April 25, 2017 – ’twas the darkest day
Awara – pronounced – aah-wah-raa is an Urdu word meaning wanderer or vagrant and “badal” – pronounced baa-thul (where the “th” has the sound made when saying “this” or “that”) means cloud; When I lost my mother a few months ago I was devastated – everything that once held meaning for me – be it yoga or work or cooking or reading or running the house – became pointless and ceased to hold my interest. The only thing that (sort of) felt like an activity worth pursuing was walking – and miles and miles of it. As I was preparing for (what I hope) the first of many such walks I thought nothing describes the way I feel inside better than a “wandering cloud” – I felt like one and aspired to be one – and so a name was born. It also fit in with my aversion to having an online presence – awara badal – indicated my mood and my temperament without compromising any PII. And in a twisted punny way, what better way to be “in the cloud” than floating as one – blended anonymity and floating presence in one fell swoop!!!