My Camera And My Chai. Part One

I have just returned from Rishikesh, and Haridwar. This is not a travel blog, and all my travels are recorded in my travel blog (http://crookedimagez.me). Nevertheless, I shall put in a map at the bottom.

However, having said that, I did travel, and while I was walking along the banks of the Ganga (the Ganges River, as it is known outside India), I went looking for a chai stall under a tree. I found it, and as the sun started to go down in the late afternoon, the breeze turned cool and pleasant.  A western gent was sitting nearby chatting about the mysteries of life with a sadhu kind of character, and a Korean woman sat next to us, sipping her chai. Chai is a great Indian concept, and is also a great way to get diabetes, so I think that there is a diabolical partnership between chai stall owners and doctors who specialize in the metabolic syndrome.

However, it is a wonderful time to allow yourself to give into temptation, and to wonder about the mysteries of life, and about what your purpose in life is. This is something that I started to think about years back in China – Beijing to be exact – and, I listened to the book, “Man’s Search For Meaning” (audio book). The question of what my purpose in life is, has come back to haunt me from time to time. This question has come back in more recent times, and refuses to go away.

Now, when I was in corporate slavery ( I was described as a corporate slave ) at some point in my life, I would generally push this question away, since I had very important things to do, like arranging the travel plans of the Managing Board!!

When I sat there under that tree, enjoying the breeze, looking on in a kindly manner at the westerner discuss the mysteries of life, I thought (somewhat romantically, I think) that this gent is probably quite free. He probably has fewer masters than many of us have.

I looked down at my camera, and though, “Yeah, this is the life indeed”. Camera, a notebook and a pen. And, an occasional cup of chai to help me on the way.

Of course, there are always practical things that need to be taken care of, like making money, sending the kids to school, and all that stuff. Yet, to be able to do so, and to be able to do so while doing something that sets you free can be a wonderful thing indeed.

Let’s see how this all pans out in the future, but that is the way it is, right? Finding your passion is the first step.

Having the courage to follow that path, and to balance the responsibilities we have, as social beings is something else, and this is a whole new journey.