back to my spinning routine.

I come upstairs to get my shoes, and maybe some coffee but then a thought occurs – “Are you ready for that loud music so early in the morning? Can you manage with that arm?” and I find myself convincing myself what’s one more day of not spinning? So, I take that smartphone out and I am bombarded, literally bombarded with messages. I peruse through them – between birthdays and the photos of that saree meet I had just the previous day, I see a bombardment of wishes and pictures. I meekly follow others in wishing whoever is celebrating and browse through pictures to see if my photo is among the hundred or so colorful pictures! ‘What is wrong with me?’ I think and choose to go to my computer instead. Another mistake. There, I am bombarded with articles carefully chosen based on my browsing history from school and home, my conversations, and all that syncing – by that smartphone. How can I not read an article on how Sweden is reducing electronic use in schools, or how genetic modification at an embryo stage by a scientist and its implication, the psychology of flow state, Greek philosophers’ take on something, or the news about G20, gardening tips, cleaning hacks, and finally not to forget what the swamis of the world are talking about? 'Swamis?' you say. Yes, all the gurus of the world and their programs. I am surrounded by friends and family who follow one master or the other and are always either talking about them or urging me to sign up for their very expensive programs. Where is the guru finding the student? Not anymore, I think. It is all just my snoopy smart electronics finding me and fighting for my attention. I feel that loud music would have been a better alternative to the mayhem in my mind.

I need a break; so I decide to step out and go for a walk. Just as I turn the corner of our street, I look up and I come to a screeching halt. A certain calmness descends upon me. I am of course staring at the sky. I don’t think I have seen such clear skies in the recent past. Maybe it is the weather, the fires that have caused the haze build-up, or plain me. That crescent chaand is looking down upon me with that perfect smile as Venus shines brightly. I look at the other constellations and stand mesmerized. Orion already? Is that big dipper…the spatahrishis smiling down upon us giving what we need with that ladle if only we were to pause to receive? How did I forget that the sky was so clear and so near? The perfect morning temperature, the buzzing of insects in the background, the occasional whoosh of a car nearby, and just the sheer silence give me the quietness I have been seeking. All it took was 2 mins of sky gazing and just like that I am a new being. With a spring in my step, yes, the irony is not lost on me …spring in fall? Hey, but that is the beauty of spring….sada vasantham hridyaravinde , I continue on my walk and come back rejuvenated. I looked up one more time only to see Venus alone still shining bright even as the other stars choose to disappear to allow that mighty sun to show up. There is something to be said about an early morning walk in the darkness with such quietness, I tell you!

As if on cue, I get a message when I am at school. It is a picture of a comet that a friend has actually captured. I am clueless. I have told you already that I have not been myself of late. I look up on that very same smartphone and learn a thing or two about the comet but all I can respond back is a simple ‘wow’! Later in the evening, I run into his wife, and she talks about their hour's drive at 4 a.m. to see the comet to capture it. My ever-thinking mind goes “Phew! There are crazier crazies than me”. I am however ever grateful to him for sending me these pictures and thank the stars for his hobby of astrophotography and also for their ability to give me a simple joy, changing the course of my day.

 

Dear Satchi,

Thank you my friend for your feedback. I can understand your feelings about the skies. Thankfully, even with light pollution, we don't have to worry about seeing the giants in the sky. On occasion when I do want to see something, a little coaxing and an hour's drive will take me into the boonies and lo, I can enjoy all I want. I appreciate your encouragement and hopefully will stick around a little more - it's been too busy!

 

Dear @Malstorm,

so good to see you here in my snippet. Thank you. You are a girl after my own heart. How can I look up at Orion and not notice Sirius? Clear days are so beautiful no? So sorry about your dog, they are something else. I am glad you enjoyed the night skies with her and helped her dream about her next life.

Thank you also for Sophia Prentice's poem - all that she describes is all I feel as I look up at the sky.

"The soft breeze stirs to greet the dawn,
The summer stars grow dim,.....
While radiant couriers of the sun
Announce the coming morn."

Simply beautiful. As I grow older I tell anyone who is willing to lend an ear that if I could ask for a superpower, it would be to sing and write poetry, hoping someone up there is listening too and will say thathasthu! Thank you for your feedback.

 

Dear Viji aunty,

thank you, thank you, and thank you! You are always so sweet. Thank you for nominating the post aunty. Hope you are well.

 

Dear V sir,

Thank you as always for your feedback! That mind, I tell you - I tell it that it can sort out all it wants in my sleep but ask it not to bring it forward to the day. Like it listens!! Of course, you know you are always trying - what the fun otherwise? We get up, we fall, we pick ourselves up or take help and get up - all the same. I am glad we are all here for one another.