Skip to main content

A Fly at My Window

 


It was a beautiful day, if I remember it right. The sun was high in the sky; the sky was clear and crisp. A gentle breeze was blowing outside and I was working on my laptop. Suddenly I hear this buzzing sound. There is no need to elaborate on how annoyed I was. At one time or another, we have all been annoyed by a buzzing fly in our rooms; stubborn flies that have made it their mission to annoy us.

I tried to ignore it, of course. I tried to ignore its mere existence, the very acknowledgement that it was there in my room, at my window, buzzing away. But it was impossible. It flew from one corner of the room to another, buzzing off its abilities and stopping at the window. I sighed and got up. I opened the window to let it out. I grabbed a piece of paper and rolled it up. I tried to shoo the fly away towards the window. So there it was: a beautiful day, and me trying to get rid of a discreet noise and the source of that noise.

The fly wouldn’t have it. Right next to it an exit lay that would lead the fly to its window but it only jabbed at the window pressing itself against it. I gave it another shoo only for the fly to buzz off to another part of my room and then come back to the window and stop only a distance short of the exit. Needless to say, I was frustrated.

How could you not see the exit right there close to you? I asked the fly or to myself out loud. The fly looked desperate as it searched for a way to the outside world jabbing and restless at my window. But no, it seemed oblivious to the exit to that very world. And then this random realization hit my head. Are we all flies at a window at some point in life? The fly kept going to the window thinking of the world outside and looking for a shortcut from the window when in fact, the exit of the window was a little far away that it could not see. Is this what we do in real life, too? Do we try to find a shortcut to the things we want not bothering to look a little farther down the way where the actual path to that thing is? Are we all flies at a window looking for a way out?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rajamati

I think we’ve all heard the song of Rajamati growing up. It is so popular that many people in Nepal claim this is the only Newari song that they have heard. The song was written some 200 years back. The first few lines go like this, which I’m sure you must have heard of, unless you’ve been living under a rock: Rājamati kumati, jike wasā pirati Hāya bābā Rājamati-chā Rājamati mabila dhāsā Kāshi wane tela bubā Hayā biu Rājamati-chā. San dhāsā kuli kuli, mikhā dhāsā bālā bālā Sakumi yā mhyāy machā lā Khwā dhāsā tuyu khwā, khwālay niga tee du Tāhā Nani yā Rājamati-chā. It is said to be written by or rather from the perspective of a man who was infatuated and in awe of the beauty of Rajamati. He describes with great admiration: her hair, her eyes, her complexion and the little moles on her face. However it is unknown who the writer of this beautiful song is. The song rushed into popularity after it was played in England in 1850 when Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana vi...
5 comments
Read more

Everyday Phases by my Mother part 2

  I have been meaning to write this part 2, especially after Every Day Phrases by my Mother , the first part was liked by so many and also because, well, the phrases and the dialogues never end with my mother. I did tease her about writing a book or making a scrapbook about all her phrases, but we never got around to it. So here we are, after almost 4 years, apologies if the Nepal bhasa wordings are incorrect somewhere Ne tha ne masau Bhwauthau pwa This is basically saying, not being able to take advantage of the situation or not doing what you are supposed to do at the event. If you get invited somewhere that has food, you should eat there. Neu twanyu tha yu yethe, jui chwanyu kata pinyu yethe I have heard this one many times. In the society that we live in, impression and your social image matters a lot, especially when it comes to family prestige. So it does not matter what you do at home but once you step outside, there is this social obligation of dressing appropriately, behav...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Oldest Kumari

Dhana Kumari Bajracharya resides amidst the hustle and bustle in Gabahal, Patan. She is a 70 year old woman, who you would think is much younger at age, if you look at her. Age seems to have done justice to this beautiful woman. What makes this wise old woman different than other wise old women in Patan? She is the oldest Kumari of Patan. Kumari, the living goddess is a tradition or a practice that has been around for many years and that has been celebrated widely in the Kathmandu Valley. The very first Kumari goes back to 17 th Century. The process to choose the Kumari is divine and a girl must go through several tests to get chosen as the Kumari. Dhana Kumari Bajracharya is the longest serving Kumari of Patan having been established as the Kumari from 2010 B.S to 2042 B.S. A whooping 32 years. Perhaps her case is the most rare that we might come across. A girl serves as a Kumari until she reaches puberty, or she has her first menstruation. After that, it is believed that th...
1 comment
Read more