One can't think without words?

Must have heard a very common saying, "You cannot think without words"?

Are you sure that's true?

How does a child think? What does music do to you? What does the sight of sunset do to you? Do words help express all these? Probably the answer will be no, cause if its yes, then you probably haven't really experienced these.

Close your eyes and when in anguish, the guitaring from GunsNRoses's November Rain fills your ears. When you miss someone you don't say in your mind, "I am missing you". You just see that person and feel him/her close to you.

I was at a stand-up comedy last night. It was named Mr. Funny Man. The comedian asked us to close our eyes and try thinking for 3 seconds without words. I am sure none of us could. Then, he went on to perform with no words at all for the next 5 minutes, making complete sense. People laughed, but that is when I realised that its not words that are required to think or emote. The other senses are powerful enough to enable your mind to think.

Words help give meaning to thoughts that one is unable to convey or one is unable to undertand otherwise.

An experience.

Today I want to share one experience with you.

I met Mrs. Uma Sudarshan who came down from the US for a few days. She was my first teacher and incidentally I was her first student. She had started a kindergarden school and I was the first student to be enrolled. We have shared some wonderful moments together and I know that what I am today is because of the rock solid foundation she laid in the formative years of my life.

She is returning to the US today, so on my way to work I met her for a brief 5 minutes. While parting she gave me a hug. She held on to me for 2 minute. Those 2 minutes felt like all the warmth of the 26 years of my life wrapped into those brief moments. We said nothing. I left. I noticed tears in her eyes when I turned around.

How 2 minutes are all it takes to say, "you mean a lot to me".