After a nice weekend, the usual college routine was on. I missed my train by a minute or so. I sat down on a bench at the St. Thomas Mount station waiting for the next train.
My phone was out of balance, so I sat there with no option to call or text anyone. Watching random people at the station was weird at first, but then I observed that people have become so asocial. Everyone had their own fancy phones that they stared into, and ear phones that cut out the surrounding noise.
Then a neatly dressed old lady in her 70s came and sat next to me. She smiled. In a low voice she talked to me about how hot and humid the days are and the nights so cold. I nodded and smiled. She took out her umbrella and said, “My husband got me this blue umbrella. First gift. Back then I was in school.” But the umbrella was black with yellow printed flowers. I simply smiled.
She asked me a lot of questions. I could think of only one thing — don’t talk to strangers. But then again, she was old. What could she possibly do? She went on to talk about her husband and how theirs was a love marriage. Soon my train came and I had to leave, but part of me wanted to stay and listen to her stories. I said goodbye to her and boarded the train.
This cheerful old lady and her umbrella love story got me thinking how, nowadays, we don’t talk to people around us. While we claim to be social through gadgets, we don’t give enough time for the people around us. How many of us meet and talk?
Take time off to spend time with your older friends who took care of you when you were young.
Nothing should stop you from caring for them.
