The small pleasures in my Life

"Rain drops on roses, and whiskers on kittens
Bright coloured kettles, and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things"

This song from 'Sound of Music' says it all or atleast most of it.  

Sway wild lily's article on 'You all are welcome" set me thinking along these lines.

When you actually think of it, you need so little to be happy.  Why have we all become so materialistic ? why do we feel that expensive things - be it clothes, shoes, jewellery etc will give us happiness ? And do they really and for how long ?  We fool ourselves into thinking that we are happy with what we have bought - it feels so good to brag to someone that we bought this "branded" article for an exorbitant amount.  For how long will that pleasure or thrill last ? It passes soon and then what ? We go out and buy something else - we feel we need - we feel is worth the amount we paid for it - we feel will make us happy.  But does it ? Its a vicious circle.

Why can't we derive pleasure from the small things in life ?  Cycling down a lonely road, walking in the rain, sitting on the beach watching the sun set, just watch the rain fall - see the crows and other birds huddled together soaking wet on a branch.  That feeling of togetherness ... I definitely envy them.

Just think of this .. I love seeing birds coming onto my balcony to take a bath in a bowl of water I have placed there. Each bird has its specific time.  The bulbuls with their red bottoms, the Indian robins, mynas and my favourite - the tiny sunbirds.  They come in each morning at 8.15 the beatuiful blue black male squeaking at the top of his voice usually accompanied by the lighter green females.  Its a delight just watching them bathe in the water. The male is very particular about his bath, even now when the weather is cold.  He will religiously come in, have his bath, squeaking away in the cold.  He will delicately dip his backside in the water and then his head. It seems like he is trying to coax his mate to take a dip too, but she is quite happy going after the nectar from the hibiscus flowers. After a couple of dips he flits around from one side to the other fluffing up his feathers before he too dips into a hibiscus for his breakfast.

After they have finished, the squirrels come in for their share of seed which I have left out for the birds and also for them.  They run around amongst my plants sweetly nibbling and gnawing at something as they sit on their hind legs, gaily chattering to themselves.  What a lovely sight.

Or just looking at a flower bloom - yes.  I've seen it a hundred thousand times .. but each time a bud forms and then slowly opens I feel that thrill all over again.  I wish I could find the time to walk down a tree lined road, only listening to the soft sound of the breeze blowing through the leaves of the trees. The braches swaying in the breeze.

Another thing which always brings a smile to my face is seeing the new moon. The beautiful crescent .. words can't describe the joy one feels looking at it. And better still is the night of the full moon.  The beautiful big yellow moon rising .... It reminds me of my days in college when we would go hiking.  If we happened to be out on a night when there was a full moon - boy !! seeing the low hills lit up by the moon is a beautiful sight.  Crickets chirping an owl hooting somewhere. 

Why don't people get their pleasures out of these things.  They think I am MAD .. what they don't realise is - This is how I preserve my sanity in the rat race of life.