Cherry's World | Roy Cherian Cherukarayil's Philosophical Literature, Visual Arts and Music: COVID-19

Showing posts with label COVID-19. Show all posts

Monday, July 4, 2022

THE SNEEZE AND THE ENSUING BLESSINGS

The climate outside was still cold in July 2008. I had moved to Columbus, Indiana just the day before and was still experimenting with different routes and modes to reach office. I had a USA driving license but it had to be validated through some procedures at the Columbus, Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles Office. This I thought would take a few days as I had to wait for my colleague who was familiar with the process and had promised to take me in his vehicle for the same. And so, I thought it would be best to avail of the bus service that the city of Columbus offered. The frequency of the service was pretty low, but still, since I planned out my time well, I could board the bus most of the time. Buses in the two cities in the USA where I had been as part of work, offered me a special experience quite different from what I had gone through when I had travelled in the local transport buses here in our different cities. And one of them arguably was that I always got a seat.

I thought the daily travelers would have gotten used to me by this time, as a few weeks had slipped by since I had landed in Columbus and they always greeted me with their warm smiles when I boarded the bus. Over the last few years that I had gone by, I had noticed that my sneeze pattern had changed. It had been two in one go for decades and over the last few years it had become three.

The most embarrassing moment came when my sneeze caught me unawares while on the bus. I had just boarded the bus and was yet to swipe my card. Holding onto a supporting bar near the door, the three sneezes shook me one after the other with beautiful timing. And after every sneeze, I could hear the whole bunch of fifteen travelers inside chime in with the words “God bless you” 😊. It was a first-time heavenly experience for me and for a long time I did not make eye contact with anyone and quietly sat near a window. I got down when my stop came and made my way forward.

Looking back at that happening today, while into a pandemic world, I am not sure if that travelling bunch or any other person in that country, would have showered me with their blessings whenever I gifted them with my sneeze bunch.

FOR MY BOOKS, PLEASE VISIT THE LINKS BELOW (FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED):

POEMS OF LOST LOVE

Poetry book 'INDELIBLE ETERNAL ETCHINGS':

https://www.amazon.in/INDELIBLE-ETERNAL-ETCHINGS-emotions-unbridled-ebook/dp/B072J4L656/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=indelible+eternal+etchings&qid=1583428166&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.com/INDELIBLE-ETERNAL-ETCHINGS-emotions-unbridled-ebook/dp/B072J4L656/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=indelible+eternal+etchings&qid=1583428402&sr=8-1

STORIES

Short Story book 'A PEARL FROM EVERY OYSTER':

https://notionpress.com/read/a-pearl-from-every-oyster

https://www.amazon.in/Pearl-Every-Oyster-Stories-Shorter/dp/1948473151/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3GI23X9JIKQGK&keywords=a+pearl+from+every+oyster&qid=1583428674&sprefix=A+Pearl+from%2Caps%2C302&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.com/Pearl-Every-Oyster-Stories-Shorter-ebook/dp/B07948GRVC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1H9GU3Q8JNH29&keywords=a+pearl+from+every+oyster&qid=1583428722&sprefix=a+pearl+from+ev%2Caps%2C363&sr=8-1

For other countries, please visit the respective Amazon sites.

Friday, January 21, 2022

THE LONG YEARNING FOR NORMALCY

Here's a poem that I scribbled based on the new modes of life that COVID-19 brought it. I have mixed a tinge of humour with the sad overtone that fills in.

FOR MY WRITINGS, PLEASE VISIT THE LINKS BELOW (FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED):

POEMS OF LOST LOVE

Tuesday, February 16, 2021

THE YEARNING FOR NORMALCY

Today was the first time, since February 2020, that I set out for a walk on the same path that I used to take while walking back to my home from where my company shuttle would drop me after work everyday. Life I thought had returned to normal or at least my impression was that our people wanted to desperately see it that way.

I could see many move around without masks. When we are shut away for a long time from a normal life that we have been leading and then when things are slowly opened up for us, every piece of freedom we get and every ounce of life we get back, is like something we were made to yearn for long and then given.

This is the beauty of life. Today, we become happy when we get back even the small things in life. I was very happy to have walked for about four kilometres around my home. I thought it was a freedom that I had yearned for long and got back and I enjoyed every ounce of it. During times of crisis, we taste the real value of small things by going through a time when we are made to wait and yearn for them.

When I returned home and shared my experience with my better half, she reminded me that it was not a good idea to walk on the streets as yet, as the virus would still be in the air with someone's cough or sneeze happening now and then. She advised me to continue using the park close to our house, when the crowd was scanty, for my walking stints.

So now, that yearning for a free walk on the streets around my house, has again returned and it's going to remain and burn in me for long till normalcy returns.

FOR MY WRITINGS, PLEASE VISIT THE LINKS BELOW (FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED):

POEMS OF LOST LOVE

Monday, January 4, 2021

A SOAP'S WHINE

Saturday, November 14, 2020

HAPPY DIWALI - LET US BE THE LIGHT

Monday, October 5, 2020

FAMILY DYNAMICS POST THE BEGINNING OF COVID-19

A lot of interesting statements I heard from different homes after their prolonged stay at home has put me into deep thought.

"How long can we keep looking at our partner's face?".

"We will eat each other before Corona eats us."

"I miss my office environment. Life is also about meeting friends and colleagues."

These are some of the interesting statements I heard. Life is not just about our home and our partner. It is much beyond.

COVID-19 has given us the opportunity to think about the importance of our space in the midst of our family space.

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

SHOULDN'T WE KEEP SMILING?

Sunday, September 6, 2020

OUR BIGGEST LEARNING FROM THE BIGGEST TEACHER THIS YEAR

Saturday, July 18, 2020

DECIPHERING DREAMS - SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL AND CARING

I plan to write about the dreams that I have had and able to recall, in this series. This will not be a set of continuous posts, but will be posted in between the other posts. Dreams are beautiful creations of the Creator and there is so much randomness and creativity in it.

I could see myself lying down on a bed in my room and a toddler was dancing and walking towards me. She had a little bottle of buttermilk and she gave it to me. While I was taking it from her, I saw my very beautiful schoolmate walking into the room. I felt happy looking at her. She picked up the child and sat on the couch next to my bed with the child on her lap. I assumed that she had prepared this buttermilk for me with all affection and sent it through the child. "You have some", I said and gave it to my school mate. She drank it with her lips unconsciously making contact with the bottle's mouth and then gave it back to me. I took the bottle and then got up and walked out of the room quickly in the pretense of having heard someone call at our gate. But I actually went out to pour the buttermilk outside our home without her knowledge. My fear was about a COVID-19 contamination if I had drunk it. She is a health practitioner.

When I woke up, it was a mixed feeling. I don't know how that little child and my beautiful schoolmate were related to me in the dream, but I loved the care that my schoolmate had for me. I could sense that through her actions and through her eyes. It was a pity that I could not drink what she gave me with affection as I could not trust her state of health. But I loved the dream and I lay on my bed for a while thinking about it.

Sweet things come and go quickly like dreams. They stay sweet always as there is a beginning and an end in each of them.