Wednesday, October 2nd, 2013

Here Then And Now

Toronto, Ontario

Yesterday I trekked amidst trees.  Today I took to pavement with concrete buildings on both sides.

I can’t say that scenario number two, or today’s scene was anything less interesting.  Pedestrians are playing out their lives in their own natural way, conversing a bit, flaunting, or just moving from one place from another in their own individual way.

I time machined my way back to a hundred plus years and imagined the situation then.  People would be milling around, clothes would be dark and folks would be less risqué in their style of fashion.  Both men and women wore hats, there would be a sharing of space with horses.  There would likely be a courtesy, but not necessarily a warmth of exchange with that Victorian air about it.  There was optimism and talk about business and the family.  You might find people speaking of the Bore War, and Canada’s participation in it in Africa.  The pace of life would be slowed down compared to what it is now.  In the business district a stride would be more of a strut where as in the residential area it would be more of a stroll.

In 1905 there was a great fire.  It had razed many buildings demolishing many of them.  But people resilient as they are or were shot everything up again.

All this imagery I superimposed onto the current background of the existing urban setting of Toronto.  I couldn’t imagine a monk in saffron walking at that time – the turn of the century.  There wasn’t the kind of freedom then as there is now.

I had actually been walking with a member of the Krishna community when the flashback hit.  I had been urging him to settle down and formally tie the knot with his common-law wife.  The idea is to make commitments in life that encourage sacrifice.  The idea is to build a team of two, maybe three or four or more (as in children).  The idea is that love should be more firmed up and less whimsical.  The idea is that the relationship should have a spiritual base.

Funny thing is here I’m fast forwarding now using my walking partner as the subject.  I believe he appreciated my suggestions.  After pressing the rewind button and then the fast forward one I decided to press play.  Here we are, let’s live in the moment, get real, follow dharma (duty), and adhere to the wishes of guru and Krishna and make progress.

8 KM