A Walk In The Woods

[Guest guest]

It

may suggest that I was in a thickly wooded area, but that was not the case.

It is a place where there is a lot of greenery. There are big trees, mostly at

the periphery, with a clearing in the middle. It had rained the previous night;

therefore, the whole scene had a fresh look about it. I do not have a detailed

knowledge of plants, which made it difficult for me to recognise which trees

were there. Even when nameless (for me), those trees created a comforting aura.

A

man known to me accompanied me. (There were others too for the party we were

having there.) We just drifted along the path cleared to encircle the place.

This man gently asked me what I think of simplicity. I was not much surprised

at this question because he has a composed personality and his attempt to

initiate a conversation thus was an indication of what he was perhaps thinking

of. I probed him to find out what he really meant by simplicity and thereafter

we had an engaging

short talk.   

   

I

do not wish to drag you through a semantic maze because that may cause

confusion. Confusion has no place if we are discussing simplicity. Simple

things should remain simple. Simplicity is about easily understood things and

persons. It also denotes having only what is basic and necessary without

anything extra. In fundamental terms, simplicity is the opposite of

complication.

I do not prefer anything that appears complicated. This urge to avoid

complication is even stronger when I consider people whom I may like to know.

Rather, simplicity is an important criterion when I decide to admit anybody

into my group of friends. It would be true in your case too. Who likes

complications?

We

talked about different things but the talk always remained centered on the idea

of simplicity. Simplicity was seen in various contexts. It makes things

manageable at work. Simple things are so essential in our relationships. Ask

your wife and children. Yet there are those who view simplicity differently.

For them it is almost a negative concept. I have heard comments against persons

who are simple in their dealings. Extras are valued than simple things. They

find simplicity qualitatively inferior to confusing and elaborate arrangements.

Our

conversation ended when we finished our walk through the woods. I should not

insist on finality of this conversation because such things have no definite

boundaries. We cannot enjoy such a talk if we are settling for any conclusions

at the end. This is what I would associate simplicity with. We found ourselves

in simple surroundings. We talked about simple things in an easy manner. We

simply

felt happy in each other’s company.

I

feel a walk in the woods that you enjoy with somebody is simplicity. I did not

say this to him, though. However, I am sure he might have understood what

simplicity means, or should mean to us.   

 Bharat