Of cold evenings, and melancholy

I have come this evening at a nearby park for a stroll after work (from home). It is a pretty reserve, with manicured greens, a body of soothing water, replete with fountains and a flock of corellas on a nearby tree. 

It is all very lovely, except for the fact, that despite the pristine beauty, it also seems lonely. Almost melancholic. The realisation feels a bit strange. Despite all the cloudy day beauty, I perceive loneliness, not solitude. Perhaps, we humans are programmed to align internally as per the vagaries of the exterior world. 

I have seen this before - be it Kausani or Canberra, the cold just keeps people indoors, making the outer world a shade lonelier. Not just winters but also cold, dank, cloudy days such as today. I still remember, evenings turning dark as early as at 5 pm in Calcutta, immediately creating a sort of sinking feeling within, and urging to return to the warmth of home. Of course, you still had people thronging outdoors - though there would be much lesser addas compared to the long balmy summer evenings. The scene is very different here in Sydney or even across the Tasman. I remember in wintry Wellington, the offices would be empty by five, the cafes would be shut, and only the busier city streets would offer stray lamps of hope.  

Winter makes us retreat - with less socialising, it feels lonelier. I had read somewhere that some of the winter festivals like Christmas were designed to bring people together and create a bit of euphoria - hence the alignment with the winter solstice, when the nights are longest and coldest. We are, after all social creatures, and there is something of a social energy that is good for our psyche. Even if we pretend to not like it, it gets into our skin and creates a bit of joy.

 A flock of corellas pass by and create a ruckus. Well, I am not alone, after all, on this cold cloudy day. Maybe we should have a celebration for cloudy days as well…

2nd Feb’2021