Note: This is an attempt of fantasy and fiction. I take some of my experience and add some imagination and fantasy and makes it interesting (to me) and sharing here. Its not intended to give a portrait about anyone which objectionable to anyone. Anything below written is to be treated as a fantasy including events.
After long time, I thought to break my silence by writing something. Faces is the series of articles to describe my experience from people. Every person I met and interacted had influenced me. So this is my experience, perspective and reflection about some of them. This is to what I am limited to understand that person. This is an effort to recall the thoughts from the brief period of interaction so this may not be a full account of my memories. To me the two most physical things that influence is food and people. Food—it’s taste and energy. Find diversity, experiment and love it. Almost the same with people. Each interactive sessions are interesting. A different taste. Taste is created by absorbing different ingredients. We can see what is absorbed by the people from our interactions. And that will give you the opportunity to enjoy the delicacy. And many times it’s simply first time or never. Life won’t give you an opportunity to correct anything in most of the cases. If it’s tastes bitter with a pinch of extra salt, it’s that way, for ever.
2008 to 2009 was an eventful time in my life.
Professional life: there was organisational change took place and it was a little difficult for me to adapt to multi-culture group. There was difference in expectations and evaluating efforts delivered. This left me a little disturbed. I tried my best to find a change. End of 2008, I faced with a conflict and it changed my career. I can't forget several people who stood-up with me to support in this crisis. My Guru, who came for my rescue and I started looking at different things from what I have been doing. In 2009 start, I took a month off from work to do a treatment for migraine. Then I took a very tough challenge of making a failed project successful. It was a 90 days of no-holiday period which made the turnaround in the project.
Personal life: My cousin's marriage. He was my best friend in my family. And that was a great event. I had reached Kottayam to his home and then came to Palakkad, at Olappamanna Illom, where the marriage took place. It was there various movies had shot. The travel from Kottayam to Palakkad was a wonderful experience with cousins and lot of 'spirited' talks. The typical back bench gang. It was fun, and lot of thrill. I did not know then that there was some unforgettable waiting on the next day for me.
It was the marriage of my cousin, and it was my turn after him to marry and the discussion started among the seniors. And then the event happened that I was introduced to someone who heard of my name earlier. Puerto Rico, the place where am then, (in my mind) because it was the land Bacardi. The event was taking place in a village near Ottappalam. There was lot of flowering plants in and around that place and it was a nice time enjoying there, roaming around and also meeting relatives and exchanging pleasantries. Today, when I think of those times, one Hibiscus flower will come to my mind, which took my attention on that day.
Hibiscus is an ever green plant. A very common plant seen in Kerala. People use it for many purposes, including as dye made from its flower, tea from its leaf, as a shampoo with its leaves etc. I had drunk hibiscus soft drink from Auroville many times. Hibiscus is the national flower of Puerto Rico.
Its refreshing. Looking at this flower is an experience. It catch attention as it is bright, and very different from others with its large petals and a trumpet. Children love it very much as they play with it and even taste it. No wonder, that I saw it among few little kids when I noticed it.
If you see a person as their character and principles, you can apply the same to flowers as well. Hibiscus is bright and noticeable. Its very open. Interact well with wind. Dances, may be even sing with the whisper of the wind. Very soft and pampering. Loyal and trustworthy. It will leave a mark in you when you are interacting with it.
So if you love yourself, you might love flowers. Because you like to keep the principles which you respect, and it add fragrance to your life. So that day, I thought to love this flower, as much as I love myself.
The mornings are greeted with lots of love as the flowers smiling at Sun and shower positive energy. Days are busy time with friends, butterflies and bugs and evening and night is filled with romance. You cant leave them. When you are away, when you go a little far, the fragrance of the flower keeps your memory active and bring you back to them.
You cannot keep a flower with you forever. The moment you try to pluck it, your challenges will start. And later you will realise that the only way you can love it, to leave it in the plant, you can see and enjoy the beauty, and it will continue to give you the fragrance.
All flowers die, they don't last for ever. But will you ever forget them? The fragrance, the happiness it gave you, the memories which are rich in colours, beauty, butterflies, honey...?
“Rose leaves, when the rose is dead,
Are heaped for the beloved's bed;
And so thy thoughts, when thou art gone,
Love itself shall slumber on.”
The season of wild emotions will have a natural end. The time you miss someone will be very painful. It will leave you in pain that you get addicted to the pain itself. And then you need more pain to live. But time will slowly fade this. But if you understand it, time is not fading the pain but it gives you strength to withstand it. Then you will find out ways to keep the memories and create a person inside you whom you were missing and continues to be with them, so you never miss them.
In my life, my emotions always played the role of villain. I go all-out on it and never control it. I go to the extreme most times and most of these are spontaneous. I take quick decisions and whatever happens I stand with it. And I do whatever possible to guard the decisions. I never regret on my decisions, but if I realise that any of my actions hurt anyone, I will try to rectify it, as best as I can. I lost many valuables due to my quick emotions. Many times it helped me too. The only thing I am happy about is, am not compromising even slightly on the transparency of my emotions. its all there, fully and I never fake it.
When a I met a friend and old colleague who used to sing wonderful old Hindi melodies, it gave me the idea. Forget the person, but never forget to think about the memories. It was a time with multiple challenges. Many personal challenges, many professional challenges, and these years gave experience which laid a strong foundation to my principles which guides me now. As they say "love is to eternity", it has only a start and never ends...
