JOURNEY, FRIEND, AND LIFE

 FROM SAMPATH’S DESK:

   

 

 

JOURNEY FINDS A LIFE FRIEND AND THE FRIEND JOINS THE LIFE JOURNEY

 

Will two or more people journeying together in public transport end up in close friendship in the life journey? Yes, it can happen, but only rarely!

 

In life, it’s common to see love and affection between blood relations. But seldom two persons not related to each other, are attracted towards one another to make a friendship, and only in a few cases, enduring ones. There are many factors that weigh in the thought process of deciding to forge a friendship, examples being a person’s handsomeness, intellect, knowledge and wisdom levels,  sweet talk, kind heart, accommodative gestures, and helping nature, among others - perhaps single or a mix of these characteristics - that unite two persons as friends. This is not and cannot be an exclusive list. More than anything else, it is a matter of heart-to-heart factor that clinches friendship.

 

The highlight is you travel so much together in a short time that creates a lifetime friendship.

 

While it’s common that we make friends with others in and around our sweet homes and peripheral areas, workplaces, public places, general contacts, and other touchpoints, a bus/train journey ending up in a friendship also happens, at times. Friendships may be made just like that, but enduring ones are what really count!

 

A true friendship can be likened to two railway lines that run parallel and smoothly. They never collide with each other. Although apart, they take care of each other. Even if friends happen to be geographically afar, a true friendship is as close as a member of one's family and maintained for a lifetime. During journey times, children also make indelible imprints instrumental to building a lasting friendship.

 

A true friendship and real friends presuppose complete mutual trust, conviction, and commitment towards each other.

 

In our life journey, we make a lot of travels, mostly by buses and trains. Not all passengers, not even known faces and simple acquaintances finally go to make a worthy friendship. On long journeys by train/bus, there are possibilities of finding and forging friendship(s). For that to last long, efforts from both sides are needed. At the first instance, a simple acquaintance may bring two persons closer, but continued contact and interactions mutually pleasing, appealing, engaging, inviting  and beneficial to each other foster, fortify, and reinforce the friendship; however, it should not be a touch-and-go affair.

 

Even love can be ‘one-way’ in some cases. But real friendship can only be a two-way business.

 

A train friendship starts, maybe, from a simple chat to serious subjects-related talks, up to garrulous gossip with a fellow passenger sitting cheek-by-jowl on a train. If both heartily reciprocate the warm gestures, in no time a friendship crystallizes to last for a lifetime if earnest efforts are made by both to take it forward. 

 

Good friends are like stars. You can’t always see them though you know they are there. A true friend stays both in your heart and life.

 

One who becomes a genuine, bona fide, and veritable friend while journeying remains so, irrespective of whether he alights midway or travels up to your final destination. You let people go. Not all that partook in your journey are meant to stay till the end with you. But one or two only may become your all-time and all-weather life friends.

 

During my past trips, I met people of different backgrounds, religions, regions, and interests. While others remained just short-time acquaintances, only a couple of them became lifelong friends. Starting as strangers spending time understanding and interacting with each other on a journey, we became thick friends. I am pretty sure most others I would never be able to see again.

 

   

(R.SAMPATH)

12/11/2023