.... and I Will Be Flying On a Broomstick

"I could see the little drops of rain splashing down into the puddles on the ground, creating bubbles that popped as soon as they formed. Curled yellow leaves glided down to land on the concrete pavement, only to be occasionally whipped up by the cold wind. I didn’t know that watching the rain could be so interesting. There were just so many beautiful things to see, hear, feel and appreciate. I don’t have to go to some exotic place to enjoy the beauty of Mother Nature. I am already surrounded by it. There is so much hidden beauty in our simple everyday life. We just need to realize that it’s been there for us all along, waiting to be discovered."     I wrote this 2 years ago and reading this now, I am living that moment all over again.  I think it is important to capture your thoughts and feelings at a particular moment.  Some people catch fireflies in little jars.  I prefer to catch memories by writing them down in my own words.

So... There was an earthquake here last night.. Well, technically, it was early in the morning around 1:40 am or sth.. It happened 30 minutes after I woke up from a late night nap.. The water bottle on the shelf started shaking and I could feel the tremors spreading through the building.. Nothing serious though.. It didn't last that long but it was scary.. I just stood there in the middle of the room wondering whether to duck under the table or run out of my room... Until the shaking ceased.. In retrospect, I realized something. I have a problem with making up my goddamn mind..

In the English alphabet, L is followed by M. She murdered the love she felt for him. She tried to strangle it with her bare arms. But over the years, it had grown quite strong. It lay on the floor retching. She reached for the gun and pulled the trigger. A bullet for the love she once held dear. It went silent. She saw the little spasms. Just to be sure, she fired two more shots. Finally free, she thought. Free of the love that brought her nothing but pain.

We are supposed to push our limits and uncover our hidden potential. However, we became so smart that we grew lazy. We used to rely on our memory to remember things. Now, we have our smart phones and tablets to do all the memorizing for us. We have grown so comfortable with the knowledge that the internet is there to help.We make less effort in the pursuit of knowledge. Nowadays, what we want is convenience and instant access. We do not want to wait. We are not asking what we can do. We are asking what a particular app or gadget can do.We rely more and more on the potential of the things created by other people. We do not devote time to increase our skills and knowledge. We devote our time and money on chasing after the latest inventions. What are we doing and where are we going?

Like most things in life, it was unexpected. It snowed with a fury that I have not witnessed in a while. I stopped walking in the middle of the road. Everything was silent and still. Except the thick snowflakes falling silently all around me. For a minute, I felt like I was the center around which the universe revolved. That night, with the wind howling against my window and the thoughts swirling around in my head, I realized something. We were just two people who found each other while lost at sea. And the truth was, we were not looking for someone to save us. We just needed someone to drown with.  And I think it's time we start saving ourselves.

It grew with each passing day Made of broken dreams, Wasted hearts and Plastic memories. “Can be recycled with hope” That’s what the sign said. Oh well, hope was something I could not afford. A matchstick flared up in the dark All it took was a flick of the hand.. I turned my back and walked away. And I never once looked back at the flames.