The laborious bastards

Some choose to break free of their comfort zones late in their lives. Having been on auto-pilot mode, they feel tired and demotivated. The uninteresting routines. The cumbersome responsibilities. Each one saps a part of them dry and leaves them ghosted or shelved.

And one stray morning, something happens. The rubber band snaps. They realize that they are not happy; that time is not on their side. Frightened, they look to break to their routines. Make little changes that will pave the way for bigger and bolder transitions. Demand a butterfly to flap its wings one more time. Seize control of the future – without forgetting the past.

The determination lasts for a few months before their plans go kaput. And it occurs to them that it probably wasn’t a great idea to invest so heavily in a plan that sounds similar to Time Cop. Especially, when they can’t do half the things that Jean-Claude Van Damme does.

As a late-bloomer, I find myself bound to old habits while pursuing newly-set goals. For instance, I was late in realizing how gorgeous waterbirds are. For over two years, I had ignored them. I was worried that they might distract me from sighting other types of birds that were more difficult to spot.

But, during last year’s winter season, I spent a good amount of time with Eurasian Spoonbills, Black-Headed Ibises, Night Herons, Asian Openbills and Grey Herons. They had me slapping my forehead and mouthing expletives at the open skies. Don’t worry. That’s what I do when I fall in love with members of my own species too.

The spoonbills and ibises, in particular, had me mesmerized. One has a gigantic spoon for a beak and the other looks like the Marvin the Martian’s Instant Alien from the Looney Tunes show. I couldn’t believe that it took me that long to see the beauty in them.

Perhaps, such is the nature of the journey that I, like many others, have embarked upon. We were late to our own parties. So, we have no right to complain about not having received the invitations on time. Instead, we should be glad that the dancefloor isn’t yet empty.

But, if you haven’t reached the point in your life where seeking and finding contentment is a matter of utmost concern. Search for the sneaky bastard anyway. Hunt it down.

I bet it’s easier than learning how to do splits.

“The world owes you nothing. It was here first”

(Photographs: Vedanthangal)