For slothful people like me, it is quite an achievement in itself to wake up early morning and jog along the perimeter of my neighbourhood park. And believe me it is an ‘ask’ for me, as I have always been a bit groggy and un-athletic, balking at even the slightest idea of running , that too in morning!!
But against the status quo, I am waking up early morning this summer if not at the crack of dawn and trying to grease my rusty bones which have not been engaged in any active physical activity since my class 10th days (I am 21 years, mind you!).So it is a welcome induction into my otherwise passive daily routine. And it’s not that I have never been to my park before. It’s just that I have never been this consistent in the past. Perhaps motivation is the best fuel for any activity!
This post, however, was cropped up in my mind not because of my grogginess but because of the world I see in that park during my half an hour jog. The park at around 6 p.m. is an iridescent sight to put in a word. A refreshing air of enthusiasm pervades in the park that can bring a spring in the stride of the laziest. To begin with, there are a few steadfast brisk walkers who are regular as clockwork. Perhaps these have eked out precious time from their hectic schedules to devote it to few minutes of walk. They usually vanish in thin air in about 15 minutes. Then, there are noisy boisterous bunch of children and adolescents, relishing their summer break with morning cricket dose. Not to forget few aunties walking peculiarly yet briskly, blabbering along, looking so determined as if they are here to stay till eve but generally fizzle out when I confront them after minutes. Another set of walkers are the middle aged chubby men, flaunting a paunch, running to end the scourge of obesity! There are fresh faces who chip in everyday and add to the novelty of the motley crew.
For the last two categories, I have kept the people from which I draw inspiration to jog! No, I am not talking of Usain Bolts of park but about the septuagenarian looking men and even older, persevering to carry all agile-suited tasks-exercising, laughing, gasping for breaths, and again recurring to exercising and heartily laughter. There is no panache and flair in the way they do this, some even look weird. But it’s the courage and determination to be healthy which awes me. I wonder if I’ll be able to convince myself to even come to the park 50 years down the line, let alone exercising. Despite their laughter being drowned in the exasperating din of children, they stand out as the real SUPERSTARS of this morning for me! Another set of elderly people scattered through the park, stand lonely at one side of the park and imitate the exercizes done by the central group of elderly ones. Perhaps, they have a fear of interacting with the group or think that others might mock at their not-so-supple exercizing abilities. Whatever the case-everyday these people come alone, stand or sit in a reclusive corner and imitate the exercizes( to some extent) and go away. The scene almost draws pity from me. May be that's what lack of gregariousness can do to people!
I am not sure till how long I’ll have a rendezvous with this park and its changing faces. But I am sure that this ‘park’ experience is ethereal and has made an indelible mark on my bland ways and days...
