4 walls

Apart from distant memories, away from four walls of my home, I am sitting in a coffee shop not far from books, and not far from walls of high-rises.
I wonder if we are sadistic or simply ignorant to remove ourselves from familiar places such as our 4 walls to a not quite familiar but again a closed environment such as one I am just describing!
I only see one difference. That in the first 4 walls we might not be surrounded by people, yet again what difference does it make if we are shy, have limited enthusiasm, minimal interest in other people to start a communication and thus we remain in a new 4 wall, a prison that we create.
I wonder! I was about to ask my self what difference our 4 wall has to a prison, but I answered it, pleasantly and plainly.

We are free to eat at any time, to sleep when we desire, see men and women, even if we are shy to initiate a simple conversation.

I was thinking of all this that my day just began. A woman, in her late 40s started to talk to me, although I was trying to focus on my studies.
Women: what are you studying?
Me: surprised….
Women: are you preparing for an exam?
Me: yes
Women: what is your major?
Me: psychiatry
Women: what do you think of Dalai lama?
Me: surprised
Women: what do you think of his conversation with the psychologist?
Me: I am sorry; you got to be more specific!
Women: well…….
Me: after 20 minutes, still listening, but no comments, and other surrendering people watching and listening to our conversation!
Me: I said, it all depends on the wording!
Women: another 20 minutes.
Me: I was a bit interested to see where does all this conversation lead and wanted to know if she share the same value system as few I have meet in my life, I asked, where are you from?
Women: Canada.
Me: surprised, that she was not sharing the same value system as few I have met. But I was still listening attentively.
Women: so where are you from?
Me: not from hear.
Women: so where from?
Me: I have been out of the country for so long that, Canada is home.
Women: but where are coming from?
Me: well I have to say it.
Women: oh, all of you guys coming hear, such an irony! I was there you know.
Me: surprised. When, how long ago?
Women: 10 or 12 years ago. I was working as an architect for a company, and I graduated from university….
Me: listening attentively, but I was not sure where all this going, ended up in India!
Women: what do you think of India?
Me: smiling back, you got to be specific?
Women: another 20 minute later, explaining to me about the cities in Indian and how they have been named after colors.
And finally she start taking about her roommate, that she can not really associate too, because she is always in a state of counselling him. And she can not do it anymore.
And then she said, thank you and she left.
Me: it was nice chatting with you, and thinking that how am I going to catch upon my studies.

Then I was back to study, a short while, another young lady start blinking at me from corner of the room, and then she asked me to watch her stuff for her. She left, when she came back, she had a book in her hand that got my attention: “love spells”, and I told her, wow, such an interesting book, is it all practical? She smiled at me and she said something, I am not sure if it was in French or English. Then she blinked again. While this was happening, another young lady from South America sat on my side. She was trying to find a home to rent. I found that she had a hard time finding a place, I offered to help her, and she waited for me to help her, but my contact did not replied on time! So she left.
Time passed, I was involved with my book again, then the girl of the corner was leaving and she said buy to me in an unfashionable way. I was surprised. Way too surprised.

That what happens when you are out of your 4 walls, the rest of the day, well it was another story, which I am short of vocabulary to tell.