For someone who constantly thinks of several things to be ticked off a checklist, chores and dreams both hold a place here- it is difficult to completely live in the moment.
Sunday evenings specially are meant to run that mental checklist once again- things to buy for Angel, office deliverables to be ticked off in the coming week, gym schedule, weekend plans for the coming one, bills to be paid and so much more. And a long week ahead (not this one due to Holi that I was looking forward to!)
A Sunday evening which is usually spent walking in the society as I keep an eye on Angel playing with her friend and get in some steps (my 10K goal is being ticked off). But this Sunday I had an opportunity, thanks to my Mum to join in as a part of a Pune Drums circle event. A group of people get together and play drums- you dont need to be a professional player or someone who knows how to play it, you just learn it on the go.
A part of me was apprehensive but as we gathered at this wonderful place, perfect for the activity- a little bungalow, surrounded by greenery and with some artistic work on the walls, the place and the aura calmed me down and I was looking forward to whats in store. This being a Women s Day special event, we saw many women from different walks of life- older women, homemakers, college girls, school girls, working women all come together with a common goal- to enjoy the next one hour and revel in the time we spend jamming.
As we took our drums and placed them comfortably and started to awkwardly beat them with our fingers and palms , trying to match the rhythm of the lead drummer , it did feel odd at first. We expected some sort of training on basics atleast and someone raised the question as our drumming sounded like a cacophony to our ears. Thats when the lead drummer told us , while he will show us some basics this is all about having fun and we should go with the flow, the cacophony that we are now experiencing will turn into a rhythm of its own. Half believing him, we proceeded and after a while it was actually coming true.
A group of 20 odd people playing drums, each one enjoying themselves in their own way- some swayed to the music, some stayed still a smile plastered on their face, some bore a sombre expression. For me this was a moment , a very rare one to revel in. For once, all I could see and feel was the music , the people around me and the happiness within. Nothing else mattered. Those checklists, the life and dreams ahead blurred and I soaked myself in this experience completely. So much ,that even when my fingers hurt after playing the drums constantly for 15-20 minutes and we were egged on to play harder and faster, I did not want to stop. What made this more enjoyable was the family and friends who accompanied us and made me realise once more how grateful I am for the people in my life.
This was a detour from my usual wine and dine weekend indulgences however it was a change that I truly loved to immerse myself in and it motivated me to look for such unique experiences in future.
I was motivated to write this post after reading my dear friend and blogger Tanvi’s post about her recent trip to Goa and her reflections , it made me want to pen my thoughts about an experience which was meant to be a regular weekend hangout plan, but metamorphosed into so much more.
Its so important to let go, let go of thoughts, lists, dreams, people at times . This letting go may be momentary or it may sometimes need to be permanent- but if its something thats vital to ones inner peace and a better life, let go, one should. Drumming was my way of letting go albeit for a while.
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