Sitting on the edge of the ocean, just feeling the breeze, listening to the waves and watching the clouds. It was so relaxing and peaceful. No need to fight or flight. There was nothing to run up against anyway. Soon after the sun was set, we then proceeded to the near by park, about 0.7 km from Curl Curl beach.
They say always expect the unexpected. Sure, I agree 100%. I learned the ropes and learned the hard way.
Things started to get a bit out of ordinary when we got there. A woman roughly in her late 30’s, was on her bike, circling the park as if she was looking for something. Believe it or not, she was the only person I talked to the whole weekend.
I saw her coming towards us in a rather mad, ruthless manner. It was kind of annoying that she didn’t stay on the right (left) side of the shared path. What the hell was she thinking?
She stopped in front of us. Her shortness of breath was quite noticeable even from a distance. But more so was she looked like she was about to cry. Have you seen my boy? She asked. He was out for a jog, was supposed to be home half an hour ago. Tears quickly fell down on her face.
I felt her worries, a mother’s anguish at what might happen to her son. I wanted to offer my sympathy but decided to say nothing and just listen. A little 5 minutes later, her mobile phone started to ring. It changed everything for her.
It was a call she’d been waiting for. A sign of relief was written all over her face. She smiled fondly at the news that her 12 year old son had arrived home safe and sound. I told her to give him a big hug! I WILL – she said with a big grin – a sharp contrast to her earlier state of distress.
After we parted, I thought for a minute, really, the biggest fear we can experience is possibly the fear of losing the ones we love.
Living life fearlessly doesn’t mean getting rid of fear. Realising this type of fear is not meant to go away but serves one purpose – to cherish people we love and never take their presence for granted.
The pandemic is a wake up call for many of us. It’s caused fear on an unprecedented scale. We don’t know if history will repeat itself, do we?
But what now? It’s a good question. For me, after losing my job, my dog and smashing my car, a series of unfortunate events in 2020, I had enough. I just want to do what I love to do and do it now, today, not tomorrow. Because tomorrow may never come.
If lucky, when tomorrow comes, expect it’ll come with a new price tag, a new development. A well thought out Plan B or a shiny crystal ball may not be enough to keep up with change that’s coming at you. That’s life.
What’s the underlying message of fear? It’s loud and clear, isn’t it? If we can’t lose it, well, perhaps it’s time we use it…
Ted Tsai 