Looking out of the Window
There is one lady near my house (probably in her 60’s) who spends 1-2 hours a day, in the evenings, looking out of the window from her balcony. Actually, her first-floor balcony is closed from all sides and there is a large window at the center. She sits behind the window and notices everything that happens around the locality.
I wonder what motivates her to just sit down and look around?
We all know how much fun it is to waste time, especially when there is a lot of work to be done. And we do waste time doing some activity, unrelated to work. For example, we might browse some blogs, update/read facebook statuses, watch TV, listen to music, read the newspaper, walk in the park or just sleep! Some strange people (like me) even think/day-dream in order to while away time. All these involve some form of activity.
But sitting at one place and looking outside for one/two hours, at a stretch? Will I be able to do it? Well, I have done such things many years before (star-gazing) but that is generally accompanied with a beautiful story-line or a dream, in the background. I maybe physically watching the stars, but my mind will be roaming around in various settings/dream-lands. Ah, how much I miss those days 🙂
Is the woman in the balcony thinking inside or observing people outside? Is she doing both at the same time? It’s hard to guess because her face shows no expression/emotion.
I wonder what exciting thing is happening on the street or neighboring houses, for her to observe? Nothing much – People walking on the roads, automobiles, courier guys, gas cylinder deliveries, kids playing, someone shouting on their cell phone, etc. All these are routine happenings. Maybe she wants to observe everything that happens in the locality, spot something exciting and tell others about it? Seems unlikely, but…
Does that mean that she is thinking inside, while appearing to observe others? At her age, children are probably grown up and the house-hold responsibilities might have come down. Maybe her grandchildren are not near and hence she wants to recollect their memories by seeing other kids play? Or maybe she is just lost in thoughts and wants to keep herself in the wonderful company of evening breeze, while thinking?
One can never say for sure.
Do you do something like this? Sit at the balcony and just observe everything around?
I can’t!
Destination Infinity
This reminded me of my childhood days. We were allowed to go out and play at a specific hour in the evenings. Our bedroom had a window which overlooked the park. I enjoyed sitting there with my glass of milk (till it was time to go down and play), observing the kids play, uncles playing badminton and aunties either doing their evening walk or sitting on the benches. It gave a lot of insights (especially about kids… who was cheating, who was the bully or the underdog…) and there was never a dull moment. I dont think, I was introspecting then, merely observing.
And now, I do that sometimes while sitting in the office (it is our own office and husband is the boss, so I can afford to sit and stare! 😀 ). We have glass windows and it overlooks a street with shops. It is fun to observe people and their activities!
Maybe I should try it too? 🙂
Destination Infinity
Reminds me of Alfred Hitchcock’s famous movie Rear Window.
Rear Window? – I should see this movie, then… I’ll remember the name.
Destination Infinity
I have read sage Ramana while answering questions from devotees would suddenly withdraw in himself.He will be present physically seeing the crowd vacantly but would be in yoga samadhi impervious to surrounding.
The lady in your post instead of sitting in the dingy room inside might have opted for airy balcony or avoid an unpleasant fight with family member or gone on an inward journey.Who can tell the real reason?
Interesting to know that info about Ramana Swami. But even sages like them were contemplating and trying to understand things, right? Or did they have answers to supreme mysteries?
Destination Infinity
Nice post. Yes I do this in a while just to gaze on the nature. It does relieves something that is knocking inside. The lady here may be thinking of her good times.
Probably. It’s possible to gaze at nature (for a short time), but gazing at mundane activities is something beyond me!
Destination Infinity
yes she must be thinking in her mind about her past or something like that
That makes me wonder, why are we so much preoccupied with the past?
Destination Infinity
She might be hearing some music or singing within herself! Sometimes it is fun to sit and watch people, but once in a while, not everyday!
After I started blogging, time flies! No boring days at all!
Earlier I was nervous about writing what I thought…was wondering if my readers would love to read my thoughts. Now, I have stopped worrying about comments. I just write what I think! But comments make me happy too!
Listening to music/singing within oneself are interesting options that I have not (yet) explored 🙂
Destination Infinity
I can sit like that for hours, you know. Sometimes when one seems to be gazing, one must actually be thinking or reliving their life through memories. This lady reminds me of the old lady in Dhobi Ghat.
Joy always,
Susan
If you are thinking deeply about something, then maybe it’s possible to sit like that for hours. Can you do that just for observing what is happening around? I can’t!
Destination Infinity
I have done a lot while we stayed at first floor in our native house 8 years before. It’s just a time pass when we have nothing to do important. Even now I used to watch through windows on road activates and when staying in flat I do bird watching.
Bird watching is again an activity, which I too found interesting when I attended a bird walk! Let me see if I might be able to do something like this, after many years.
Destination Infinity
may be after my 60s .. when i feel i am way to relaxed and have nothing else to do .. i’ll be able to break that lady’s record for sitting for more than 2 hours .. lol 😛
i’ll come back to this post then to publish a new comment 😛
If you come back then to post a reply to this comment, that will be a record in itself!
Destination Infinity
May be she is elderly , and is not able to walk about much? By watching people go by, one can connect to throbbing life. She wants to be part of that vibrant pace, but may be she can’t?
In this case she can. She is not so elderly. Yea, she might be wanting to connect to throbbing life outside…
Destination Infinity
Oh yes, I do and I love spending time like that, doing absolutely nothing and giving some time off for my mind 🙂
I too love giving a lot of time off for my mind, but inside the house 🙂
Destination Infinity
Mom and I used to do that on some evening when power was not there.. we had nothing else to do but to look outside the balcony and talk about some random stuff.. miss those days badly 🙁 I hardly get time to do that anymore.
ok, but don’t you do anything else while looking out? Like talking to your mother or imagining stories, etc.?
Destination Infinity
Its actually a good activity. my mother and my MIL also love doing that…