Jet in the sky

Happiness is simple. Live the moment to make a memory out of it.

A bright sunny day. Strapping up my touristy spirit and bitten by the explorer’s bug, I was strolling down a lane in Zurich. Looking here and there. A camera in my hand. The lens of my eye and that of the device mostly collaborated to capture the quintessence of the captivating city. But hey, my vision always dictated the other! It had to sacrifice holding on to prominent spots and landmarks in favour of embracing indigenous life.

Every blink offered an image that mesmerised me. Suddenly something happened. By happenstance, I looked up. I saw a beautiful white trail of a zooming jet plane in the sky. No, not just that but everything about it and around it. The contrail against the aqua blue sky framed by cumulus clouds did something to me. It made me smile. I clicked it.

And the most amazing thing is that every time I look at the photograph, a gust of fresh air invigorates me. Even today as I share it with you, I feel light and liberated. The words, as I type them, make me smile - that unadulterated smile which I smiled when taken off guard by the beauty, the completeness of that moment. If you ask me, that’s what happiness is all about.

A fad question today is, “What makes you happy?” Oblivious of the big theories attached to it, my answer would be, happiness is always round the corner. It is here, right here. You just have to feel it. Start by noticing, acknowledging and relishing the ‘small’ good things that happen in your day-to-day life. It can be the tingling sensation of the shower at the start of the day. The morning caress of the plants in your balcony garden. The fondness that oozes out each time you touch the jeans that you no longer fit into but doggedly put back into your wardrobe. Or even the triumph tinged with relief on meeting the deadline at work.

Be a sponge. Soak it all in. It goes way more inside than you can possibly think. The best part is every time you revisit that apparently insignificant, beautiful moment, you get to relive that same emotion again. Again and again. Happiness. Simple, isn’t it?

At this very moment, I am reminded of certain lines by the great Romantic, William Wordsworth:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

Weird are the ways of the mind. While I was reminded of the Daffodils, a friend of mine looking at the same shot, turned it upside down to see a speed boat grazing through the brilliant blue waters. A flying fish!

We’ll be eagerly waiting to hear about your jet-plane-contrail moments and what you make of them. So pour in!

By: Promita Banerjee Nag

Disclaimer:
This article and the opinions expressed in it are personal opinions. It is not meant for imposing specific views or endorsing a particular way of life. Also please do ignore any errors or omissions that you might come across. We pledge to learn from them. Happy viewing.