I still do…

The evenings that pass often put me on the idle mode.  There is a chill that throws me under the blanket much earlier than my usual bedtime. There is thunder that throws fireworks across the skies every two minutes. Looking at the sky, much awestruck, I am still the twelve-year-old who had a thing for star charts and the one who wrote poetry to the sky.  

The rain falls; with its huge waterdrops falling against my window with a thudding sound. I have been watching the rain since the day I knew its name. I have looked at it from many angles, had written many pieces and taken quite a few pictures of it. Yet, I still stand amazed at the way the surroundings change before the rain; I still welcome the first few raindrops that wet my hair before it grows into a shower.

I still prefer walking in the rain with my umbrella half flying in the wind than getting into a cab to hurry home. Whether you are watching it from a bus window or you stand inside a crowded bus stop, the rain has a calming effect on people. It can slow you down and remind you to breathe. As crazy as it may sound,  I still feel the trees smiling in the rain that falls after a drought. Looking at them with an open mouth, I still wish I were another tree in the line to feel their joy.

Sometimes, however much we try, there is a certain degree of naiveté, we take around with us, despite our age. Be it a never dying desire to collect Archie comics or Asterix, or a never-ending craving for chocolate, the roots of which can be traced back to our infancies; these comfort habits have always had a calming effect on us.  You still prefer the old worn out pillow and the blanket. You do not want to let go of the beanbag that has been there ever since your birth.

Sometimes, people tend to think that burning the bridges and letting go of your real self in order to fit yourself into a pre-designed mould, is a sign of maturity. ‘prim and proper’ does not necessarily mean that you cannot scoop out the remains of marshmallows in your cup of hot chocolate. Elegance does not always mean well-tailored suits and perfect make-up. With elegance comes the strength to be what you are, and love the things that made you what you are today. Kicking the ladder once you are on top may be a harder way of putting it. Yet, if you ever have to come tumbling to the ground, there needs to be something to remind you of your strength and capabilities ; it is not only the people around you, but also the things that you grew up with and the activities you did and the habits you developed that in return, developed you to be responsible adult. A past cannot come to your rescue, if you have already dumped it in the litter-bin.

As for me, I still have the rain!