The Walk
Bangalore is a beautiful city to be in around Christmas.
The air tastes better,the people seem to be a little kinder, the sunshine is just enough to
keep me warm and maybe it’s just a subjective feeling, but I find that there seems to be a little red in everything I see in December.
Winter Wonderland at the Phoenix Mall in Bangalore |
Almost everyone I know has a Christmas and New Year
tradition that’s close to their heart, something they do very year to make the
season all the more special.
Lighting the stars, decorating the tree, writing letters to Santa, family
vacations, shopping, baking, wine making, caroling, reaching out to loved ones
living far away, midnight mass, exchanging gifts, the list goes on and on and
on.
Christmas tree O Christmas tree |
I too have one tradition that is very close to my heart,
something I do every year; this month’s blog post is about how it all began.
2000 AD was a landmark year, I consider myself very lucky to
have been around when the world as we know it entered a new millennium.
The whole universe at that time was abuzz with the Y2K phenomenon,
predictions were being made, concerts were being organized, Every human being on the entire planet
seemed to be up to something on December 31st 1999.
I am yet to witness a frenzy surrounding the New Year as
insane as that leading to the dawn of 2000, even the whole doomsday affair of
2012 couldn't get close to the mania I was a part of 14 years ago.
Anticipating in advance that school would be closed on new
years eve, we had an party in our class just before our winter vacation began.
That morning, I stood before my classmates wearing
a very solemn expression on my face.
In a somber tone I told them how there was a good chance
that the world would end that year and if they had some unresolved conflicts with
their friends they must set things right with them by the end of the day, I remember concluding
with the line “You may never get another chance to do this”.
My speech although brief was very effective. The class was
quiet for most part of the day, sworn enemies set aside their differences, best
friends sat together for the whole day and I finally managed to forgive Anand
for breaking my water bottle, apparently he had ‘accidentally’ kicked it while
aiming for my leg a few months ago.
We acted as though we were really ushering in
the new millennium at 3:00 p.m. in the afternoon on Dec 21st 1999 ,
we changed the date on the board to 01/01/Y2K and jumped around the class for
an hour or so hugging each other and screaming the words HAPPY NEW YEAR as loud
as our lungs would allow us too.
Back home, the members of our locality had planned a huge
party. Preparations had begun months in advance, the venue was
decided, the food menu was approved by all residents and yes, we had made
arrangements for enough fireworks to light up our skies for at least an hour
that night.
The excitement in the air was palpable.
With few hours left to go for the party, something unexpected
happened
It was just after lunch, I was in my brothers room.
“Will you be joining us for the party tonight”? I asked him.
“Read this”. He said as he smiled, handed me the magazine he
was reading and left the room.
It was the millennium edition of time, the
pages my brother had folded for me to read were articles detailing what some of
the world’s most popular people had planned to do on the last day of the
year.
Many celebrities were traveling to exotic getaways well known for hosting the world’s most
lavish New Years eve parties, quite a few of them were performing at times square
in New York, many others were looking forward to watching the fireworks display
at the Sydney harbor or at the Auckland sky tower and just as I was about to turn
the page my eyes fell on a small paragraph stating what famous boxer Evander
Holyfield was planning to do that year.
‘Must be something wild’ I thought to myself
Holyfield had written these words - 'I will be spending the
night at Church'.
What ? Really? I exclaimed loudly.
For a while I couldn’t believe what I had just read, why would the world
heavyweight champion spend the last night of the millennium in Church when he
could rather be out do something more exciting.
I wrestled with my thoughts.
I wrestled with my thoughts.
The time to leave for the party was drawing closer, but now
the excitement I was feeling earlier was replaced by a deep sense of curiosity.
I had to see for myself what spending New Years Eve at
Church was like.
Four time World Heavyweight Champion Evander Holyfield |
I asked my parents to tell my friends that I wouldn't be
able to make it for the party that night and I left for Church with my
brothers.
The Church was full, but inside there was pin drop silence.
The bishop was leading the gathering in a meditation of
sorts, he encouraged us to keep our eyes closed and think about the year that had
just gone by, trying to recollect as much as possible.
After overcoming the initial restlessness I had, that arose out of a feeling of possibly
missing all the fun at the party I gave in, I closed my eyes and reflected on
all of 1999 that I could bring back to memory.
When I opened my eyes, the service had ended, most of the
people in the Church had left including the bishop.
I looked at my watch, there was still time for me to make it
to the party, but I didn't care about it any longer.
I had stumbled upon something much more valuable.
I stepped out into the cold and started walking toward home.
My heart was overwhelmed by a sense of gratitude so deep
that I felt my heart would explode.
I continued walking, purposefully taking a longer route than
normal to get home.
Images from the past 1 year of my life raced through my head at the speed of light.
After thinking about all that I had been through in the past
year my thoughts turned to all that I expected from the year that was just about
to begin.
Gratitude now made way for a unfathomable sense of hope.
When I reached home I felt more positive than I ever had in
my life before, I looked once again at my watch and rushed upstairs, something incredible was just about to happen, I could feel it in my
heart.
Barely seconds after I stepped on to the roof, loud explosions lit up the sky and I witnessed
the finest firework display I had ever seen in my life before.
With folded hands I looked heavenward and whispered the
words, ‘Thank You, Thank You for everything that You have given me and for all that I have’.
December 31st 1999 was the day my favorite tradition of the Christmas season started,
something I simply refer to as ‘The Walk’.
As I grew older and my life experiences
increased both in number and variety the time I spent on the walk increased.
I wonder how long the walk of 2014 will last.
It has been a very eventful year after all.
2014 was a year that taught me how important it was to never
give up no matter how hard things got, how sometimes in
life quitting is not an option.
I learnt that our hearts beat the loudest when they are
breaking and with that realization also came the understanding that pain is
proof that we’re alive, that we’re human and that we are still capable of love.
Most importantly, 2014 was the year when I realized that
faith hope and love can give us the strength to weather all of life's storms.
I know most of you all have already decided what you will be doing this New Years eve, and honestly all I want for you is to be safe.
In case you haven’t made any plans or are yet to receive those exclusive invites to the biggest parties in the places you live in, do take a few minutes to
think back on the year that has just passed, I hope that when you do this your
heart will fill up with gratitude for all that has happened and hope for all that is on its way.
I wish for you all that the coming year will be so incredible that you will run out of time counting your
blessings 365 days from now on new years eve 2015.
And yes, if you are by any chance in my neck of the woods,spend your new years eve with me, lets walk together.
Until next time.
TGV
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