It has been raining in Kochi continuously and traveling has become very difficult. I have been restricting my movement as far as possible, except for business purposes, in order to avoid getting wet. Today afternoon there was a some sunlight and I thought that it will be a good idea to go to the beach to watch the rolling waves, breathe in the salty fresh air, walk along the water soaked beach and perhaps leave my foot prints on the sand.(Please click on the photos for a large lovely view.)
As I reached the beach, I could hear the barking sound of dogs and then I saw some dogs running on the beach with gay abandon, chasing each other, rolling on the sand and dashing towards the waves to retrieve the coconut husk which the owner was playfully throwing into the sea. The people were standing in awed silence and respectfully watching the dogs monopolizing the beach.
The dogs were having fun. They were enjoying themselves. They did not even notice the people standing there. They were completely absorbed in their game, showmanship, running skills, barking abitlity( it sounded like laughter to me). They were living in the present. They did not regret the past or worry about the future.
I thought about my self. Can I enjoy anything without a feeling of guilt? What about the blunders I committed in the past? What will be my future? How can I earn more money than my neighbor? How can I dictate terms to people? How can I insult people? How can I forgive that man for misbehaving with me? How can I show off? So many, many thoughts came to my mind. In the process I forgot to fill my lungs with fresh air, I forgot to walk on the beach and I didn’t even notice the lovely rolling waves.Oh,what about my foot print:):):)
32 comments:
Hello Joseph, A most thought provoking write. sometimes I feel guilty quite by chance , no for warning, the reason? I feel guilty yet at the same time lucky to be alive to see my four grandchildren, whereas my late husband only lived to see the first and that was only the first two months of Joshua's life.
I am by nature a positive,happy person but there is the odd day I
feel remorse. I did enjoy reading your blog and loved the photo's as always.
Take care.
Yvonne.
You've done it again, Joseph... This is a lovely, thought-provoking post full of life and honesty. Not to mention adorable pictures of humans and puppies (after all, all dogs are puppies at heart, right?) having fun together and enjoying being alive. I enjoyed reading this post, Joseph. I bet that next time you come across dogs frolicking on the beach, you'll be able to enjoy the experience more fully because you've already gotten all of the self-examination out of the way...
God bless you, Joseph!
Affectionately,
Mel
JP
Nice post on those canine creatures. You are one rare thinker.
Hey Joseph!
You know sometimes we have so many thoughts in our mind that our systen get clogged up. Though we live in the presant but we're quite away from it. Animals are carefree, they know how to live life, its time we humans learn something from them..learn to be happy..to enjoy the beautiful moments of life...to thanks the Almighty for all the blessings that he's showered on us:)
Its a beautiful life, but beauty cannot be seen all the time, it has to be felt:)
Lovely post with amazing pics as ever..Keep postn and keep inspiring :)
I would enjoy an evening like this with my Sheeba.Those dogs lok so healthy, active and lively with their owners. I like Dalmatians.
You are right Joseph-ji, our minds bubble over with thoughts like these. OUr thought process elevate us from all other forms of life.
God man in His own image having a mind, will and emotions which He has. Other forms of life do not have this heavenly imprint .
I love to walk on the beach. Each time I walk on the same beach, it is different because I carry different things to it. Go back many times. Your very fun post reminds me of a popular prayer by an unknown author:
Dance as though no one is watching you,
Love as though you have never been hurt before,
Sing as though no one can hear you,
Live as though heaven is on earth.
DEar Joseph
Another great post. Nice photos of the tourists & dogs playing on the beach with gay abandon.Good to note that it is raining heavily in Kerala - its been a much delayed monsoon. And in Kerala (as also in Mumbai) people really do not worry about the rain and go about their normal routine with umbrellas.
By the way did you buy a new laptop or upgrade your old one.
Regards Ram
Hi Joseph, this is a very nice post, the pictures are so nice. You have such troublesome thoughts, we all feel guilty about things in our past. Try to dwell on your happier times, maybe you did not do what you went to the beach for, but you did a wonderful thing by sharing your day with us and taking nice photos of the people and dogs. Thank you for coming by and hope you have a nice weekend.
Hi Joseph,
A beautiful post with the message well-conveyed. Thanks :)
Ayesha
Hi Joseph, your pictures of the beach and the playing dogs are so lovely! Peaceful and joyful!
I love my dog very much for the simple reason that she lives completely in the present moment and loves me abundantly :)
You are a philosopher, Joseph!
Hi Joseph,
Great post and lovely pics of dogs on the beach.
Hi Joseph,
It is good to get back to blogging, with computer problems and holiday, I have missed your thought provoking posts. This one is no exception, oh to live in the moment, what an elusive goal. When you wrote down the brain chatter that goes on within us, it should make us blush how shallow most of our thoughts are. How we want to make a mark in the world for good and God, but then to review our thoughts leaves us so far from the goal. I wish we could claim youth as an excuse, but hardly the case.
So many years so little growth.
Maybe this year will be better?
God bless,
Fred
Hello dear Joseph! I love the pictures once again! I love the beach and love animals too, so it was tough not to love this one.
As Mel said, another very thought-provoking post from you. I look forward to reading and seeing everything you have for us! I am so glad your computer troubles are behind you.
I also have to thank you for connecting me to so many other wonderful people and blogs! It is so fun in this blogging world to be able to read the other comments left and know that I know these people so well too!
It's a wonderful world indeed.
God bless you my friend!
