Life Lessons from Train Travel
I remember the days in India when we would travel long distances by trains. Train travel has had more profound impact on my sense of being than I can fathom.
I woke up this morning with a kaleidoscope of memories of train journeys in India. I was looking out of the window feeling the breeze and the smells that tingled my senses as the train passed through diverse terrains of India.
At its peak speed- I felt exhilarated at the thought of reaching my destination. At the same time I was paying attention to the rural folk walking along the dusty roads.
It took a train gushing in opposite direction to obscure my view of the rural landscape for a few seconds. I have a distinct memory of the sound two trains crossing each other make. It allows for a new view to emerge. I was now looking at the approaching view of Mofussil India: Small towns that are still struggling to retain their traditional identity and culture while seeking the comforts of urbanization and modernization. The sounds and smells of vendors on the platform selling food items that are characteristic of local culture are etched in my memory as a visceral experience of the unity in the diversity of India.
As the train moved on- it was time for me to face my reality of the urban world I grew up in- My impressions of approaching Mumbai as seen through the windows of a train are- jaded facades of suburban buildings, sweaty people rushing to work, vehicles and sometimes animals trying to make way at railway crossings , and a whole line up of humans defecating along the train tracks.
As I was revisiting the memories of train travel- I started thinking about the parallel paths and journeys we all pass through. I started sensing speed in an entirely new perspective. Though I was moving at high speed to my destination, I suddenly became conscious of another world that moves purposefully at a much slower pace- concerned more about destiny than about destination. The life in the rural landscape that I had just passed had already become a passing moment in my train travel. I was now a part of the frantic pace of the life of Mumbai.
Revisiting train travel in my imagination gave me a moment to take a break from my obsession with my reality and to take a deep breath. I put my head back to my pillow- wondering, “How do I imagine a future that is not an evolution of my reality?” The memory of train travel revealed to me the answer- It is important to engage in journeys across lands and observe life unfold along different paths at different pace. Today I fly from point A to B and get down to business. I have not accumulated many memories of cultural immersion through the window of an airplane. Somehow the people I meet at the airports and in the plane look less curious to look outside the window and more lost in their heads or just eager to get to the other end.
I realize how important it is to cultivate curiosity, and appreciation for the pace and priorities of people who live in circumstances I have not lived in. Train travel brought a unique opportunity for me to be curious and inspired. I am convinced that through such journeys will emerge a memory, curiosity and creativity for working with diversity of life.
