Anxiously waiting

Everyone would have had anxious moments of waiting in their life. Last week I was just thinking about how we wait for something in our life to happen. Sometimes it is a pleasure and sometimes it is a pain.

I had always felt it as a pain to wait for someone in a bus stop or in public place when the person for whom you have been waiting does not turn up. The times of pleasure are waiting for some dear one in the Airport or Railway station. I had a Periappa (Uncle), who was very good in receiving people at the Central Station. He used to take me along with him, to receive my relatives at Madras Central Station. It was a great pleasure in accompanying him. Since he retired as a Headmaster of a popular school in T Nagar, he was very familiar. His students grew up to occupy good positions. It was a great experience to walk with him anywhere in Chennai. Whenever there was a relative’s marriage, he volunteered the job of receiving people. He used to wave at everyone right from the Higginbotham book stall in the Central station, to someone working as a Ticket Collector. They would have been his old student. Then while waiting at the station, he used to get me involved with different characters. He was so brilliant, and admired each and every activity in life. He used to take me around the big gunny bags, near the parcel room. I used to wonder why he used to take me through those gunny bags. Later I realised it was for those great smell of Cardamoms in those gunny bags. He used to show me those betel leaves in basket near the parcel office, and talk about farmers. It used to be a great adventure in the early morning and wonderful to watch people waiting at the station. If we could enjoy those, it used to be more fun to watch people coming out of the compartments, and greeting their relatives, hugging them and crying out of joy. It was great waiting in those days in Central station. I always liked when the trains arrived late because I could spend more time at the station, going around and seeing more people.

Later, this helped me to develop interest in sending and receiving people at the Airports. Waiting at the airports for your loved ones is another pleasure. Imagining, how they would have changed in appearance, and what they will be talking on seeing us after long time was a great fun. It is a pleasure to receive, and pain to send off.

Waiting for the post at Post office is something which everyone would have done. During our childhood days, we had waited promptly at the Post office to check whether we had mails. One of our Post Man had such a great memory power, that he used to say whether we have mails, just on seeing us. He would have been in-charge of sorting and he was so brilliant to remember the houses which had mails and express the same to those who were anxiously waiting. Many of those pensioners and old aged people will turn glad, when they hear from the Postman that they have received Money Orders. All their pains of waiting will be forgotten.

Waiting for bus or train is a great ordeal. It used to frustrate everyone if we had something to do urgently and the train or bus is delayed. Another one, which everyone will be waiting and find it a great pleasure is waiting for the power supply to resume. There were days when we used to clap after the power resumes. The joy used to be more when the power comes back during a good Cricket Match, or a good Television program.

The most embarrassing time for a man is to wait before the Ladies College or office where more women work. I have cursed my sister for coming late, when I used to wait for her in front of her office, which was closer to some export companies where lots of ladies worked. Those moments gave me the experience of how ladies would feel in front of hundreds of men.

As an eligible bachelor and spinster the days of waiting for the right partner is another time of testing. Luckily I did not have to wait for long. But I understood the feelings from a girl side through my sister. It is another stressful time to wait for the groom’s side to arrive, during engagement and Marriage.

Waiting for the paper boy to deliver the daily newspaper, on the days when you were eager to read interesting news is another restless waiting. Waiting for results, waiting for job interviews, waiting for admission, and etc.. is all interesting and thrilling. This list will go endless. After marriage, the women waiting for the delivery is very anxious and stressful too. Especially waiting for the arrival of new one, after partner getting admitted with a false pain is unexplainable. When I had to experience at the Hospital's reception, it gave me a real feeling of what I had seen in movies before. I would say that is one of the most, thrilling waiting.

In the present days, waiting for a reply of your e-mail from a known person, or friend is exciting.

Of all waiting for those comments after publishing every post in the blog is another exciting time.