Birthdays are always special. Unless maybe if you were born during the prehistoric time where the only activity in life was to hunt food for survival, no calendars whatsoever. And besides who would care for dates when in the turn of events you become the prey to bigger predators.
In the recent times with all the facilities to keep and remember dates, birthdays are celebrated to thank the year that has passed.
Yesterday, I turned 53 and celebrated it again in Africa for the 16th time. Well its my choice, I just couldn't complain. But the absence of loved ones has made me become so used of treating it like any ordinary day of the year. I had to dress for work in the morning because it was Saturday and when the evening came there goes the drinking and merriment, so casual like any fare on Saturday nights in Loulo.
But this year's birthday anniversary of mine was special and different from the past. I became older and wiser. While chatting with a friend in Skype I wanted to borrow a line from the famous poem of Max Erhmann's Desiderata that's in the tip of my tongue. Without wasting time I searched it in the net and ended up reading the poem word for word. Relishing every meaning it brought to me. I wondered in awe on how it was simply said, yet it epitomized the desirable way to live life. It's so true that I said to myself, "what a wonderful gift is this, to be able to read the Desiderata again on my special day. This made my day."
Then I felt a sudden pang of remorse for my undesirable actions that violated the poem's lessons. It's not necessary anymore to mention which one is it but I learned my lesson well. I was so inspired that I promised to myself that from then on the poem will be my life. Even thought of memorizing it, sharing it, keeping a copy of it to remind me always to be good.
Okay Lito, let's see next year if you have become a better person.
