Transience

Its comforting to walk about, and intuitively know the way around, without ever having to pause and think..the familiar roads and buildings, and places that are significant thanks to the associations they have with yesteryear life.

Its soothing to catch up with people who you haven’t spoken to in years, and still be able to have a conversation which you feel had been left off  only the day before, about friends and friends of friends, where they are and what they do..

And as you walk around, its also a bit unsettling to find out that some old landmarks have been replaced with swanky buildings, the roads don’t look the way it used to, desolate buildings that you stare at and say “I used to know some people here”, new street names and sometimes whole new streets have cropped up.

And when you look around, you miss a few old faces, that used to smile at you from shopfronts…nameplates that you thought would remain forever, have been replaced, bringing new characters and creating new stories.

And sometimes, as you talk, you understand that even the old characters have changed, perhaps without even them knowing it.

And that’s when you realise that there’s something both sweet, and sour about having a town you can call home. A home where your life and memories were shaped, and which is now being reshaped by others’ dreams, and lives.

And as places fade away and landscapes change, you are reminded of sand slipping through your fingers, even as you try to hold on. What remains are those tiny flecks, to give you memories, and to remind you of the fleeting nature of it all…..

until next time, mortality

Comments

11 responses to “Transience”

  1. Epiphany Avatar
    Epiphany

    Sands of time…blowing away?

  2. Orhan Kahn Avatar
    Orhan Kahn

    I had exactly this kind of moment last weekend.

    Bitter sweet.

  3. Cynic in Wonderland Avatar
    Cynic in Wonderland

    its one of the most bitter sweet feeling isnt it. a door shutting on an era. but the reality is all of us have also changed in many ways. so where is it greater and who has outgrown whom is the question

  4. a million different people Avatar
    a million different people

    Well, why deprive anyone/anything of change?

    We all need our share. 🙂

  5. Kavi Avatar
    Kavi

    This was so well written Manu ! One of your best ! I thoroughly relished and relived every sentenced !

    Will quote some of these lines with permission !

  6. Stone Avatar
    Stone

    hmmm………,I think home is an imaginary place.

  7. austere Avatar
    austere

    Damn. You made me cry.

  8. Pallavi Avatar
    Pallavi

    reality bytes… 🙂

  9. Corinne Rodrigues Avatar
    Corinne Rodrigues

    Hi Manu
    I can so empathize with this…how we cling on to memories, don’t we?

    You’ve got a lovely style of writing – very enjoyable.
    C

    PS: Thanks for the wishes – Maslow Zindabad!

  10. addict Avatar
    addict

    I remember these lines sung by Jamez –
    Fortune, fame
    Mirror vain
    Gone insane
    But the memory remains

  11. […] move around the city that once used to be undisputed home, and familiar feelings bob up. Things have changed, and it is perhaps no longer undisputed. An old breakfast joint, which […]

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