A HIKE TO REMEMBER FOR 🥾🚶‍♀️🚶🚶‍♂️

Today I am going to write about a simple form of exercise which each and everyone in this planet loves to do without fail.Easy to guess. It’s simple.”WALKING n HIKING”.Fav form of exercise for all.

Greetings everyone

We are all aware of how vital it is to walk to keep good health. Isn’t it?. In this blog I also want to highlight that walking not only helps in maintaining fitness but also it is a kind of therapy. Since being a toddler the first baby step is walking for all of us. This steps slowly progress in to walking which becomes integral part of our routine. Of all the form of exercises, walking is the most popular form of exercise as it can be followed by all .

Rakesh woke up to a lazy morning. The thought of waking up made him more irritable. It was past 10.00 am in the morning. He had to catch a flight in the afternoon to reach his home.

I hereby want to introduce my central character Rakesh. Rakesh had finished his undergraduate studies recently. He graduated from the Mechanical engineering department. He had secured a decent GPA too. Good enough to secure a job. But Rakesh didn’t want to sit for placements. Why? He just wanted to take a break before pursuing anything further, a job or further studies.

The conversations with regard to this had often ended in lots of discussions, arguments and stress during the calls with his parents. Rakesh could understand the anxiety of his parents which he felt was agreeable. But,he was clear about one thing for sure. Not allowing anyone to advise or take decisions about his future on his behalf. His past experiences as a 12 th std student had taught him to be cautious in taking important decisions regarding his studies and career.In school his favourite subjects were civics,history and geography. Not maths or science. But no one lent an ear to know what his aspirations were, including his parents.

It had been a whirlwind time for him since he joined coaching classes when he was in class 11. Life has been a bumpy roller coaster ride from the day he joined the coaching classes till he completed his graduation till date. Totally chaotic!!!!!. Very mechanical with no clarity on what he really wanted to do in his life. The only thing he totally enjoyed during his college days were participating in the debates, elocution competitions where he felt he was himself. He kept a tab on political weather prevailing throughout the world. He had made pretty good friends in the college as he was popular as an Orator. He could visualise that was his space.

Each and every child has a hidden talent in him/ her. The normal stigma prevailing in the society of excelling in academics doesn’t permit one to follow one’s passion. This is the hard lesson which Rakesh had learnt in his growing years.

With thoughts constantly buzzing in his head, he got ready to leave for the airport. The only solace he was looking forward to his stay at home was the soulful food his mom cooked which brought a smile to his otherwise grumpy face. His mind was definitely not in engineering. With a barrage of thoughts in his mind he reached the airport.

Reached home within a few hours to be welcomed by affectionate hugs and forehead kisses by the parents. Back home his younger brother was busy playing cricket with his friends. Cricket was his passion, but will he be able to follow his passion though?, Rakesh thought in his mind. Settled in the cosy and comfy home with good sleep. Proper food and with no race to run in the daily routine Rakesh was at peace.

But, his parents were not at peace. There is a saying “When a son grows above your shoulder, parents have to be careful while talking or when advising”. His parents could sense that something was amiss with their son. With a deep thought in his mind Rakesh’s father went for his regular walk. Whenever he had problems, his morning walk was the tool for him to find a solution.

Days passed by, and Rakesh was just idling in the house in his own routine of reading, browsing, and playing games with his younger brother. In spite of coaxing Rakesh was not in a mood to open up about his further plans to his parents. There was definitely a coldness prevailing between them. How do I get rid of this coldness and thaw it was the question. One day it so happened, Rakesh was awake when his father left for morning walk. His father took this as a chance and requested him to join for the walk. Rakesh replied that he was not interested in accompanying him for a walk. He said he only likes to go for hikes, not walks. Unable to convince Rakesh, his dad left for his morning walk alone.

A month passed by. Rakesh started going cycling in the mornings. He also found a place to hike nearby. He decided to go for the hike that weekend. He told the same to his parents. His parents were happy to know of his interest in hiking. Slowly his father told that all of them would like to accompany him. Let’s make it a family hike, his father told. Initially Rakesh was reluctant, but could not disagree with his father. Finally it was decided that Saturday it’s going to be hike day.

Saturday was very special for Rakesh’s dad. He took this as a chance to spend quality time with his Son. With hiking shoes to wear, lots of water, juices, cookies, and snacks the whole family was all set for the hike. The hiking area was near their house. The weather also was very pleasant making it favourable to hike, walk, run.

The whole family started with both hiking and in between walking. Rohit and Rakesh were fast and going ahead of their mom and dad. Both the brothers were having fun laughing , running and talking and hiking in between. They waited for their parents to reach the same level as them. Then Rakesh and his dad started walking. Just the normal talk about weather, politics, Job vacancies etc etc. During the conversations Rakesh’s dad could see that he was well informed about the foreign affairs, politics and all the latest going on all over the world. He showed keen interest to discuss the same.

Busy deep in their conversation they realised there was a pond on the way and a small waterfall above. The family decided to relax there for sometime before going ahead. With juice,snacks and cookies as refreshments they all sat facing the pond. With a cool air breeze on his face Rakesh was feeling kinda relaxed. He also was not feeling grumpy and was in a mood to talk with his family members. He felt like a kid while playing with his brother.

His mom and brother wanted to play in the pond water. Rakesh and his dad decided to have a slow walk around the pond. Rakesh’s father could feel his son at ease. He began the conversation asking about his friends in college and what they were planning to do further. Rakesh replied promptly to his father’s questions. Next his father asked the reason why he didn’t sit for the placement to secure a job. And if job was not his option, then what does he intend to do further?.

Rakesh was initially hesitant to open up. He said that if he told his plans they may not agree to support him and will force him to follow theiradvice like they did when he was a school kid. His dad assured him that when he was a 11 th std student, things were different as they thought that just being good at studies was important. It never struck them to ask his interests then. But, in the present, things have completely changed. They will support him in his future plans totally.

Rakesh in a thoughtful tone replied that he became an engineer out of compulsion which was really not his liking. His real interest was to prepare for Civil Services Exams. With a sense of assurance in his eyes, Rakesh said that he wants to pursue further studies and become an IFS( Indian Foreign Service)Officer. Delighted to hear his wish, his father said that he will completely support him to achieve his goal. With the tension out from his head, Rakesh with a smile hugged his dad to say a thank you. Both his mother and brother were happy to see both of them with a smile on their faces. His mom could sense a sigh of relief to pave way for a friendly bonding between them. With a smile on her face she too hugged her son with lots of warmth and affection.

With a dream to fulfill successfully Rakesh started walking happily with his family to finish the remaining hike. Looking forward to more discussions regarding his new interests, the whole family of four started walking energetically to reach the summit with a sense of satisfaction.

“A SMALL WALK OR A HIKE IS LIKE A THERAPY WHICH CAN PROBLEM SOLVE MANY SITUATIONS SMOOTHLY”🚶‍♀️🚶🚶‍♂️🥾🥾