Walk...

It's 930 AM! I woke up at 5 (4:48 to be exact)...

All those early morning conference calls have made sure that my earplugs haven't left my ears since I located them on my work desk using the flashlight on my iPhone. I can almost hear the relief...

I Alt-tab to my Outlook Calendar! I see more relief. In the form of a 90 minute space before my next meeting. The only decision I need to take is what to do with it...

It's been a long week! With discussions, deliverables, project plans and presentations. I could use the time to prepare for my meeting at Noon (I already posted my update for the 11 AM). But I decide to step away...

Working from home is a blessing! I walk down the stairs, into the kitchen and stare into the refrigerator for a few aimless moments. I realize the peril of filling the space with a snack and walk away...

I step out the door! Just to check how it feels. "It's a fine Friday", I tell myself, "balmy at best". I look up into the bright sky, but I can't see the sun...

I see my flip flops! I slide into them. I quickly check my trouser pockets to see if I have my iPhone and start ambling. Wow! I even have my earplugs, so I find some music to play...

I could have run but I walk! Maybe my sore knee made me choose the flip flops. It's not even leisurely, by no means brisk, it's a deliberate slow trot...

The streets are quiet as I tread along the sidewalk. A cyclist sneaks up on me, pedaling hard as she takes to the grass to pass me. I'm not really rattled but I couldn't have really heard her with the music in my ears...

I walk into a development. It's even quieter! The lone face I see is that of the postman stuffing the mail into the individual residents' boxes...

I check my email (I can't stay quiet). "Nothing that can't wait", I decide, as I move along. More emails arrive, and a meeting maker too! But I have to decline as it causes a 11 AM conflict...

I check the time! I've got some on hand. So I enter another development and walk on. The charge left on my iPhone battery is what I really need to be conscious of...

"Should I turn back now?", I ask myself. I check the time again. My gut tells me that I can still walk the entire length of the development before I turn back and I would still be on time...

I decide to save the battery from failing instead! I close out all the open apps on my iPhone (leaving only the music on), lock the phone and put it back in my pocket...

I see the birds! They move and slowly converge in the middle of the street. It's unusual. I've seen geese only near the little ponds, sometimes near the park...

I stop in my tracks. They're birds of prey! I tread with care, staying on the edge of the sidewalk till I've steered clear of them. They're too busy pecking at that dead rodent to notice anyway...

I hit the homestretch. I'm coming up on the hour! But I don't step up the pace. I trundle on. I still see no faces. I can even hear myself breathing...

I pass our own mailbox! I'll be at the door any moment. I check the time again...

"Not many can do this", I think to myself! I look up into sky.  I stop the music. And log in to the conference call...

Motion...

This piece is dedicated to Krishnan Nandakumar, Karthik Kumaraswamy, Manikandan Narayanan, Rajsekhar Sastry, Madhusudan Natarajan and Karthik Chandran Krishnamurthy. They all know why...


It was before gravity! It was before Isaac Newton even considered science as an interest and much much before he would be regarded "Sir". It was the when he was a goofy young lad who spent all day dreaming...

One fine sunny day, he rose nice and early. He was excited! He had all day to dream. He stretched his arms, looked out the window and set his thoughts in motion (pun unintended) even as he got out of bed...

"I'll go for a walk today", he told himself and stepped out into the sun. It was a beautiful day indeed. The air was clear, the birds were chirping, you get the picture, don't you? He started treading on the gravel path...

Soon, he was whistling a tune, wishing people around and enjoying himself. No matter what he did, his thoughts never left him. He was wandering alright, but his mind wandered farther than one could imagine...

He passed some fields and then some factories. He climbed some hills and crossed some streams. He looked into the deep blue sky and thought what he alone could think. He thought of things beyond...

Noon came and his shadow shortened. He was not done dreaming but his legs were tired. "I'll rest a while", he said to himself and looked around for a place. In a field beside, he set his sight on a mighty apple tree...

He picked the shade, cleared out the leaves and sat himself on the ground. He wiped his sweat and took a deep breath as he looked around. All was quiet, for it was lunchtime, so he continued to dream in peace...

He felt the pang of hunger himself. Had he known he'd walk this far, he would have packed a lunch. He looked around but found nothing. "I'm in a tough spot. What do I do now?", he continued to think...

And then it happened! Something fell, he felt it hit him and rolled out in front of him. He stopped thinking and started smiling, for he was now staring at a fine, juicy red apple...

He picked up the fruit and cleaned it on his shirt. He bit into it and felt the juice hit his throat. In his sweet relish, he started dreaming again. Even as he munched, his mind was not there, wandering far somewhere...

His apple done, he licked his fingers. He was sated and starting to feel rested. "I'll stay a little longer", he said to himself as he stretched out his legs and started to close his eyes. To dream would now be easier...

He rose with a start! "Was I dreaming?", he thought. He didn't feel well and when he pulled himself up, he could quickly tell what was wrong. He stomach rumbled, he felt it grumble. Lo! it was nature's call...

"Oh my God!", he thought. "Home's too far, but I can't wait that long, now I've got a problem to solve"! He did'nt have to look around, he knew where was. "Oh! There's no place to go", he thought...

And then he had an idea! He looked to check if he was seen and once he sure there was no one around, he took a quick peek behind the apple tree. The pressure was building. Clearly, there was no time to think...

In all these days, in all his dreams, he had never dreamt that it would come to this. Not a moment more to lose, he made himself brave, picked himself up and disappeared behind the mighty old apple tree...


I don't know what happened after so I'll stop here. But whatever it was, I suspect, it must have been a real inspiration to what we know and tell in science today as "Newton's Laws of Motion"...