Religious Experience

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They came in hordes…the young, the elderly, the healthy, the sick, the unemployed, the single moms, the pregnant women with kids in strollers, the sane, the handicapped - to see the phenomenon. Some had even come from neighbouring towns. This tranquil sea of humanity brought together by a common purpose. Huddled together in anticipation early in the morning on this wintry day. Ardent scent of devotion in the air, people waited patiently in line, winter coats in hand, cell phones fully charged and cameras aimed and ready for this once in a lifetime experience.

Now, I am not your average ‘cult’ kind of person…i tend to stay away from organized groups and people who claim to have a purpose in life. I am very much a free spirit; yet, in this instance, I was drawn in by the excitement. I became one of them; a convert.We had all heard about THE ONE….who hadn’t?! Of course, we were elated that our town was chosen as the venue for the gathering (over several others vying for attention.) When you live in a mid-western US town, you learn to keep your hopes low. Such opportunities rarely come the way of us low-lives. The city officials, anticipating a massive crowd, offered to provide additional support for this great event. Roads were widened, extra parking lots created, additional traffic management support provided on the appointed day, cops pulled out of their morning doughnut-eating schedule….you get the picture. The last time they had such a big gathering, Dubya and his entourage were coming to town. That’s how big I am talking.

And the crowds did not disappoint. Thousands and thousands of believers assembled at the chosen spot; some even camping out two days before the actual event just to be the first ones to catch a glimpse of THE ONE. As we approached the appointed hour, you could sense the excitement in the crowd. We were ready! At precisely 9AM, when the doors opened, accompanied by a brass band and a crowd of devotees clapping us forward, we surged ahead.

And boy was it worth the wait! I couldn’t believe my eyes; could this really be happening to me? A brand spanking new IKEA store in my hood! In my own hood!! I feel so blessed. As readers of this blog will know, I am an IKEA fan. I totally dig their clever products….every single one of them. I love the witty take they have on many ordinary household items. Living in a town with nary a decent furniture store, it is to IKEA that we fled, to furnish our first apartment. Driving several hundred miles (believe me, with a disgruntled HG as co-passenger, that’s no easy feat), renting a big-ass SUV and loading it up to a level where we could no longer use the rear-view mirror. Those were fun days! I don’t buy furniture there anymore but I still eagerly wait for the annual catalog, and pore through the pages memorizing every small detail as though studying for an exam. And so, when I heard that IKEA was opening a store in my town, my joy knew no bounds. I never imagined though that I would be one of those waiting in line on Day 1. That’s usually not me. I detest crowds (a phobia that comes from living most of my life in Bombay, and being subjected to groping male hands in public places way too many times in my life.) But the attraction was too strong and I’ll admit, I was angling for the free Poang being offered to the first 100 in line. Well, it was very clear from the moment I drove the car into the parking lot that the Poang was way out of my reach. Still, I happily joined the line and got my darshan of the store. And even managed to get a $20 gift certificate. Not bad eh?

Now it remains to be seen if I will be as devoted to IKEA as before. There was novelty value in owning things which others had never seen. Now if everyone has access to them then the attraction dulls a bit. HG is ready to write in his own blood that this is not likely to happen. Well, I have 6 more months of freedom to test his theory. I know it’s going to be hard, but I might just have to prove him right this time.

Overheard in the store: Honey, what color are you in the bathroom? (err..umm…isn’t that sort of a private question?!)

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