Connections

A couple of nights ago I had a rather illuminating chat with this friend of mine. Let's say she's called Kitkat (you know who you are)..Anyway, chats with Kit usually tend to be very illuminating coz she's just that kinda gal, y'know. Anyway, that's beside the point. We were talking about friends, and the myriad ways in which they make a connection, and that very very special relationship that i like to call ESPN. Don't worry, I'm not about to start commenting on the state of sports in India, nor am I trying to surreptitously promote any particular sports channel. As if.. In my lexicon, ESPN stands for Extra Sensory Perception, Ninny! People have ESPN only when they're truly blessed. It means that they complete each other's sentences, feel sympathy pains and generally buzz around in each other's heads. Now, the rate at which I go around completing other people's sentences, one would think that I have ESPN with every second person. Sadly, I don't. I'm just a compulsive dictionary-cum-thesaurus.

No, what Kit and I were talking about is different, and truly magical. It makes you feel warm when you wake up, makes your step lighter and generally makes you so very happy. That's because after millenia of waiting and searching and holding your breath, you feel, in that blinding, perfect moment of realization,"Ah! This is the one who understands!' Everyone looks to be understood, although these days being misunderstood is more 'with it' etc. But to be understood and accepted like this!! Oh, bliss....

But what happens when ESPN goes away, when you get shut out, when someone doesn't want to understand you anymore? Oh, nothing, ostensibly. You say to yourself,"Who cares?" and generally the current of life flows on. But something does change. The prospect of waking up in the morning doesn't seem so inviting anymore. Food doesn't really tempt your palate that much. The snap and crackle seems to go out of life, it just doesn't seem all that special anymore...What does one do then? What happens when you finally acknowledge that you do care, that you would do quite a lot to have it back, but don't know if there's anything you can do? When the fine thread between two people is snapped, can it really be put back?

Can't say that I know all the answers. But when its that very special connection at stake, maybe its asking the right questions that's important..