Why ‘small town’ musings? How does it make a difference whether it’s a town or a city, a friend asked.

Well, it does make a difference. Living in a small town means having the time to look around leisurely, forge relationships, chat with neighbours, exchange recipes while buying vegetables—sometimes even with the vendor. It means having the time to look after the neighbour’s kid while she cooks/ cleans, it means leaving your kid at the neighbour’s while you shop/ visit at the hospital, knowing that she’ll be fed and cared for till you get back.

Of course, living here also means having to satisfy curiosity about your guests, your routine, answering direct blunt questions pertaining to your salary, your relationship with the in-laws and so on.

Having lived here for more than 25 years now, I’ve got used to all this. Moreover, on my annual trip to the city I miss the friendly smiles, the namastes and the comforting chats I rely on. My thinking has been shaped by the town I live in. It’s taught me to care more about human beings than ideas and given me the time to look, observe and enjoy people.

It’s like being a child, not very high from the ground, noticing the ants, the weeds in the road cracks, the tiny wild flowers. The city child sees the high buildings and if lucky, the sky. Both views are important. My musings are about the small things in life (well, some of them actually pretty big). I have no ideas that affect the world….. so be it.