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Scotland Sand
There are few emotions, very hard to express and few emotions which easily can be conveyed. Had one such moment today.
My blog friends and my friends should now be aware of my dream to visit Scotland and Tibet. Three to four posts of mine in this blog are about these dreams.
A friend of mine, who visited the United Kingdom came back to Chennai and joined me during breakfast and asked me to close my eyes and reach out my hands towards him and I knew I am in for a surprise and knew for sure it's not some mundane gift. He is an unique man with a unique style.
There on my extended hand laid snuggly a ruled white sheet of paper, with a hand written note in capitals reading out "SCOTLAND".
He told me, "Viji! I had to make this weird request to a friend of mine, who traveled to Scotland to bring this for you. I couldn't travel due to extreme weather conditions, I heard it is very cold now out there. You are right, I heard it's a beautiful country, with majestic castles, Lochs, mountains, Moors. And now you can open the packet." Excited, I opened the wrapped sheet and found a lump of mud which looked like clay and a foliage dry and covered with mud. It should have been wet, when collected but now hardened. I was speechless, happy, emotions rampant and I guess to Shiv, my face would have looked bereft of any emotions. But one load of emotions was bombarding me and I had to leave hurriedly for I was not sure how I would have reacted and in turn might have shocked Shiva with a bear hug and maybe lost a friend for good :-)
What hit me then was, its not the Scotland sand, but my friend remembering my wish and took all the pain and few embarrassing moments when he had to ask his friend this weird request. Now the wish to visit Scotland is even more compelling... But, that was a beautiful moment at my office cafeteria, the round coffee table, shiv sitting to my right and the paper packet in my hand and I doubt if I ever would have a moment that would equal this one... Ever!
11 Candles:
Good blog. Very good friend.
May be, you have some connection with Scotland in one of your previous births!
i was with you as you journeyed into this emotion! beautiful write! wishes for dreams coming true :)
@hari I always had blamed my luck for not being fortunate when it comes to friends. But, now I have few priceless friends and just the thought that they are with me would make me win the whole world with my bare hands ;)
@rina thanks rina... let your words come true soon... I am giving myself one year max, not a day more than that. I will start saving for this trip.
soon u r going to visit scotland, but be sure to bring me back chocolates..
@devs Chocolates!!! you want chocolates from Scotland??? that is all?
I will get you sand, a small stone, scratch of paint from the place where Burns, Walter Scott, R.L.Stevenson, Conan Doyle,Hume lived.May be a Kilt for your man, a bag pipe and the lyrics of the Scottish brave song :)
I don't want you to wait till I come back from Scotland for the lyrics...WOW! what a song!
Here it is!
Hark when the night is falling,
Hear! Hear the pipes are calling,
Loudly and proudly calling down through the glen.
There where the hills are sleeping,
now feel the blood a-leaping,
High as the spirits of the old highland men.
Towering in gallant frame,
Scotland my mountain hame
High may your proud standards gloriously wave.
Land of my high endeavour,
land of the shining river,
Land of my heart forever,
Scotland the Brave.
High in the misty highlands,
out by the purple islands,
Brave are the hearts that beat beneath Scottish skies.
Wild are the winds to meet you,
staunch are the friends that greet you,
Kind as the love that shines from fair maiden's eyes.
Towering in gallant frame,
Scotland my mountain hame
High may your proud standards gloriously wave.
Land of my high endeavour,
land of the shining river,
Land of my heart forever,
Scotland the Brave.
Far off in sunlit places,
sad are the Scottish faces,
Yearning to feel the kiss of sweet Scottish rain.
Where tropics skies are beaming,
love sets the heart a-dreaming,
Longing and dreaming of the homeland again.
Towering in gallant frame,
Scotland my mountain hame
High may your proud standards gloriously wave.
Land of my high endeavour,
land of the shining river,
Land of my heart forever,
Scotland the Brave.
Great post viji...Shiv is amazing to have done something like that, to have remembered and doing it.
@hari the only similarity or connection that i see between her and scotland is skirts and i doubt she wears one :)
@manoj shiv is precious, I agree :)
now I know you are partial to skirts and chased a few too... if skirts make me a part of Scotland, I am willing to wear one.
Let me know if your plans to reach Scotland ever succeed :)
You will be the first one I will be visiting. I would live to pour over all your photographs. Will definitely let you know. I started following your blog Ramblings of the bearded one many years back in 2010 or 11. One day soon you may publish a book about your photography. I remember coming across your wife's blog about her new studio and if I remember she sculpted and also an artist. I would love to meet her as well. Every morning I rise with a prayer to visit interesting places in India and few countries abroad, Tibet, Europe, New Zealand, Russia. There I go in tangents, one of the reasons I can never be a great writer. Thank you so much for leaving a comment. Feeling honoured.
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