Saturday morning, 10:30 a.m.
I walked down the library aisles, looking for food for thought. From a corner shelf, the word "Foundation" caught my eyes. I couldn't believe it. It was the same edition, the same cover in shades of orange and red. The author who had catapulted me into science fiction. Isaac Asimov... As i opened the book, i crumbled to the floor and was soon lost...
We, humans, are essentially emotional beings. We rely on our emotions to guide us through the various experiences we go through. We are hoarders of memories and love to keep piling on the stock every now and then. More often than not, we run back to this rather large, infinite castle and feel "nostalgic".
If you were to close your eyes now and rush back to one such event, what do you think the walls will be made of? Well apologies for the building association, it seems to be an educational hazard (architecture has ruined me for all other professions...) What i mean to say is, most of our memories often come with their specific associations. Lets say you had a good time with your friends at a cafe, you could associate it to the food you had or the music that played, or maybe just a story... and many years down the line, when the song plays...
As we grow older, we travel more to the castle, look deeper around the rooms and maybe hide in the corner for a while. We learn of details which we never would have looked at before. Often in pensive mode, we analyse, reason or just try to understand. Most times we relish the happy times and smile away (and if caught doing it in public, look like a fool).
Often, when you play a certain song, someone in the room sighs and you know that the song took him/ her back to one of the rooms in the castle. Each of us have triggers, some more effective than the others. Most of my friends associate songs to events and time periods in their lives. Some remember the food they ate that day (real foodies do it all the time) I... Well, I ... while reading the "Foundation" book, i traveled back in time...
.......
A noise far away, i look up to find my school library lit up around me, students whispering hidden from the librarian's glare, me soaked in excitement over discovering a new book and the period bell rings... I get up to walk to my Chemistry class in grade 8...
" Library is a space ship that will take you to the farthest reaches of the Universe, a time machine that will take you to the far past and the far future, a teacher that knows more than any human being, a friend that will amuse you and console you---and most of all, a gateway, to a better and happier and more useful life."
- Isaac Asimov
P.S.: This is my personal favourite time machine... what is yours?
Wow.. well written..
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Thank you...
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