Long Walks On Leafy Streets

11/3/2015 Rachel Carson Refuge, Wells, ME
Life continues on in its eternal rhythm and time marches on. In quiet moments I can gather my breath and step back and take a look at its beauty. Sometimes even in the middle of a busy day one thing or another reminds me to stop and learn to be quiet in the middle of all the commotion. The key, as I am learning more and more, is to remain in the moment. The minute one starts worrying about when one could finish something or take a break or get some entertainment and so on the stress starts creeping in. So I try to enjoy whatever I am doing, whether it is washing dishes or taking care of Prashant or preparing for classes. Some things are easier to enjoy than others. Taking care of Prashant and reading or thinking about mathematics are two of them.

Past few weeks have been especially hectic. Apart from the usual tasks I have been giving seminar talks in the department. While I enjoy preparing for the talks and giving them, the lack of proper time makes it very difficult.
It is hard to think about math when you are sleepy or tired or both. I end up working in the middle of the night most of the time because during the day I am occupied by other tasks. Nevertheless it has been a good experience and a learning one at that. Somehow as I get older my appreciation for mathematics is becoming deeper. Certainly I don’t regret spending more time and energy on spiritual matters or social activism earlier in my life. In fact I only wish I had done more of that. It is also not to say that mathematics is deeper or more important than those. It is just that, perhaps because my mind is less restless, I am now able to appreciate the beauty of mathematics better. I am also getting better at conveying that appreciation to my students. The beauty of mathematics is of the same kind as that of nature. In fact some would argue that they are the same.

I also enjoy thinking about it while walking, running or even showering. It is a great joy, as Gauss wrote and as countless other mathematicians have experienced, to get lost in calculations. Whether they are done in one’s mind or on paper, it gives much peace of mind and clarity to engage in them. I particularly enjoy the challenge of solving problems, or puzzles as some would call them. Not just in mathematics but problems from other fields as well. It is one of the great pleasures of life to let the mind wander around in pursuit of solution to a question and then, as if coming across an exquisitely enchanting wildflower in the forest, to have clarity emerge and the answer reveal itself.

It has been a while since I went wandering around in a forest whether by myself or hiking with friends. But there has been no lack of natural beauty in our neighborhood. Whether it is walking or running in the streets of Takoma or in the woods of Rock Creek Park, autumn is in the heights of its glory and splendor. Last Saturday I went running in Rock Creek Park on a cloudy, drizzly day. There were very few people jogging or biking. The ground was littered with leaves in yellow, orange, red and brown. The trees themselves were still full of leaves and colorful. Running gives me a rare opportunity these days to be by myself and enjoy nature and the world. It was almost like a meditation, especially on a day like that.

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