First Sight

As we go through life, we sometimes see things that move us so much that we never, ever forget that first sight.

I recall the first time I saw the Grand Canyon. My wife and I had been driving for several hours, slowly climbing a never-ending mountain through the boring desert landscape of Arizona dotted with rocks, cactus and the occasional Joshua tree. By the time we entered Grand Canyon National Park it was late afternoon.  Some tourist shops, motels and a tourist parking lot – these were all I could see. Alighting from the car we walked perhaps a hundred feet when, most unexpectedly, the canyon appeared in front of us in golden light. One moment it was hidden behind the buildings and trees; the next moment, it was spread out in all its glory. Its sheer size in depth and breadth, and its colours took our breath away. I have seen it several times since, but that first view stays with me.

Last week I had a similar experience when we visited the Taj Mahal for the first time. Years ago, an architect friend had told me that the Taj was much smaller than he had imagined it and I was fully prepared to be underwhelmed. But the very first sight of it through the opening in the gate made me catch my breath. The white marble shimmered in the crisp winter sunlight and the entire structure appeared to float in the distance. When our ever-helpful guide rattled on about historical facts, I hushed him so I could stare at the monument.

Some years ago, my father and I drove up to Shillong, which lies about 6000 feet above sea level. After crossing the Tamabil border in Sylhet, we hired a car which took us up the road meandering through the Khasi Hills. About halfway, we stopped the car at a clearing and got out to stretch our legs. I looked back the way we had come and took a sharp breath. There was Bangladesh laid out like a green carpet below – a flat land, with rivers like ribbons, and the hills of Sylhet like small bumps on the carpet, a sight never to be forgotten.

Of course, landscapes and monuments are not the only first sightings that touch and move people. Often, it is also other people, for example, romantic interests or a child right after birth.

Take my friend Hassan for instance. He had just finished his studies in the US and was visiting his family in Bangladesh. On the trip's last afternoon, he went shopping to Aarong with friends. There he made eye contact with a young woman and instantly fell in love with her. He managed an introduction, spoke briefly with her and, the very same evening, convinced his family to send a formal marriage proposal to her home. They have been happily married for several decades with two grown-up children.

What are some sights I aspire to see in the future? Birds and wild animals are a big attraction. It would be wonderful to see a tiger or lion in the wild, and that most beautiful of birds, the resplendent quetzal of Central America.

But a memorable first sight takes more than an exciting subject. Many factors – both inside and outside you - conspire together, and when it happens, it feels like a lucky day indeed.

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