Long Walks On Leafy Streets

2/8/2016 Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC
I spend a lot of time thinking about what I am teaching or not teaching Prashant. One way children learn is by observing, and so I try to be as mindful as possible, around him. We believe in reading to him, and do that whenever we can. We have some toys that stimulate thinking and cognitive abilities. There is so much emphasis on teaching children to think, in western cultures. On the other hand there is not enough of that in Eastern cultures and instead too much emphasis on obeying parents and learning from them. I hope we provide a balance of both to him.

There is also so much intelligence and wisdom that a child seems to be almost born with. When I see his inquisitive and curious eyes, and his expressions at various times, I know there is so much in them ready to blossom. I hope we let him develop his inborn wisdom to its fullest. Indeed every living being has so much natural intelligence.
I see it whenever I pass by the reservoir in the winter and watch the flocks of Canada geese float peacefully or glide gracefully in formation to land on the water.

The week after the snowstorm the reservoir was especially beautiful. Parts of it froze and were covered with a blanket of snow as were its shores and the surrounding area. The geese from Canada must have felt quite at home! Most of Washington, DC got about two feet of snow. It was not very pleasant walking to work, though. Although the college did not open for three days after the storm had passed it was still difficult to get around because of all the snow left on the ground. It was also tricky to run although I only missed one day. Parking was also difficult because some of the snow that was piled up by the roadside ended up blocking parking spaces. People were trying to hold the spots in front of their homes with a chair when their car was not there. We did that ourselves and ended up in an argument with a neighbor who disregarded the chair and parked there anyway. It is a bit frustrating when you spend hours and hours clearing the snow and then someone else takes up that space. It is a learning experience -- learning to deal with setbacks and frustrations without losing one’s equilibrium. Overall, worried as I am about how climate change is causing these record-breaking snows with alarming regularity, I do enjoy the snow and it didn’t hurt to have almost a week of break from work. I ended up resting a bit, recovering from all the exertions of the previous weeks.

Speaking of climate change last Saturday the 30th I took part in the 11th annual polar bear plunge organized by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. They do a lot of good work influencing policymakers in this area to enact laws and adopt practices that would reduce our carbon emissions. We gathered around 10.30 in the morning at the national harbor on the other side of the Potomac river, near the Wilson bridge. After some speeches to fire up the troops we took turns dipping into the ice-cold river. I must say this year it felt even colder than last year. I took a quick plunge into the water and then got out. Learning from my mistake last year I put the hand warmers provided to us inside my shoes to warm my toes. Last year I didn’t do that and ended up with frost-bitten toes. It wasn’t too much of a hassle but anyway I was in no mood to be cold in any part of my body after that dip.

This year I went by myself. Leaving the car at home for Nicole and Prashant I took the metro to the Southern Ave station and then the NH1 bus to the waterfront. It was a long commute, each leg taking about half an hour and totally about an hour and a half each way. I did enjoy the ride, especially in the bus as it rolled through the snow-covered suburbs of Prince George’s County. I also read a fair bit of my good friend Susan Hadler’s book “The Beauty of What Remains.” I know her from the Thich Nhat Hanh meditation group and it was nice to read a book by someone whom I know, love and admire. Susan lost her father in the waning days of World War II and has written about her experiences as a war orphan before. This is her first full length memoir and she tells the story of the void left in her life by her father’s passing in only her third month of existence and her quest to fill in the blanks and bring together the family that was broken apart.

I must admit I was not prepared for the emotional impact of the book. Although I know of her life story a little bit, to read it in vivid detail and to experience with her the persistent feeling of loss and the search for her father’s life story was a overwhelming. I found tears welling up and my throat choking up throughout the bus ride. Part of the reason was also that I often worry about not being there for Prashant when he grows up. To imagine him searching for his roots with only second hand memories to go by was painful. I also wondered if I had been a good friend to Susan. She has been a source of great comfort and encouragement to me over the years. The book was as humbling as it was inspiring. Her honesty and depth of feeling were inspiring, as was her determination to create beautiful paintings out of broken pieces of canvas. But the sheer suffering caused by war and what people have to go through in life in general, was truly humbling.

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