Listed below are experiences which I have had 'only once in my life'. They were brief moments of indescribable joy and it happened but once. I haven't experienced the same amount of joy when the I experienced the same again. Or the experiences never happened again. But I do enjoy the memories of those once in a lifetime moments when they come to mind.
1)When I could balance on the cycle for the first time! The thrill was amazing! Going downhill, fast, not falling off...that thrill cannot be measured.
2) As a preteen, I went for a walk, one evening with my cousins, in the 70s, in Rajajinagar (west of chord road, Bangalore) when it was still agricultural fields and not houses. As we walked, in the distance, I spotted what looked like 'woodrose' and ran towards that plant. It was not wood rose but the thrill of 'spotting woodrose' I felt was overwhelming. Later we did grow woodrose in our home and I loved those flowers. I have not seen woodrose plants or flowers in vases anywhere in the last 30 years. Is it extinct I wonder.
3)Spotting the beautiful weaverbirds' nests for the first time in my life as a pre-teen in my village. It was such a joy I have never forgotten my first sight of those nests, hanging from the branches of a thorny tree (Jali mara?)waving in the breeze as I walked with my uncle to a neighbouring village. I clearly remember the walk. We had left my village early in the morning and had to walk through fields and the valley of a hill. The village I was visiting was the other side of the hill. As we walked, I saw these beautiful nests, sort of golden brown in the morning sun, swinging gently in the breeze. I knew they were nests though I had never seen one before. In those pre-internet days, I had not seen the photo of a weaverbird's nest. You cannot imagine the joy of a child, at beholding such a perfect thing of beauty, for the first time!
4)Seeing the ocean and the seashells for the first time. Actually finding the seashells for the first time in my life (I was below ten years?) was more joyful than seeing the sea.
5) Finding comics which I dearly loved in secondhand book stores. This may not be once in a life-time experience but still, each time, the euphoria is unbeatable!
6) A dear friend served us bubbly (champagne but not produced in France) about 12 years ago. I LOVED it. The taste was fantastic and like nothing I had ever tasted before. Later I asked him which company it was but he had thrown away the bottle and did not know. I tried a few different bubblies but nothing ever tasted like that wonderful glass I had that day!
Similar to the above, I had fresh beer once in Bangalore on Residency road, about 20 years ago. It tasted so good! I know beer is not supposed to be sweetish but I recall this one was. I have never ever tasted the same amazing taste ever again though I have had dozens of different beers since then.
Analyzing the above, I see that:
Cycling was the joy of achievement...being able to do something for the first time.
The taste of bubbly was a delightful sensory experience...taste.
Finding the comics, was the joy of unexpected good luck.
Spotting the seashells, weaverbird nests and woodroses was the joy of finding perfect symmetrical beauty in nature. Even now, I feel such a sense of wonder at 'perfect' symmetry, lovely colours and beauty in nature. I can't believe that nature which has no assistance from machines or 'measuring devices' can produce such amazing symmetry. Anything in nature which looks 'perfect' amazes me...even the round river rocks on beaches, butterfly wings, geodes...
Why do sea shells cast such a spell on me? The symmetry for sure is what we all love I think. The shiny iridescent pearly colors inside some shells such as Abalone is another. The colors of some shells and the patterns on others for sure is another fascinating facet of sea shells. Come to think of it, what is most marvelous about sea shells is that we cannot create a sea shell. We can only find it. I think the fact that man, with all his brilliance and skills can never make a sea shell is what makes the sea shells most alluring to me. Sure, we can make realistic replications in plastic, clay, metal, wood, etc...but it's not the same.
I am trying to analyze my memories and check if the joy was equal or at different levels for these above experiences. I cannot say that one was more or less than the other. The "ah ha" was equally high for all of these experiences.
7) I will write more 'once in a life time experiences' as I recall them.
1)When I could balance on the cycle for the first time! The thrill was amazing! Going downhill, fast, not falling off...that thrill cannot be measured.
2) As a preteen, I went for a walk, one evening with my cousins, in the 70s, in Rajajinagar (west of chord road, Bangalore) when it was still agricultural fields and not houses. As we walked, in the distance, I spotted what looked like 'woodrose' and ran towards that plant. It was not wood rose but the thrill of 'spotting woodrose' I felt was overwhelming. Later we did grow woodrose in our home and I loved those flowers. I have not seen woodrose plants or flowers in vases anywhere in the last 30 years. Is it extinct I wonder.
3)Spotting the beautiful weaverbirds' nests for the first time in my life as a pre-teen in my village. It was such a joy I have never forgotten my first sight of those nests, hanging from the branches of a thorny tree (Jali mara?)waving in the breeze as I walked with my uncle to a neighbouring village. I clearly remember the walk. We had left my village early in the morning and had to walk through fields and the valley of a hill. The village I was visiting was the other side of the hill. As we walked, I saw these beautiful nests, sort of golden brown in the morning sun, swinging gently in the breeze. I knew they were nests though I had never seen one before. In those pre-internet days, I had not seen the photo of a weaverbird's nest. You cannot imagine the joy of a child, at beholding such a perfect thing of beauty, for the first time!
4)Seeing the ocean and the seashells for the first time. Actually finding the seashells for the first time in my life (I was below ten years?) was more joyful than seeing the sea.
5) Finding comics which I dearly loved in secondhand book stores. This may not be once in a life-time experience but still, each time, the euphoria is unbeatable!
6) A dear friend served us bubbly (champagne but not produced in France) about 12 years ago. I LOVED it. The taste was fantastic and like nothing I had ever tasted before. Later I asked him which company it was but he had thrown away the bottle and did not know. I tried a few different bubblies but nothing ever tasted like that wonderful glass I had that day!
Similar to the above, I had fresh beer once in Bangalore on Residency road, about 20 years ago. It tasted so good! I know beer is not supposed to be sweetish but I recall this one was. I have never ever tasted the same amazing taste ever again though I have had dozens of different beers since then.
Analyzing the above, I see that:
Cycling was the joy of achievement...being able to do something for the first time.
The taste of bubbly was a delightful sensory experience...taste.
Finding the comics, was the joy of unexpected good luck.
Spotting the seashells, weaverbird nests and woodroses was the joy of finding perfect symmetrical beauty in nature. Even now, I feel such a sense of wonder at 'perfect' symmetry, lovely colours and beauty in nature. I can't believe that nature which has no assistance from machines or 'measuring devices' can produce such amazing symmetry. Anything in nature which looks 'perfect' amazes me...even the round river rocks on beaches, butterfly wings, geodes...
Why do sea shells cast such a spell on me? The symmetry for sure is what we all love I think. The shiny iridescent pearly colors inside some shells such as Abalone is another. The colors of some shells and the patterns on others for sure is another fascinating facet of sea shells. Come to think of it, what is most marvelous about sea shells is that we cannot create a sea shell. We can only find it. I think the fact that man, with all his brilliance and skills can never make a sea shell is what makes the sea shells most alluring to me. Sure, we can make realistic replications in plastic, clay, metal, wood, etc...but it's not the same.
I am trying to analyze my memories and check if the joy was equal or at different levels for these above experiences. I cannot say that one was more or less than the other. The "ah ha" was equally high for all of these experiences.
7) I will write more 'once in a life time experiences' as I recall them.
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