Milestone Number 32

There is junction in life when you reach, time seems to have gone too fast. It is as if you only began yesterday, there seems to be so much more to do when the bell rings and some distant voice says 'boy, the time's up!'

In this journey of mine, Milestone Number 32 just showed up. The driver seems to have already signaled that I have to disembark. Can't say I am not familiar with the station, though I wonder whether I arrived a bit early? 

I took this train in a small station called Coonoor. Taking me over 2600 km, it delivered me into a world that adopted me, groomed me, and loved me as much as it disciplined my life. It changed my perspective on everything. It heated my mettle till it could be tempered and molded to its way of life; It chiseled away my rough edges and ground me to the smoothness of its requirements; It polished my interiors till I could see its resplendent reflections all inside the chambers of my heart; It scorched my ego till its husk was burnt and the true grain showed; It drugged me to numb my pains so as to goad me up to its dizzy heights; when every ounce of my blood was drained in its wake, it filled my veins with pride and throbbed my being with its sweet praise...and then....Milestone Number 32 arrived.

It has taught me to be gracious enough to accept this disembarkation. I know that I have to say 'thank you' and step down the platform. But the journey has been so wonderful that its memories chain me to the seat. My legs are not steady enough to take the short stride to the door of my compartment and down the steps to the platform. I am not sure if its okay to feel this way...alas, my train is tugging at my heart so away.

It is as well that I get down and bid the train adieu. It would give a chance to another passenger to take the journey from now. Once in a while, I am told, I could visit the station again and watch another train pass by. That would wake up the memories in my heart and make the visit to the station worth the while. I must also remember what Frost said: 

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.