The Path well trodden

Every evening, come 8.30 and I am off to the park for my hourly evening/nightly walk. One measely hour out of 24 hrs in a day dedicated to my quest for remaining healthy.As I walk around the perimeter of the kidney shaped park, I see all kinds of things and people doing these things. It takes 388 steps to go around the park once. People of all ages, shapes and size frequent my park everyday. I like to address the park as mine because I have an affinity towards it , I'll explain as we go along for a brisk walk.

The paved path is a valiant hero,It's trials and tribulations never end. Not a single inch of it is left untraveled.It's pounded upon,trodded,stamped, bruised,batterred and abused in various ways everyday but it never complains. I see young couples strolling hand in hand, senior citizens amble along discussing their daughter in laws and grand children.The serious joggers pound the path mercilessly and later sprawl on the lawn, encircled by the path, to cool down. The society romeos strut in groups of twos or threes and ogle girls in the park.

It takes me three minutes to go around the path once and while doing so I overtake an overweight, salwar -kurta clad auntyji, with her dupatta tied in a knot at her waist.She waddles as though weighed down by all the cares in the world. Another peculiar sight is an undernourished, tiny middle-aged lady,wearing a nightgown and sneakers .Black nightie and white sneakers, marching along like Jhansi ki rani.

A thin young man in his twenties, strolls on the path , with the cell phone glued to his ear, everyday. I swear his elbow is bent at an angle due to holding up the phone for long durations. Two girls walk briskly, discussing their collegues at the office, and stop mid-conversation to attend to calls or text message their friends.

As I walk around in circles for sixty minutes, I see all these sights and more. The abuse the path goes through everyday,every hour,24/7, all year round and I wonder ,what must it be thinking? Why do these people walk, run, jump,on my chest? Why don't they leave me alone? Why do they overeat and then try to lose all that extra weight by torturing me?

As I hear the path's  lamentations, I feel sorry for it and try to lessen it's pain by stepping gently on it. as I walk gingerly and apologetically, I wonder at it's ability to withstand pain and his tenacity to go on.I salute it's  spirit and resilience. It is indeed "The Path Well Trodden".