Saturday, 14 April 2018

Thursday, April 12th, 2018

Toronto, Ontario

A Thirst for the Spiritual

Maybe I was a fool to dare weather with no overcoat, not even a light jacket, while on foot to Yonge and Queen—and all the way back.  I see everyone in some winter/spring attire.  I was informed that at 6:00 p.m. the temperature was 13°C.  It didn’t feel it to be quite that warm.  Maybe I am a polar bear braving what others might perceive as cold.  In any event, I started walking with just a slight chill but soon warmed up with no problem whatsoever.

The only thing to trouble me is the culture.  Am I getting old or something?  I’m looking at not a cold or cool climate but a cool bunch of people going up and down the street with seemingly nil purpose.  I’m taken aback by the lack of interaction with each other, but then when I walked some streets in Flacq, Mauritius, the other day, it wasn’t much different.  People there just go about their business, although there you have a strong Hindu population and pedestrians do respond to the saffron-clad, walking on their level, with some reverence, of course.

But look, there’s a man who breaks into all smiles as soon as he sees me—a Caucasian, not a Hindu.  Then as I plod along some blocks more, I get some pranamsfrom white folks, and “Hare Krishna” remarks from brown folks.  I’m happy for these people who greet, and for me, first of all, because I need attention and so do they.  I certainly don’t require the looks I get for my own ego, but I do adore the fact that attention is given for what I represent.  The attention is an indication that there is a ‘thing’ for the spiritual.

May the Source be with you!
7 km

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