17 September, 2006

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.

18 comments:

ada-paavi!!!! said...

sir nice post,
u missed waiting for admissions to schools/colleges and exam results :D tht is kodumai

Unknown said...

what a coincidence.. i just wrote about seeing off my mother in law at the airport, and come here and i read your post!! Liked the part where you differentiate between happy and sad waiting!

Suji said...

Nice post! So true that waiting can be both happy and sad. Everything in this world is relative.

Kavi said...

Like Einstien said, the time that passes by on the waiting, depends on where your head is. On the frying pan or on a beautiful girls lap !

As much as there is anxiety in the waiting, the stress relief sometimes makes it worth it !!

Lovely !

ambi said...

nice written. i came to know that U received my brother at airport. is it? :)

nalla post pottutu commentuku waiting also a gr8 expectation. vazhakkam pola vaara thaan poranga makkal, but thatz also sweet.

Swatantra said...

Hi first time on your blog!! nice post!! Waiting for me always been a pleasure!!

We all have most of the pain and pleasure moments of waiting!!

It will be hard to say, i have come across few people who really wait for the death.. since the life for them becomes a curse no waiting can be more painful than that!!

Chandrika said...

Very nice post, Balaji... We spend a major part of our lives waiting for something or the other...It could be as trivial as waiting for the water or the milk to heat up for our daily coffee or tea...!
:-))

I have tagged you for Me - Only Me meme...Looking forward to your writeup...

Jeevan said...

I mostly wait for the Exam's leaves and weekends. For last 4 days I am waiting hours for my Internet to connect with computer with some technical problem.

You have nice memories friend:) I love the beautiful sparrow in the photo.

Vicky Goes Crazy... said...

hey nice post :) ..

ya we do wait .. unga waiting for train thing was expectional really ... i have not waited ...

ennamo theriyaley i dont like waiting :) ... ethuvumey sikiram nadakanum ennaku ... :D ..

but still its really good feeling
u have left something ..

ennaku en career na uyirey poidum ... US poganum .. lots of money sambathikanum .. a usual kanavu than .. but athey oru veri ennaku ..
so

the wait of mine for my 10 n 12th mark ...

wait of mine for my college couselling :) ..

wait of mine for all my sem results n college ...(enna arrear vacha ennai vida en appa n amma kavalai paduvanga .. apppruam ennai vida guilty ah feel pannuravanga yarumey iruka mattanga .... when u lose of sleep of guilty feeling ..athey vida kodumai intha ulagathuley ethuvumey illai :) rite :) ...

wait for mine for my campus interview result ..

wait for mine for my second job intervie result ..

wait of mine for my doctor to say tat u can go home ( i was n hospital for a month coz of renal failure :) ) ...

wait of mine (even today) tat one day n office ppl will help me fly for states n get mine n my parents my sister dream of cin their son, bro flyin :)

Wait goes n and n :) ...

btw b4 i end to prove im a s/w engineer : wait of mine for the ouput when i work first n technology :D

Prasanna Parameswaran said...

arumaiyaana post balaji, as i was reading through your post i started visualizing what and how many days i were waiting for so many things and people!

Pavithra said...

Nice post !! Waiting is there in every part of our life..but things that are natural are OK to wait for like spouse, exam results, travel,.. those are out of our control. But waiting for a person is not so cool. I make it a point that I'm punctual and would expect others also to be the same way !!

Anonymous said...

@ Kavi: Laughing abt Einstein's post...

@ Balaji: Super post. Really enjoyed, esp the last para! Hope these comments r wrth ur wait :)

Jo said...

Nice post bro. :-)

Marutham said...

Hello saar,
:) Nice post & yes//f all waiting for those comments after publishing every post in the blog is another exciting time.// it IS!
Waiting..... :) To see ur TAG post..
You have been tagged!!Check my post & writeup the tag plz.. :)

Balaji S Rajan said...

ada-pavi- Sudarsan thanks. Yes..I missed waiting for admissions to school/colleges and exam results.

Veda - I agree with you. As you said I am also like that. I wait for a long time even if the person has not turned up, and let the other person know about it.

Sundarji- Sorry to hear about your MIL leaving. It is a great coincidence. Also, the kids will get used to it soon.

Suji - Thanks and yes everything in this world is relative.

Kavi - I agree with you.

Balaji S Rajan said...

ambi - thanks for your comments. What you said is correct.

Swatantra - I did not want to mention about it. I have few relatives who are just a vegetable and are waiting to die daily. But that is really very pathetic waiting.

Chandrika - Thanks for your comments and tagging. Sorry I took a long time. Please see my next post.

Jeevan - Thanks for your compliments friend. Yes.. I remember good things that have happened to me. Oh.. Did you like that bird. That was shot at Scotland and the bird was there when we were eating watching us and waiting whether we would leave something to eat. When we were about to leave I did not have heart to say bye and wanted to take a picture of the bird for rememberance.

Vicky - I agree with you. It seems like my post has kindled your memories of waiting. I understand that you have waited for many things. I wish you very good luck for your other dreams. Hope your waiting will end soon. Your comments were equally good and thanks for that.

Anonymous said...

waiting is a sweetener. everyone needs to wait to feel the pleasure of waiting

Balaji S Rajan said...

Kittu - You are right.