The Choices We Make

It all starts quite normally: a fascination for the foamy crests, forming and breaking and forming once again. It brings to mind the mariners of yore or even the present day surfers as they ride the tempestuous waves. And so grows a desire, albeit modest, to take a dip in those raging waters, to feel the sand being swept away from under one’s toes – nothing unusual about all these. On the shore, these waves seem so lovely and gentle – their roar subdued, crashing away harmlessly on the sandy coast. That is until, you accept their invitation and go deeper into their territory. There you feel their might and their unbridled roar. As the land slips away from underneath your feet, so does your sense of security. Those ‘harmless’ waves now have you under their power; buffeting you kindly one moment and tossing you around like a rag-doll figure the very next. Yet, there still remains a belief that you are very much in control and so you venture deeper. And it is there you catch the sight of a swelling giant moving silently your way. It evokes a response: it is that of awe and fear. Something inside you screams for the shore. But don’t give in just yet. Stay. Experience the thrill. And if you survive, which you quite often will, you would have lived a moment.

Life is immeasurable. Some do it in days, others in moments and no one can tell for sure whether a really old man in his peaceful death was a happier man than the guy who went out risking everything for what he loved the most. It’s all about the choices we make. It always has been. But more importantly, it’s about being happy with our share of choices through the lifetime.