Trudy
Hi sir :-)
Hw are you? I was away from blogging for a while, so couldn't visit your blog. I guess I missed your beautiful photographs and wonderful experiences :(
And, a very admirable post here! By thinking that dogs are always in the present, you have missed your lovely day. That's how many of us are...unfortunate to enjoy the wonderful present by thinking about the future and regretting the past. Your post beautifully highlights this truth. Enjoyed the photos too.
Keep clicking!
Have a great weekend :)
nice post. and too true the thoughts that monopolize our minds forcing the joy to the shadowy recesses of the corners. discipline to keep them in their pandora's box to enjoy the laughing dogs amid the rolling surf. think i need to work on that. smiles.
Hi Joseph! Great post! I'm so glad you got a break from the rain. I have 2 dogs and I know that feeling of enjoying the present! I work at it a lot, walking in the woods really helps me to disengage from the past and think only of what is surrounding me! It takes a lot of practice though! I call it my "nature therapy"...walking meditation in a way! The dogs on the beach are so cute!
I love these shots...
And rain is the best time for me to live in...
Namaste my friend. I hope you are well and doing great.
Joseph you can do nothing about the past however you can learn from it and make the present and future different in terms of how you interact in the world. Just be and enjoy what life has to offer, trying to keep up with/compete, control dicate others life is simply a complete waste time, emotional and psychological resource.
You had me at "the walk along the beach, footprints in the sand" and lost me at "all the dogs running in the water, monopolizing the beach' I think I'd change my mind too. While I like animals, swimming in the same water they probably pee and crap in is not exactly a ideal...haha, just me :P.
Have a fantastic week my friend and please, forget about the neighbours earnings and just enjoy the neighbour.
Dear Joseph, How interesting that in different ways we are presenting the same query in our posts this day. How indeed to be in the moment - as you so aptly describe in the behavior of the dogs - how to revel in the delight of BEING! I posted the following comment in response to your visit today:
Joseph, You have indeed captured the haiku in its entirety. The discipline of the haiku - first line 5 syllables, 2nd line 7, third line 5 is followed. The challenge of a haiku is to convey all within these parameters. Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I appreciate knowing that my intention was fulfilled.
As part of my training in yoga science, I was to rise before sunrise, greet the sunrise, be aware of all and be one with each experience. This was done for 40 days in succession. It was a transformative time, setting the appreciation and gratitude that holds each day present.
The many observations you note in your comment are indeed those I too live. You are deeply appreciated for your understanding. The painting posted was one such awakening.
It seems that it is an equally fitting post to your day at the beach. Yes, Joseph we are meant to transcend.
I afraid of dogs for the simple reason.. your pictures of the beach and the playing dogs are so lovely! Absolutely fantastic post! Good job!
Great! Keep up the great posts…..
Hello Sir,
Thanks for your comment on my last post. It was one of the BEST COMMENTS. This post of yours is again reflecting your modish way of writing. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I’ll be waiting for your comment on my post….
So do visit……
Good Luck for next posts………
Keep Smiling…………..
Love,
Manjari
beautiful post n lovely pictures:)
its so true..we often dont realise the good things that life has to offer n plod away in the past:)
Isn't it funny how we tend to think so inward, even when we don't mean to? I catch myself doing it all the time.
God is so wise, by contrast. He always thinks about others and His eyes are always watching us, our thoughts, our actions, our futures.
We all make mistakes and have things in our pasts that try to drag us down. But remember that God's grace and faithfulness is greater than any of our failures, even when we don't feel this is true.
Thank you for sharing and you're in my prayers.
Nice post with beautiful snaps.
It is very true we can no longer enjoy our lives without bothering about the past, future and surroundings. Our mind is always conscious about the surroundings.
Nice photographs...
Rains are always refreshing , no matter what.
i simply love dogs...wish i could have one , like that big dog seen in many pics..
Cheers
morning Joseph! hope all is ok there! yes, dogs on the beach but i see beautiful waves also!!
Beautiful photos of the beach....And need not mention about the Dogs....I'm sorry that u didn't enjoy what u went for. Sometimes we may come across situations when we are crippled physically and mentally....become aimless and absent-minded,Lack of motivation and Happiness coming from our inside.....All we can do in such situations is to divert our thoughts to Happier moments in our lives....I'm sure u wud be having many such moments....Pls be happy like a child and never regret for the past or worry about the future,as they are of no use to us....Another way you could be happy is by making the persons u like most,Happy and looking at their happy faces....I pray God to give u a Life full of Happiness.....
Its such a nice post.
At first I was enjoying the playful manner in which you described the activities of the dogs but when I reached the last para..... It really made me to ponder....ah we humans....
Sir, your blogs always give a true lesson and they are so very interesting and of course as each one of us here say, are thought provoking.
I love this site of yours.
Regards
Abhilasha
A most fantastic beautiful expressed post :D I am a great fan of pets :D I love pets a lot :) I really enjoyed reading this post & really deeply felt as though, I am in standing near the beach, seeing the dogs playing, I wish, I would ve been there, to enjoy in reality with those sweet dogs & also absorb that salty fresh air..I really loved "SALTY FRESH AIR & LEAVING FOOT PRINTS" phrases which u ve used.......Very Well Penned Down Sir :D Thanks a ton for sharing such a beautiful, mind refreshing post :D
It's really wonderful to see them run freely and endlessly on the seemingly infinite beach!
Bedse Caves
Beautiful photographs and well written as usual. Even I too analyse myself deeply. It is nice do that sometimes I feel. Beautiful photographs and well written as usual. Even I too analyse myself deeply. It is nice to do that sometimes, thats my personal view.
Hi Rema:)
We always get such flashes in the mind and we start analyzing various things about us.
Many thanks for your thoughtful comments.
Have a lovely day Rema:)
Joseph
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