Monday, March 23, 2015
The Woods are lovely….”..
It was bright and less windy this morning and the children took us to Oxley-wood near Shooters hill in London. Oh! It was a wonderful experience that forced me to think, re-capture memories of by gone days and reflect upon so many facts as well as myths!
It is indeed exciting to witness vast lands specially reserved for huge parks and virtual woods both within and around London, in fact all over England. Not only that, those are very well preserved and looked after. Extremely safe as well as Eco-friendly, those are frequented by all age groups quite enthusiastically. One is easily enthralled while experiencing utmost quietude and peace.
And such occasions remind me of my childhood days when we used to travel through dense, deep and indeed fearsome forest ranges along with our parents back home in India. My father was fond of traversing deep jungles, ravines as well as lakes and rivers. Besides fascination for nature’s handiwork he would be ever in search of monasteries and Sadhus dwelling therein. However as children we were scared of those forests since those also habited tigers, wolves, bears, snakes and scorpions too. Moreover, fear of ghosts, spirits and Rakshasas always haunted us!
During adolescence and youth fear of the later group certainly vanished but the fear of snakes and scorpions still persist and I very much doubt whether I can ever venture in that adventure in Indian forests at least!!
Nevertheless, this morning’s experience and those enjoyed at Swansea, Sheffield, Sherwood and Derbyshire were always enjoyable and worth pondering.
And that makes me realise the fact that the same British rulers and their successors allowed and even encouraged mindless cutting of forest wood, literally devastating our forests, leave aside reserving and preserving those. That indeed makes me very sad and perturbed.
However, I cannot and must not allow the wonderful experience we had this morning and just can not forget those beautiful lines, “ 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 sleep “!!
( And what promises? Well, more of it later!)
London. 22 March 2015.
It was bright and less windy this morning and the children took us to Oxley-wood near Shooters hill in London. Oh! It was a wonderful experience that forced me to think, re-capture memories of by gone days and reflect upon so many facts as well as myths!
It is indeed exciting to witness vast lands specially reserved for huge parks and virtual woods both within and around London, in fact all over England. Not only that, those are very well preserved and looked after. Extremely safe as well as Eco-friendly, those are frequented by all age groups quite enthusiastically. One is easily enthralled while experiencing utmost quietude and peace.
And such occasions remind me of my childhood days when we used to travel through dense, deep and indeed fearsome forest ranges along with our parents back home in India. My father was fond of traversing deep jungles, ravines as well as lakes and rivers. Besides fascination for nature’s handiwork he would be ever in search of monasteries and Sadhus dwelling therein. However as children we were scared of those forests since those also habited tigers, wolves, bears, snakes and scorpions too. Moreover, fear of ghosts, spirits and Rakshasas always haunted us!
During adolescence and youth fear of the later group certainly vanished but the fear of snakes and scorpions still persist and I very much doubt whether I can ever venture in that adventure in Indian forests at least!!
Nevertheless, this morning’s experience and those enjoyed at Swansea, Sheffield, Sherwood and Derbyshire were always enjoyable and worth pondering.
And that makes me realise the fact that the same British rulers and their successors allowed and even encouraged mindless cutting of forest wood, literally devastating our forests, leave aside reserving and preserving those. That indeed makes me very sad and perturbed.
However, I cannot and must not allow the wonderful experience we had this morning and just can not forget those beautiful lines, “ 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 sleep “!!
( And what promises? Well, more of it later!)
London. 22 March 2015.
