Ethereal is defined as heavenly, celestial, extremely delicate or refined. Unearthly even. But what of its origin? Does everyone wonder about the origin of words or is it just me?
Anywho, apparently ethereal originates from Greek. The word aithēr, meaning pure air. Aether theories talks about a space filling field, a medium, substance. Newton says "Doth not this aethereal medium in passing out of water, glass, crystal, and other compact and dense bodies in empty spaces, grow denser and denser by degrees, and by that means refract the rays of light not in a point, but by bending them gradually in curve lines? ...Is not this medium much rarer within the dense bodies of the Sun, stars, planets and comets, than in the empty celestial space between them? And in passing from them to great distances, doth it not grow denser and denser perpetually, and thereby cause the gravity of those great bodies towards one another, and of their parts towards the bodies; every body endeavouring to go from the denser parts of the medium towards the rarer?"
I'm sure he meant scientific stuff only. But it's so poetic. I'd like to believe this theory still exists. And this medium, this substance is the bond between either two people or his own higher self.
So those moments you just cant capture on camera when you travel? This is that reaching towards higher self that I'm talking about. Some of these dont even have words to describe the feeling. Other than feeling blessed that you could experience these tiny miracles (ethereal is the word, I know)
So I try to describe them, before I forget completely, hopefully you see them as I do in my mind palace. :P and yes. I've seen all of these.
Like the numerous rainbows you see, cuz no phone camera or DSLR can ever do it justice. (3 I've seen that I can never forget, one when travelling alongside the rainbow in a train, the full rainbow over the setting sun at the rann of Kutch, and a double one in the clouds below as my flight flew to Mumbai). #feelingBlessed.
Like the fully grown peacock sitting gracefully on a boundary wall of a house alongside the train tracks when your train passes by between Delhi and Agra. #Magnifico.
Like the wind making sand dance like snakes on the road when the vehicle ahead of you is going on full speed. #Fascinating.
Like the sense of belonging when you see a signboard that says you are travelling on a road built by the company you audit. #Pride.
Like the random container (actual ship container ) in the middle of a field in the arid state of rajasthan that says angreji sharaab idhar milegi, and that being the only thing for miles. And a patient line of people outside it. #Incredible.
Or the taxi in front of you that has a poster of a bride in full glory and says tum kab aaogi. #ROFL for lack of a better word.
Or the tractor carrying a tanker of water, enriching the road cuz the tops not closed, while the driver enjoys London thumakda remix on impossibly high volume levels. #Hilarious.
The inumerable people you meet on the journey. Co passenger's, famous people, politicians who's names are never remembered, RBI chairmen, cricketers, all. #Nostalgic.
That random beautifully shaped tree in the middle of nowhere which houses chattering birds in numbers you cant even imagine. #Noisy yet peaceful at the same time.
Like two cows locking horns and fighting away next to the highway your car is flying away on. #National geographic.
Like the deer you notice in a random field, or deer you notice in the forest you are cutting through. #Grace.
Or the peacock in its full glory sitting on a electric post in between two trains travelling over a river. #Stunning.
Or the one tusk loner baby elephant you notice on the side of the road, that turns looks at you and charges. #Petrifying.
Or the 80 year old foreigner who looks very much like a hep version of your own grandmother dancing away with two rajasthani folk dancers. #Awww again for the lack of a better word.
Or the rajasthani puppet dance you see in the middle of aurangabaad. Thousands of kilometers away only to later find out the strings were held by your friend and then think no wonder the puppets were humping. #Fantastic.
The feeling when your flight is hovering over mumbai for 45 minutes waiting for clearance and you see another flight also hovering helplessly across the distance. And then finally see the city. Lights traffic et all. #Home at last.
Or the feeling when you are in the wrong place along the platform. And your train arrives, it will leave in 2 mins and you know you are going to miss it. And you enter a compartment where vestibules on both ends are locked. And wait till it reaches the next stop one hour away when the only entertainment you have is wondering what WMA means written on the side of the fan and light switches ( window, middle, aisle in case anyones curious). #Enlightening.
That feeling of regret when you realise you shouldn't have trusted your friends and booked a sleeper class ticket for a night train, when you always knew they are gonna cancel. And you find Co passenger's who check out your jewellery and or sleep on the floor of the train cuz they are travelling ticketless. #Rueful.
That feeling when you realise that most of these moments are something you want to share with the one person who has long gone from your life. And that one moment opens the floodgate of emotions you thought were locked away forever. #Saudade.
After all Strip us off ego, family, money, future worries and what are we, ethereal beings who crave attention and affection. Success too, up to an extent but basically affection.
