Finally, this year I did it. Since the year I had come to this country, I had been hearing a lot about the famous Cherry Blossoms of DC and the Cherry Blossom Festival. I had been planning all those years to visit the mall and see ’em, but never did. And now this year, out of the blue, saturday morning, I decided, girl or no girl, friend or no friend, date or no date, me, the supreme one, had to see Cherry Blossoms without a doubt. Who knows, I might meet the girl of my dreams there, I wondered!
Wondering, putting on nice clothes and all that, and most importantly shaving on a saturday (!!!!!!!), I went along. Being a Metro Vetran, I didnt need cars to go to Smithsonian – all I needed was a simple red and orange line. The experience however was different and unlike any other in the history of Train travel in United States I’ve had. It was like mumbai local – more people jamming in than more coming out; chaos, absurdity and noisy kids ruled! However I was wrong to have thought that entire D.C population was packed in that one single train – wait – they were all around at Smithsonian and Tidal Basin. For a brief moment after coming out into the park, I thought entire world had ensembled for some rare celestial event hapening at D.C << My wicked self hoped Bush would show up somewhere and make a speech, but not to be 🙁 >>
Anyhow, at the Tidal Basin, me alone, warrior amongst an army of families on grounds, lonely amongst all the couples walking hand in hand, single amongst friends who had come over – to see Cherry Blossoms. And when I am alone, and when I am in park alone, and when I am in park alone watching Cherry Blossoms, I did only one thing I always did – think about LIFE!
And so there it was – as I was strolling across the Tidal Basin for good several miles, I lay thinking of my life gone by, my life going to come and my present. In between, as I always do, noticed people and their expressions; Indians there were many, but one thing I began noticing again and again and again of each Indian couple was – “Why the hell were they so grumpy???!!!!!!!!”. It was amazing – scores of Indian couples, none of them were looking happy or seemed to be enjoying the view. None of them seemed enthusiastic enough on such a brilliant day to appreciate the beauty of cherry blossoms. Some of them looked even worse with their kids and their baggages behind. It was as if poppy and mommy were forced to stroll their kids in the park.
Where was the romance, where was the holding of hands between couples?! Where was the smile and nuances shared between couples! Where was the arm in arm strolling in the park happiness – what was wrong with these couples out there – as I was getting miserably angry that if I had a girl I did be romancing with her on such a perfect day, I decided to stop watching such couples alltogether – otherwise I was sure I did end up talking to some people!
Thats probably when it struck me – maybe, I am missing something or someone badly in life!
Walking ahead, yet, I saw a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural ensemble crowd, some with their dogs and cats, walking accross the lake, all on the same day enjoying the Cherry Blossoms. Next week, cherry blossoms would wither away, and people would have to wait one long year to come back to the city to view them again in such splendor. And then it dawned – one year changes a lot of things in a person’s life. People clicking photographs, people making videos – all a part of preserving some memory of a day when they are together. People clicking photographs and videos to remember not the day of Cherry Blossoms, but the memory of being together on that day perhaps. Next year may bring better memories, or worse, but memories of present probably needed to be preserved. And that is what all the people out there were doing.
Except me. Neither I had a camera (which is very unlike of me), nor did I have anyone to share my thoughts with. And YET, this was a very memorable day for my life. As I strolled back towards the moment and began to leave the park I realized, perhaps, I am in my Cherry Blossoms too – That one last speck of youth and freshness, that young blossom for whom the world is new, and someone whose blossoms will fade away, very quickly very soon, maybe when I do get married. I made a memory of my own today – Cherry Blossoms reminded me of who I am right now, and how important it was for me retain that memory; Of me standing alone on the bridge, over looking the lake and monument, surrounded by a thousand people, and wondering, how long will it last.
Maybe next year I will not be alone. Maybe next year I can never think the way I thought about life today. All in all, a very satisfying trip to Cherry Blossoms.