I think it was late 2004, when the insurgency was at it’s peak. I was driving towards Kupondole. I was trying to cross the Bagmati Bridge, and as you know that place is always suffocated in a traffic jam. I saw that army personnel were posted at the two ends of the bridge. Right in front of me was a school bus with children. As the bus passed the army men, one of the children who was close to the window lifted his hand to salute an army man. This soldier had a little look of bewilderment, he then smiled and saluted back to the child. This whole incident took place in a few seconds but the memory of it will last with me forever. I will never know what made the child salute the soldier. Curiosity? Or was it the fun in the process? The child must have been around eight to ten years of age. I know this little action of this child made the hours of standing for the soldier a little meaningful. I don’t know how many people saw this entire little escapade. But as you know it’s not just enough to see things you need to “see” things.
I had recently gone to a flower nursery to buy me some flowers. I always try to buy as much flowers during spring for in this season God gets so extravagant. I think we would be stupid if we failed to enjoy His spendthrift mood. I saw these pots of tiny little pansies. You know….not those big ones but those tiny ones that look like tiny butterflies. I decided to get me some pots of those. And among these pots was one pot with these tiny pansies in pure black! I had never seen flowers so intense black! I brought this pot with me home, along with the others and it still blooms at my door step. I show these tiny black pansies to people and most just go an unexcited, flat, soggy “oh!”. They are not excited about a flower which is actually black in colour! I realize beauty and joy is everywhere, but we need the eye and more than that, the heart, to see and feel it.
I just saw some black pansies…..imagine all those flowers in the Tropical forests!!!!!! And all the birds there! There is going to be a beautiful sunrise tomorrow. Trees can be grown from tiny seeds. My dog wags her tail when she sees me. Isn’t life full of joy? Life is so full of magic ! God gives us in abundance, all we need to do is share.
Chirag Bangdel
2 – May – 2010
10:23 pm
