BUSY BEE

I have been meaning to write on these pages for a few days now. Despite having about four recurring themes running through my mind, I have not just had the calm to pour out my thoughts. This is ironical of sorts. Somehow, I have engaged my free time of late with a schedule of very engaging personal tasks.


I love it when I write. When my plausible writing time is not stifled by plain fatigue but by time spent on other planned activities, my satisfaction is even. The same is true of our lives. It’s the reason why we don’t feel regret at the end of a busy day spent on doing things we have outlined to do; even if we missed out on our favourite show. That said, when say a doctor who plays in a jazz band squeezes his busy schedule to attend his band’s performance, the sense of fulfilment is unequalled.

So it is that in our busiest moments, we find the joy of life. We all love to have time to ourselves, doing our own thing or nothing in particular, a “cool-off” or a “chill-out”. When these are not consequent upon meaningful activity, they tend towards being meaningless. However in the converse, we look forward to such moments and enjoy every sip of it.

The thrill of being busy is not only in the satiety of the rest that ensues, but also in the fact that we feel maximized at those moments. Suddenly, we become more organized, activities are prioritised, time is wisely spent and the year runs very fast! We sleep tired and wake up refreshed. As long as we are not physically tired, our creative imagination is turned on. A joke is just one and no meanings are read into it. We carry ourselves with a sense of purpose and life is just meaningful.

Much as being busy infers virtue, I still dread it when a busy day looms. The good thing is that the day comes along, I get lost in its busyness until when I can sit and reflect. As I just did.

CAUGHT UP

Yesterday, as I drove home from visiting a friend I was caught up in the beauty of nature. It composed of regular things that given a company in the car, I may have chatted myself away from this acknowledgement. Not on this day though. I was alone in the car, the stereo hummed a soft beat and besieged by my circumstances of late, I was always going to be in a pensive mood.


I had just gone past a road construction delay point, over took some utility vehicles and then beyond the pattering of heavy down pour when I came on a straight road with the glow of sunset right before me. The clouds were behind me and the highway seems to lead straight to the glowing ball on the western horizon of planet earth. Some dark clouds were still positioned at the periphery of the sun but rays of light seem to pierce right through them. Those same clouds also did not stop the cast from the sun to reach the wet road in front of me as the latter reflected like a path paved in gold. I could still hear the patter of light drizzles on the lush grassland either side of the road.

The landscape stretched beyond me unto hills and valleys. I was so enthralled I wished I could break, turn off the ignition, take a walk towards one of those hills and when atop, just gaze into tranquillity under the light drizzles. As I entered into town, I lifted my eyes and it was to the rainbow. It seemed I had passed under its arch and the points where it touches the earth were visible. I wished I could position myself right in the middle of that portion of land!

My thought have reeled over the sight and I have re-lived the feeling again. There is inspiration around us if only our minds are calm. Beyond the cloud of doubt and difficulties is the clarity and hope of light. These aside, the earth is beautiful and nature is a miracle. I was caught up in it.

HOW TIME FLIES

Indeed, how time flies. People dream of magical moments, look forward to an event or prepare for an experience; the time comes and no matter whether enticing or troubling, it rolls by eventually. My thoughts drifted along these themes when a few days ago, I had to say byes to a team of colleagues with whom I had spent some eventful weeks of specialized training. Coincidentally, it was also the beginning of December and suddenly the year’s end was in view.


Those two weeks were more than just “doping” people for surgery. In fact it was an engaging twist of meeting people, learning tricks on the job, listening to the varied scientific opinions of others and of course being confronted with attitude (plenty of it). So without much deliberateness, we had gotten quite used to interacting with one another until suddenly it was time to split. Unfortunately, with separation comes the knowing that one may never be in the company of those folks one was dispersing from. Emotions are thence let loose.

A few days before those hugs and the promise to call, I was already looking forward to leaving. Suddenly it felt like I had missed my space, my routines and even my bed - the same stuff that I was happy to get away from only just a couple of weeks before. The lyrics of a certain song about not chasing waterfalls but to stick with the rivers and the lakes one is used to readily come to mind. For as much as one should not be afraid to step out of one’s comfort zone, many a time the adventure anticipated in the unknown may indeed be less juicy than our present experiences.

Taking responsibility for one’s actions also infers making the most of the outcome of those actions. And as I reflect on the year’s end, I am bemused by how much the pieces have combined to make my life’s experience in 2011. In the course of living, one can never be conscientious enough in knowing how time flies.