Whispers from Life: The Distance Between Us

 

Whispers from Life: The Distance Between Us

It was one of those lazy days where I skipped my morning walk, preferring to sit around doing nothing. But as evening approached, energy was back, so I decided to go for my evening walk. Dusk was settling after another quiet cloudy day. I noticed a young couple walking slowly holding hands, whispering something to each other. In the bench near the amphitheatre sat that old uncle and aunty talking softly. Just ahead of me, was a young mother cooing to her child in the pram. It was a serene setting.

I have noticed that people in love sit close, snuggle and talk in whispered tones. Babies gurgle when they are cuddled. Even pets respond better to soft commands.

And life tends to ask you the most difficult questions at exactly this right time. “Why is it that we shout at our spouses or our children, people whom we actually love the most? Why does anger erupt at home but not with one’s boss in the office? Why do we even get angry at oneself?”

We need to raise our voices only to be heard by people who are standing far away. Is it that our hearts are distancing themselves, or have we drifted so far that shouting becomes the only way to be heard?

An office, where a superior is seen shouting at his subordinates it is considered a toxic workplace. There is no love lost. There is no closeness. Period. But in many cases, the boss is very pleasant to his team members and converses in a mellow tone at work. But the same person could be seen berating his immediate family members, sometimes even in public. What should we say when this happens at home?

The thoughts swirl. Is it that we are worried of the consequence of our actions at the workplace while we tend to take our loved ones for granted? Is it due to a false sense of superiority and a feeling that there would be no consequences serious enough to worry about at home.

Shouldn’t we accept minor errors and let go of small transgressions? Do we need to shout to be heard when we are sitting across the dining table having a meal ?

Just wondering…