If you have a terrace, no matter what the view, spend some time up there tonight while the weather is good. I did last night on mine. With a hot toddy and a cigar. Sure, smoking and drinking kill. Something has to. But it is my experience that the virtuous die early while the ungodly live forever. It was a cold and windy night. Bracing weather. The temperature is 13.2 degrees C. The weatherman, who is a bit of a poet, said this was hill-station weather. Well almost. It was a cloudless, starless night. The moon was in hiding. In the chilly silence of the late hours, I sipped my drink and puffed my cigar. Wishing I had pulled on a cardigan. At peace with myself and the world.
Seeing the sky at night
I live close to the sea. Just off the flight path. An icy wind came in from the water. Planes took off at regular intervals. You can see one in the picture. Looking like a UFO. I remember in the late 1970s when UFOs were reportedly sighted flying low over Bombay, entire colonies of people sat on their terraces at night to witness the spectacle. Meanwhile, the wind was restless. I read in a James Bond book there are two kinds of winds. The Undertaker’s Wind blows through the city at night taking out the bad air, smells of decay, and pollution. And the Doctor’s Wind that comes in from the sea in the morning bringing a clean, antiseptic freshness
Above me, an indigo night sky turned black. I watched the planes climbing over treetops and dish antennae, their lights probing the darkness, and wondered if any passenger was looking down at me. In the distance, from a mosque I could not see, a muezzin gave the last call for prayer, his voice sonorously carrying to me on the breeze. Blazing lights in the highrises went out one by one. I had attained a meditative Zen-like calmness by then. The perfect antidote to another day spent hearing about disease and death. It’s the little things that matter. Small personal moments of joy can bring great pleasure. Try it tonight and see. The weather promises to last.
About Mark Manuel
The above thoughts/content has been proudly copied from the wall of Sir Mark Manuel. Being interviewing almost every role model of this country and going stronger each day. Mark Manuel is a respected Mumbai editor, writer, and columnist.
With over three decades of journalism in leading publications. This includes the Free Press Journal, Times, Dainik Bhaskar, Mid-Day, and Afternoon. He is famous for his brilliant pen interviews. He himself is a TEDx speaker.
Further
His interviews have featured in several leading media houses. They include the Hindustan Times, Huffington Post, BBC, and Network 18. Almost every famous person has been interviewed by him. In the country from Mother Teresa to Muhammad Ali. His first book is just out. It’s titled Moryaa Re! It is a crime thriller that is perhaps the country’s first police procedural. He began his career covering crime. And in a tribute to his experience and knowledge of this beat.
Several distinguished officers of the Mumbai Police and its Crime Branch collaborated with him to make this book possible. In a statement of friendship for Mark Manuel and admiration for his work, Amitabh Bachchan wrote the forward.
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