Clickety Clack, Clickety click

Toy Train, originally uploaded by Pranay Rao.

The other night I was woken up by a horn and I cursed the driver when the sound was followed by the rumble of an engine and I was so elated. The fact that I could hear a train felt so cool.

There's something about a train that is really exciting. It's generally one of the first few toys that you give a kid. I remember being super excited to see this wonderful toy train at the Kochi Toy museum. It chugged and whistled and even changed tracks at the touch of a lever.

As a Mumbaikar, our lives have been governed by the train. well it's not 1/2 as romantic but there are so many wonderful stories about the train rides. A couple who are very close family friends met each other on the train. I still remember the guys trying to impress the ladies on the other side of the 1/2 gents 1/2 ladies 1st class compartment. Ok the trains were a lot less full then but just recently read the status message of a friend about a lady who he saw on the trin but couldn't find on FB or Orkut. We Mumbaikurs found our social networking tool years back. It's that train which shaped many a life, each different yet bound together.

Anyway the train in this picture is a wooden toy train, a legacy of a generation gone when kids actually played with wooden toys. The train has little windows cut into single blocks of wood with little wheels which move quite smoothly. It's got centre place on my showcase with priority over the wooden classic motorcycle.

Memories fly by like electric poles and trees,
of the wonderful moments in each train trip.
The gentle rocking, the movement from side to side.
The sound of the tracks the repetitive clickety click.

The blast of the horn at each level crossing,
asking everyone to not come in the way,
of the many dreams that are rumbling through,
of the memories created each passing day.

Every moment different in it's own special way.
Each passage like a nice little story.
Telling us, it's not the destination that matters,
In life what matters most is the journey

Luv,

P.R.