An ordinary flower girl Eliza Doolittle springs around to this song in the charming film ‘My Fair Lady’ that’s enchanted many of us from childhood. She has fancy dreams. But later in the song she sings of few of the very simple things in life that can make her happy and keep her warm.
I think, I can describe myself as a happy person who’s unhappy with almost everything around me. But hey! I don’t mind being unhappy and I can settle for things I don’t like without disturbing my equilibrium. The real happiness is complaining about these things. By and large what I am trying to say is, I do not attempt to change what is not in my control. Like this song, which I will remind you of from time to time, there are a few cute things I have figured out that do not involve people or fancy arrangements. They are simple, sweet and simply Lhuvely!
The Hermit Crab.Something like what Audrey Hepburn enacted in 1960s is what brings me peace and warmth. I will adapt her words for myself a bit. I love to take cover in my foxhole from time to time.My reading nook is blessed with poetry and prose, sloppy beanbag and oversized cushions, a selection of tea and most necessarily no human breath or shadow even. This has to happen for a continuous couple of days at a stretch to feel the leisure of disconnecting. Books are my refuge. I crawl into the space between the pages and curl my back to the hyperactive world out there. “I don’t hate people, I just feel better when they aren’t around”…Charles Bukowski…well sometimes for me this is very true.
Something similar but not quite! Lots of chocolate for me to eat – I have trained myself, is not the best the thing! ‘Lots of coal makin’ lots of heat’ – sun, hot and heat is definitely not my happy place. But what I do love is making those chocolates for someone. What I mean is baking or cooking is what I really like to do for others from time to time. I have grown up in a family, where we celebrate food. We bonded over food. Meal times were just a part of it. What preceded the family meals, like shopping for exotic ingredients, discussing recipes and prepping it consumed hours of our family life. This has remained with me. Every time I need to say a little sorry or a big thank you or even a I love you very much– usually the expressions brew in the kitchen. I have covered this passion of mine in a separate blog called cooking and bonding. Unlike a hermit crab’s cold crab hole, the warmth of a meal is happiness when shared with people and multiplies when made for them by you.
Ok, so this one is very close to how I feel about the rains. My acquaintance with the rains has now turned into a deep romance. Unless the rains are completely flooding humanity away, the rains soak down every misery of mine. As I listen to the rain, I watch the rain, not attentive, not distracted, in a hum of meditative silence. The day rolls out, the night huddles into bed with me; I can keep watching the rain in oblivion. I don’t care for the rainbow after; it’s the moments of rains that I feel. After the rain, the air smells so fresh charged with wet earth. Seems like leaves and flowers are shaking off their tears with the last rain drops hanging on to their delicate petals. After every shower, I feel new hope that touches my soul. After the rain I feel whole again.
So this part is tricky. From my experiences at every stage of life with every phase of love, I can’t help but agree with these words more but only with my furry friends. Although, Eliza Doolittle meant a different kind of head resting on her knees! The joy of loving a pet and being loved back is pure happiness. Pets have absolute emotional honesty. They deal with their bad moods better than us, they don’t know how to manipulate emotions or push love away.
Cuddling a fur ball kit-cat or a slobbering doggo has been my obsession since long. Rolling in the park with them or teasing the curiosity of catty with a toy mouse and paper balls make me giddy with fun. I also discovered sharing ice cream with a glutton-glob of pet dog and saving the last lick for your self is a sport that demands skill. In short, cuddling a furry baby and a having him/her greet me with a deluge of drool is a landslide of joy
Have you read about Sir Edgar Allan Poe’s love by the name Annabel Lee who lived and loved the sea? Yes, that sounds like me, I would live by the sea if I could. Swimming and let myself sink into the ocean, or lake or river is a full proof path to wash my worries and gift them to the sea.For the time being, I take pool time seriously and disappear for a swim very often. I specially love a swim when it rains.
A good dose of nature bathing must feature in my list of things to disconnect from the maddening crowd. I fantasize, like many of you do, that my back yard opens out to stoic hills with winding roads leading to unseen places; the rumble of mountain brooks gurgling at my feet and the waft of Eucalyptus, Casuarina, Pine and Orchids filling the air with a heady sensation and not to forget the breathtaking sunsets! Reality: a walk in the park is what I have to suit myself with and the rest is in my imagination. The vastness and sometimes softness of nature is calming and refreshing.
And lastly I will mention – dance an old friend of mine. Without involving too many details, I shall just say that everyone can dance. Dance is an expression of the soul and heart. This kind of expression does not need a grammar or syntax, so don’t worry if anyone told you before that you can’t dance. We do not even need our feet for dancing; every part of our body can do it’s own dance. To watch yourself dance is listening to your heart. “Those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music”
So there you are with a few mood changers from my treasure trove of ‘treat yourself now’. One or few things will work for you I am sure. Do share with me which is your magic spell or what is your little secret to recharge? I enjoy the little things in life, before one day I look back and realize they were the big things that I can’t enjoy anymore. The simplest things in life make the most extraordinary memories.
Side Bar:
The song quoted along with Audrey Hepburn’s photos is from the film My Fair Lady. The film is an adaptation of the famous play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw.
I have referred to a poetry by Edgar Allan Poe called Anabelle Lee.
I do not even know hhow I ended up here, but I thought this post was good.
I don’t know who you are but certainly you’re going to a famous blogger if you aren’t already 😉 Cheers! https://tri1ls.webflow.io/
I do not even know how I ended uup here, but I thought this post was good.
I don’t know who you are but certainly you’re gokng to a fasmous blogger if you
aren’t already 😉 Cheers! https://tri1ls.webflow.io/