Missed the train ..

This morning I woke up to a dense fog and my mind wandered on the wonderful journey ahead when I will take the train to work as it wades through hills, valleys, forests, tunnels, waterways to reach Silicon Valley through the fog. I usually hop on to the 2nd floor of the double decker train and see the nature unfolding itself while the sky changes color with the lapse of time as sun takes center stage illuminating earth. That has been my journey few years ago as I would go daily to office and have my daily dose of nature's serenity to sip in on the way to work. What a way to start the day!

However, Covid and subsequent repercussions have made work from home the new norm and going to office a choice. However, what it has taken away from me is my morning routine of waking up, walking briskly or running to catch the bus and then hopping on to the train. Yes, there was pressure and frustration of missing the bus or the train or shuttle if there was delay on any of the connectors to reach office. But what I got in return was far beyond this tepid description - a spectacular sky, natural greenery and most importantly motion. With this work from home syndrome, this is the biggest missing element in life - M-O-T-I-O-N. This has been replaced by monotony of daily living - being in that same dreary room and the four walls of the house morning to nigh, hopelessly moving from one zoom call to next without feeling the warmth of a handshake or a closed door talk with a friend or just a coffee with a new colleague. Yet work from home has been touted as one of the best things that happened to corporate world where time wasters like commute to work, money wasters like office space and maintenance and productivity improvement was gained instantly. Has anyone considered the mental health of people working from home ? What activities other than work do they need to engage to maintain wellness? And for people like me break the monotony and bring some motion that comes from going to and fro work. Motion that excites the brain and gives ideas, motion that releases chemicals that increases efficacy, motion that brings sense of balance and fulfillment to daily living.

This morning was however a different story - there was heavy traffic and I did not have the luxury of driving the car to the station. So, after a point I had to walk, run hoping I will get to the station to catch the train. I tried to bring motion into my life through that process but as near as I got to the station, I constantly checked on my watch and hoped that the train won't pass by. I reached the crossing and just then I heard the train bells warning its arrival to the station. I had to sprint just a few more yards to reach the station and catch the train. I almost made it (just about a few feet away from the train), I waved my hands frantically hoping someone would see me and stop the train for few more seconds. I might have involuntarily shouted out too with my dry voice from all the running! Yet the train slowly took off without its biggest fan onboard and vanished into the fog leaving me panting for breath.

How many times in life have you missed the train  ?

  

   

       

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