Magic in the city lights

Among the everyday mundane things, it takes only a very small effort and a slower pace to notice the magic in everyday life. Yesterday I saw a spectacle which re-convinced me that there is so much more to life. I had the chance to witness the twinkling lights of fireflies in the wilderness. There were kids around who were so amazed by it. The guide had the likes of "Gandalf" for those familiar with LOTR. He was full of wisdom about the trees, the swamp and the small multi-legged bugs around. He spoke with patience and answered every question any kid posed to him. He had homework by the end of the tour!

He talked of this place in Japan, where he saw this small hill with small walkways. The top of the hill was lined with restaurants and small eateries. As the evening fell, one saw dads with kids on their shoulder walking down the path while the kids waved their nets about to catch fireflies. They were everywhere. The fireflies were put in a lantern and by the end of it, they walked back up the hill using firefly light. The men brought these lanterns back to their wives having dinner at the restaurant and they shared a meal by firefly light. It was the most romantic thing he had seen and I agree. I just hope the fireflies were released after dinner.

We walked in the darkness and barely needed any artificial light. The moon, though half, was enough to show us the way. We were surrounded by the different flashing patterns each one trying to find love using their own song and dance. It seemed like every tree got the chance to be a Christmas tree in the middle of June. We reached a clearing and it was full of lights till the end of sight. It felt to me as though I visited my temple, being a core pantheist. A sense of peace and happiness I couldnt get anywhere else and a sense of hope that things cant be that bad. Its a high that lasts for days. The guide Mr Ralph White continued to impart his wisdom while we walked. He mentioned that fireflies dont do too well in captivity and the kids that wanted to catch them, immediately thought, I dont want to kill it and decided to let go. One of them was concerned that he hurt the firefly he caught cause it wouldnt fly away. It was touching that a child could understand the importance of life in a small bug while adults fail to see it.

Sometimes I feel when we are kids we are ruled more by the heart and less by the mind but as we grow, the mind begins to take over the heart and purity is now covered by reason and miles of training, do's and dont's. A kid was coloring with crayons the same night, at dinner and he totally went beyond the lines, for a moment I thought I should tell him to try and stay within the lines, but again I checked myself, do I really want to make a kid stay within a box? We are taught to color within the lines all our life, and then when you you are an adult you want to think out of the box. How contradictory!

I visited my place of worship yesterday and felt renewed. There is still magic amidst city lights and thats where freedom reigns. Thats where things are not within lines, not bound by rules, but by pure nature. My mind was completely silent throughout and the only thought that came to me was "wish he was here!"