After some deliberation on what would be an appropriate post to begin one’s blog with I decided to write about my inspiration and role model for life – my dad. This isn’t some soppy post about how he encouraged me to pursue my dreams or seek my goal. It’s the ‘life’s an adventure’ spirit that he embodies. And no one can understand this unless they see and experience it themselves. So here’s a story, that I deeply associate with my father’s spirit for adventure and capability to take life as it comes.
We have journeyed to many places seeking a new adventure every time. On one such travel, we went to the nesting ground of the Olive Ridley turtle, at Ras-al-Had in the Sultanate of Oman. A lovely night, out on the beach front, in tiny little tents. We did all the adventurous things associated with camping - cup noodles for dinner, toasting marshmallows on the open camp fire and more. When we had to throw the garbage into the garbage can up ahead (about a few 100 meters), my mother and I were deputed to do the honors.
So we trudged our way a few meters towards the dumpster. Given that it was a camping site, there wasn’t much lighting and most of the way was cast in darkness. No self respecting adult and half-grown adult (read as my mother and I) would accept that darkness scares them. And so we went. But half way there we heard some noises up ahead and bolted back to the camp. After much ‘tut-tutting’ and making fun of, my dad decided to lead us into the darkness, towards the canister.
This became lesson one for me- sometimes, the paths in life are not really clear or well lit. Yet, unless we venture into the unknown, we may never discover what it could have in store for us.
Now, it’s a completely different matter that when we followed dad into the darkness, we heard the noise again! We did the next obvious thing- my mother and I made a run for it! On reaching the camp site we find the man was missing. As much as we peered into the darkness, there was nothing that we could see!
About 20 minutes later dad walked into camp from a completely different direction, with an Arab, panting slightly! There’s not a whole lot of coherent things you can say at a moment like this- ‘What? Who? How?’ were about the only words that we could utter. Then my dad grinned from ear to ear. ‘Remember that camel we saw when we drove in this afternoon? Turns out it eats from the dumpster. So the poor thing followed me thinking I have its next meal.’ No one felt sorry for the ‘poor’ camel. It was a blistering stalker!! However, none of us interrupted. ‘When I reached the dumpster, I threw the garbage in and ran for my life. The camel however thought that I still had the bag and started following me. I didn’t have much of a choice, so I headed towards the nearest camp fire I could see and that’s how I met dear Ahmed’ he said while patting the Arab’s shoulder.
Lesson two in my education on adventure- Along the course of life, we sometimes meet people who will bail us out of trouble even when we least expect it!
After dispensing with the usual courtesies and the many thanks we owed the Arab, my father settled down and said ‘I went to the camp asking for help. The Arab’s there went into the darkness and began speaking to the camel. They came back and reported that on their instructions, the camel has agreed not to harm me and that I could head back to my camp!! Naturally, I wondered how I managed to find my way to the camp that had the completely ‘coo-coo’ people! Anyway, I am here now.’
Lesson three- Often, you will come up against people who's behavior completely defies logic, and yet 'going with the flow' maybe the only option!
‘But you know Madhu..’ he said, ‘that camel had beautiful eye-lashes’
And that right there is what made me believe that life is an adventure!
