A traveller's responsibility

Recently the photographs of tourists to Himachal Pradesh splashed across all media was least to say really disturbing.  Photographs of tourists walking around amongst locals without masks and without any distancing ring resounding alarm bells.

We understand staying indoors leads to so much of psychological trauma. But does that mean , we should shun responsibility , be oblivious to the fact that we can be catalytic in bringing about devastation in someone else's life? Of course, since humans were inherently nomads, staying indoors can cause a psychological upheaval and one would feel like breaking all barriers and reach out for freedom at the slightest opportunity. But then we have also evolved and so have our brains and with it comes the realisation of our responsibility to society at large, to safe guard those whom we don't even know. That knowledge should not be ignored.

We travellers we understand humanity better because we have not been cocooned in a corner but have experienced the bounty of different cultures and people. Travelling keeps us humble because we know the real world. The mountains, the stars, the seas tell us how very trivial we are, we are but just a speck in the universe, and still a long way from unravelling the mysteries that abound the earth. Then how can we let go of this experience in one go and be audacious enough to disregard the harm our actions could lead to?

Let us travellers use our experiences to make a difference. Tell the world how the thread of humanity ties everyone together from the snow capped mountains to the roaring seas and we are responsible for the survival of one another. Sometimes inner peace and tranquility does not arise just from visiting the mountains and sailing over seas but from knowing that our actions or our pause keeps the world safe , keeps the world ticking. Let us give the outdoors a miss for sometime so that humanity survives.

    :Tips to quench the traveller's thirst:

Just sit on your balcony/porch/beside the window and see the sun rise or sun set

Watch how the sky changes its hues through the day.

Walk on the grass bare foot!

Walk or drive to explore that narrow winding road you always pass by.

Go for a drive early in the morning, if you see a meadow, a river bank, lake side or anyplace that appeals to you and is uninhabited , just stop and watch, or walk and revel in its beauty!

While doing all these, remember to follow all covid related rules and most importantly remember that people's lives depend on your actions. So behave responsibly.

One does not have to travel to unknown places everytime to find peace. We can find peace and unravel mysteries if we just look around us. There are wonders even in the mundane corners.