A Picnic

I have just come back from a picnic. Before I tell you about it, though, you must understand that the term "picnic" is used to refer to all-day events of any sort and not just eating sandwiches and fruit on a blanket in the grass.

This particular picnic took place at a retreat center called Santhigiri. It is not far from Aluva, but it is far enough that we were removed from the sounds of car horns that are ever-present in all Indian cities. It was quiet and calm there - a nice change from normal life in India.

I was accompanied on this picnic by about 40 senior citizens - the same ones that meet on Wednesday afternoons. I usually go to the meetings, mainly for the food and fellowship that follows, and I was delighted to be invited to their picnic, as well. They even asked me to play for them on my clarinet, and, of course, I obliged.

Following my program, there were others, including songs, skits, a sort of magic show, and a quiz competition. My team lost miserably, by the way. We also had a guest speaker who talked about the value of yoga and meditation. He talked about it in Malayalam, though, so I didn't learn much. This picnic was really just a six-hour version of the normal senior citizens' meetings on Wednesday afternoons.

The day actually passed very quickly, though, and I was a bit sorry to see it come to a close. Yes, it was difficult to sit there through all that Malayalam, and it was even more difficult to sit there when the fans went off in the middle of the afternoon. But my presence means an awful lot to these seniors, and their friendship means an awful lot to me.

You can sign me up for the next picnic. Just remind me ahead of time not to pack a basket and a blanket.