FABULOUS MORNING WALK (29-Feb-2020)

What is it that motivates you to get out of bed in the wee hours for your morning walk?  Does our physician’s suggestion implore a strong-enough rationale to go through this rigmarole?  No doubt though that a like-minded group nudges us out of our bed.

College days when the intent was to impress the neighborhood girls I would be up before the alarm went off to hit the tar.  Later when my parents were bride-hunting for me, I pushed myself out of the bed to stay fit, all lithe and radiant to impress the bride-to-be.  After marriage, together as life-partners we both committed to being walking partners too.  A beautiful neighborhood park is our favorite destination. 

We both derive our inspiration via a careful observation of people’s mannerisms, and where possible passively eavesdrop.  Nicknamed ‘Cuticura’ is a fellow walker with a flowing mane who brings a whiff of fresh air with a distinct aroma of the talcum powder that he wears.  We allow him to pass us so we can catch some sprinklings of his freshness.  The ‘weight-lifter’ appears from nowhere; being a puny person he makes no attempt to hold back his ‘weight-lifting’ efforts, all in thin air.  I suspected my eyesight when I saw him huff and puff and bend down to pick up the weights; on further scrutiny it was evident that there was nothing in front of him, but his preparation was so real or do we call it surreal?  His unabated enthusiasm to build his muscles is real but the story ends there.

We witness the arrival of ‘Best Runner’ of the park - a title that we bestowed upon him.  He does his normal walking pace as he maneuvers around the sea of people but suddenly something sparks his runner instincts.  He abruptly dead halts in his tracks to assess the path, moves one leg at a time but still stationary - dogs love to do this before a chase - and then takes-off!  He does not stop but everyone in the park does to avoid any contact with the marauding speedster.

‘Tom & Jerry’ is the inseparable senior citizen duo.  They appear the thickest of friends, or so it seems till you chance upon their conversation.  Their verbal duel does not die down and what allows us to snoop in on their conversation is the slender but constant distance between them.  A recent conversation went thus: “…..you don’t even read newspapers and hence not updated with latest news.”  Jerry followed “..so what, it’s your job to read and summarize the same for me.”  At which point Tom interjected “…then you go home, I will go and have a nice dosa, and you belch for me.”  Jerry was sad “…don’t do this to me, it is unfair that you eat more dosas than me.”  True to the saying all is fair in love and war.

Few are seen seated always on the benches and probably there for some fresh air.  Some do not slow down while few literally drag their feet around.  Some frequent only to gossip!  Strange are the ways but stranger are our people; it is in this diverse pool that we forge long-lasting relationships.  

What is your motivation to make it your fabulous morning walk?!