Reading the warp and weft of humanity

Have you ever strolled through the textile souq to marvel at the sheer range of fabrics and materials displayed in the full length glory of their colours and textures?

Just get into any shop and feel the texture of a variety of fabrics, sometimes so smooth below the fingers, sometimes rough and grainy and sometimes so earthy and real that you can literally read what the threads have to say.

I think people are like the warp and weft of these fabrics. You come across so many varieties and types of personas and many of who resemble a riot of colours and textures.

You find people who are like jute - very rough, grainy and yet with such a real feel. You get them in two varieties.

The truly rough gunny bag variety who will swap the dirt you create and the other more attractive ones with depth of colours and strands to give you a more well rounded and satisfying appeal, but at the same time never losing touch with reality.

They are people who you can rely on anytime, anywhere, both fair and rough weather friends that are not going to wilt under the harsh glare of testy circumstances.

Then you come across the very fine, down-to-earth tensile variety, very similar to Indian linen. So delicate and so honest that you could literally "see through" them, and yet so graceful and crisp that you marvel at their ability to absorb so much heat and still be so cool.

No-nonsense

The all time favourites are those that are like the tough and no-nonsense cotton - a fabric for all seasons. The "cotton" people too are the kinds you can count on, for any situation. They are made of stuff that can never fail you.

The strands that weave them into who they are, are strong and hardy, they give you your space to breathe and wrap around you protectively.

The real classic characters are like China Silk and taffetas, so exquisite, so grand and yet so organic in their approach to life. They come with their own grace and beauty that is timeless and gets better with age.

More often than not, in our society you find many that are as flimsy as chiffons and georgettes, too clingy for comfort and ones that cannot withstand the slightest test of strength and stain and tear easily.

Artificial

But these are at least beautiful to look at; we have the downright ugly polyester and Terylene types that are through and through artificial.

They make no bones about who they are; they are loud and garish and attract attention easily but if you were to go close to them, they can asphyxiate you with the artificial weaves.

Basically, when you look for friends, think of the textile souq experience and decide what kind of a wardrobe you would be proud of - a great, dependable one with plenty of colour, texture and depth that is not artificial and flimsy, or the loud garish variety that gives you rash and leaves you gasping for fresh air.