Something about myself!

Today's prompt:

-- 500 words
--- Responding to the question: "Tell me something about yourself"
-- 5:30 pm

I am that weird woman who insists on smiling at total strangers in her residential colony only because they look like people she knows. Or, because if you’ve seen someone every day at the same time and in the same general area, you can ‘know’ each other enough to acknowledge each other. Six years here, including a couple of years of team work with another smiler and greeter, and we have a much smili-er colony! I’m sexist enough to only smile at strange women, though, but also ageist enough to greet anyone who looks old, according to me! And I have found, invariably, that the older people always respond. I also like dogs and babies, both in general, and as ice-breakers on colony walks!

I sing nonsense songs to my far away grandchildren. I think I get away with it because the spouse tunes out my voice anyway, most of the time! (If I took God’s name as often, I would have attained Nirvana by now). It is not an active missing, I think. I know that I wouldn’t have the energy to deal with them for long periods of time anyway. Maybe I’m trying to send them a constant supply of granny love across the oceans, I don’t know. I do know that I’d die of embarrassment if they heard me!

I talk to recalcitrant objects in my home, as well as to the damn pigeons. I actually caught myself threatening to slap them this morning, those shameless pigeons. And yet, I am not blind to the beauty of their iridescent, bejewelled neck feathers either. I just don’t want them pooping on my floors and stomping on my plants. Our printer only listens to me: it has to be coaxed and coerced to perform. Our music system, the famous Bose ji,  also the subject of several blog posts, (https://dipalitaneja.blogspot.com/2008/07/me-and-mrbose.html , https://dipalitaneja.blogspot.com/2010/04/taming-boseji.html      https://dipalitaneja.blogspot.com/2012/01/sre-and-boseji.html)   is highly selective about what it wishes to play. KL Saigal and Pankaj Mullick CDs have been consistently rejected in recent days. Today Boseji was kind enough to play one particular Mukul Shivputra CD, having rejected another two, an Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, and now, the wonderful Kalapini Komkali, singing a beautiful Raga Nand.

I listen to music when I’m happy. I am strangely happy in these strange days, enjoying the peaceful companionship of my spouse. It’s a far cry from the rather frenetic life he was leading, which would also exhaust me, even though he would be away for much of the time. We are both busy with our own stuff, mostly in different rooms, but it’s still companionable. Of all the genres of music that I do enjoy, I think that I love Hindustani Classical vocal the most. As an untrained listener, the poetry of the ‘bandish’ seems to anchor my attention. Sometimes, though, I don’t have much choice in the matter: Boseji rules. I am, however, aching to see my children, despite seeing them on video calls. I pray that I can hug them soon.