Self Development: Cosmopolitan Park 6 PM

Self Development: Cosmopolitan Park 6 PM: Cosmopolitan Park @ 6 PM I am part of the cosmopolitan population for the past 20 years. Coming from a village where the entire commun...

Cosmopolitan Park 6 PM

Cosmopolitan Park @ 6 PM

I am part of the cosmopolitan population for the past 20 years. Coming from a village where the entire community was like one big family sort of culture, I am still trying to establish my identity within the fluid community life here. That makes me think ...... have I really made any conscious efforts to be part of the community or happy to be the invisible entity?

Thanks to urban authorities, we have a small space with green patch, landscaping, children's play area and benches for people to relax after a busy day. I see more of kids, their caretakers mostly women and also retired people on most occasions. Seldom I see young professionals like me. Mostly they focus on fitness and walks with their ears plugged with calls or music. Each one brushing shoulders with the other, without the exchange of a smile or a word.

Today as I sit on the usual bench and observe all these activities, I have the special gift of reading the minds and this is what I gathered:

A woman in her 40's using the gym equipment was busy thinking about the office politics and how the boss is favoring a certain colleague and how she could score her brownie points the next time there is a meeting. Right opposite, on the bench there was a man in his 40's, whose young child was busy playing with peers in the play area, engrossed in his thoughts. He was recalling the best days when he had a job at hand at a reputed company and how his plotting and politicking landed him jobless today.

I shifted my focus on the lady who was walking at a fast pace on a call with ear phones. I could overhear her conversation complaining how the mother in law is plotting and making her look bad in front of her husband and creating a rift in the family. She was furious and was seeking advise for delivering a fitting response.

Not far from the walkway, inside the meditation hut was another woman in deep reflection. While her kid played heartily, she had regret written all over her face. She was recalling how she had to quit her job and take care of her kid and the household chores all because her mother in law relocated to her native place fed up of the misunderstanding. She was reflecting on the factors that made her say those nasty things and make allegations about the mother in law after having long phone conversations with her friends and siblings.

I could not help but notice the giggling of a young couple, deeply in love and trying to be as proximate as possible within the social norms of the metropolitan park. Their giggling brought a mix of joy, envy and disgust to the audience, it least affected the happy couple. I spotted a familiar young girl entering the park. For a change she was not accompanied by the usual young man in whose company she used to forget the time and place. Rather, she had earphones on, playing some sad melodies of 80's.

Security guard was chasing away some of the underprivileged kids from neighboring construction worker basti's as he did not want them to create nuisance and tarnish the image of the park as a place for so called "Decent crowd". Retired Army uncle was walking his dog and discussing the special diet requirement of his dear "Jimmy" (the dog) with his neighbor.

Two young mothers with toddlers were exchanging their house maid woes while a lady in her seventies chanting with the beads and thinking about the loss of her near perfect maid to domestic violence.

Two boys were fighting over the toys they were playing with, while in a corner a young girl was upset about her friend's over strict mother not letting them play together as exams were approaching.

Young father who came to pick up his kid was busy giving instructions to an assistant on an important project. His official work was not over yet. He had the flexibility of working from anywhere which also meant he had a 24/7 schedule causing rift in his marital life. Overhearing the conversation of this executive, the man on the bench with recent job loss, was reminded of his own days at the corporate where he too had felt indispensable and done 24/7 service only to be fired without notice later.

Feeling tired with my powers to read minds, I decided to focus on the nature instead. Two birds on a nearby tree were chatting happily. Droves of parrots were flying back after a good days feeding on the pods of 'flame of forest' trees. Gentle breeze was caressing my hair and making me feel relaxed. Flowers on the plants around me were saying good bye to their life and some lucky ones with the hope of blooming again the next morning. Finally with the mindfulness, I had found what I was looking for and walked towards my nest with the hopes of creating an identity for myself soon.