ANTHROPOMORPHISM

Sunday, 13 September 2009 (Day19: Retirement)

Sun today was out, but very feeble. As the next 7 days have been forecasted to be cloudy with rain, I thought, I must avail the sunshine today. Even though it was a bit windy I spent most of the day in the garden. Not doing any work but reading a nice thriller "the girl who played with fire" by Stieg Larsson, a well known Swedish writer. He has been quoted as 2^nd best selling author in 2008. The book is very engrossing. After about 100 pages I got up to get some tea. When I came back I noticed a green leaf has fallen on my book. I was sitting very near the hedge, hoping that it would be less droughty there. Usually like most of the people I would not have taken much notice of the leaf. Who looks at a leaf when there are so many gorgeous flowers in sight? But the book must have put me in a state of mind where I was sympathetic to a lowly, unglamorous, victimised (snatched by the wind from the parent plant) leaf very much like its' protagonist..

Realising my train of thoughts I laughed. I was humanising this inanimate object. Hold on, there is a jargon for it: anthropomorphism. Anyway while having my tea I kept on looking at the leaf and took a picture of it laying on my e-book. It looked so pretty. When was the last time I looked at a single leaf for this long time with such intensity? Why am I entertaining this question even?

While looking at the serrated edges of this green leaf I suddenly remembered. Yes, that was it! The leaf was associated with a very beautiful lady, my biology demonstrator in the Science College where I did my pre-medical study ( equivalent to final year of the A level here). She was holding almost exactly a similar leaf and showing us how to describe the characteristics of a leaf. The different shapes, the different margins, the different textures, different tips and so on. It was so boring but no one was yawning or sleeping. It seemed everyone, even the girls were very attentive to what the lady was saying but in fact all eyes were glued to her face. I know now it was not just the book, there was this something else which was the cause of my sudden interest in the leaf. I am sure the psychologists will have a jargon for this type of association. May be I will look up on the web. If you know, please e mail me. It amazes me how the mind and memory works!

Or is it just that now I have the

luxury to spend time to explore the memory loft!