FOB (Foot Overbridge)

 

I climbed up the foot over bridge at the railway station and began walking towards my destination. I realised I was walking against the crowd and changed sides to move with the crowd. On foot over bridges there’s an unwritten rule that on one side you walk in one particular direction only. 

 

When I was walking against the crowd a lot of people frowned at me, even using cuss words. I realised it’s difficult to walk opposite the crowd and changed sides to walk with the crowd. As I walked with the crowd, there were people who bumped into me because they were walking quicker than me. Probably, they were in a hurry to get somewhere or catch a particular train. Then there were certain people I bumped into because they were too slow. A little agitated, I moved to the side and paused to catch my breath. As I observed the hustle and bustle, some life revelations dawned upon me.

 

It is difficult to move against the crowd or ‘swim against the flow’ they say, well let me tell you, moving with the crowd or ‘going with the current’ isn’t all that easy either. The world today has become so fiercely competitive, that even if you choose the race you want to be in, there’ll be many more already there. As I got bumped by so many moving quicker in the same direction, I realised you need to strive not just to win, but sometimes just to hold your position. You need to work hard just to be where you are.

 

When someone bumped into another, one of them often cussed and different reactions I observed. First was the dedicated guy who cared a damn about what was being said. His aim was to catch that participation train and he focused only on that. He ignored the cuss, went on his was and guess what? Most of the times that person got the train. The other reaction was that the other person would stop and retaliate. This wasted time of both parties. So many trains came and went while these two were busy arguing. They probably gave too much importance to what was being said or had nothing better to do! Choose what matters to you, select what is important. Then, while two people argued there were those who stood and enjoyed the altercation as if it was a mode of entertainment.  In life if you want to progress you have to ignore the negativity and focus only on your goal. There will always be people who will try to deviate you from your path. Learn to ignore them and keep moving forward. Few people will help you progress, most will either try to pull you back or have fun watching you falter.

 

On one side of the bridge, I spotted a couple talking, smiling and having a good time. They seemed oblivious to the commotion on the bridge. I wondered why? A little thought gave me my answer. Happiness is what you find within. When you are in happy space mentally, the chaos around becomes almost immaterial. At that point of time, the couple were in such a happy space, so lost in each other, that the crowds on the FOB did not matter to them. It was almost like everyone else did not exist. Create a happy space for yourself. If you are happy within, a lot of what happens outside will not be able to disturb your peace and happiness. 

 

A few minutes later I heard a sweet soundings instrument being played somewhere. I followed the sound and spotted a man playing the hang drum. I waited nearby and soaked myself in the blissful music. I looked around to see not many people had stopped to listen. I understand people are in a hurry but taking a couple of minutes to listen to this beautifully music would surely do no harm. Little later, a few people did stop to listen or rather to record, those seeking a few more like on their social media page, I guess. Take time to pause in life to enjoy the little things that make you happy. If you keep running all the time, you will miss the joy hidden in these little things. Then when you look behind in the end, you will only have regrets. So, pause, enjoy and then continue, don’t miss out on life in trying to earn a living.

 

As I observed the activities on the bridge, I realised life waits for no one. As I stood there, people came and went, trains came and left, while I remained in the same place. Such is life, if you plant yourself in one place, you will surely be left behind as time, tide and life, wait for no man! So, I decided it was time to go. As I went down the flight of stairs, I spotted a boy selling samosas at the bottom of the staircase. 

‘People will be so angry, he’s right in the way. People will abuse him so much,’ I thought. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself wrong. In fact, he was doing really good business. He had strategically positioned himself where commuters alighting from the train and those waiting to board it had good access to him. Sometime in life you need to take some bold decisions. Standing where he was, seemed like one. Sometimes it’s a bold decision you take that sets you apart from everyone else and takes you to great heights. Follow the herd and you will end up where the herd does, make your own path and you will stand out and achieve greater success.

 

So many people I have seen meeting on the bridge and so many I have seen come together but leave separately. If the bridge could talk, it would have an infinite number of interesting stories to tell. But it’s just a part of my journey and I must move on as well. Just as I climbed up and then down the bridge, life is also a series of ups and down but come what may the journey must go on. The choice of how you want this journey to be, lies completely with you. As the train I wanted to catch pulled in, I got in. As the train pulled out, I continued to stare at the FOB till it was no longer in sight. ‘One bridge, so many lessons!’ I thought.