NATURE'S SUBTLE WORK OF ART AMIDST THE WORLD AROUND IT

Years back, in the 80s, I remember seeing the black and white art movies on Saturday and Sunday afternoons in the television. We did not have television at home and I would go to our neighbour's house for the same. The screen play would be so slow. For example, one would see a character walk an entire long road with just the caw of a crow accompanying as a sound in that scene. At a shop, another character would be smoking and you would sometimes see him smoke the entire cigarette. In scenes where a poor girl has lost her virginity to a cruel man, famous movie directors would after showing the struggle of the woman, show a barren tree and then fill it with sad violin music. And so, whenever I saw a barren tree I would always associate it with something extremely sad or with some extreme tragedy where someone has been robbed or stripped of something.

But, towards the later part of my life, the same images started giving me a different impression. They portrayed some form of resilience in times of adversity. Seeing a bare tree in the midst of the world around it, be it a busy urban area or the calm stretches of greenery, though without its beautiful leaves, it still brings out its own unique beauty in its bare state. It's like the tree is still smiling and giving its best to keep us happy with the portrayal of its unique image, still tenaciously holding on, while the world around is trying to subdue its image.

I have tried being so, but I have found it very difficult. Adversity shows up as tension, peevishness and anger on my face, even though I manage to bring out some humourous talk while being so. I adore the people who are able to remain calm and keep smiling in these times.