A quick backward glance over the shoulder

Banya Saw
2 min readOct 28, 2021

--

Throughout my adult life I have often been in the role of that Born Loser cartoon character. But each such episode prepared me for the next forthcoming episode. As a result, with the passage of time I have morphed into a thick-skinned skeptic introvert with a come-what-may attitude towards life in general.

This year is doubly hexed due to the ultra hot political climate and the worsening pandemic.The quality of life has taken a sudden nosedive with little hope of returning back to the usual in at least a decade even if both the present political and the pandemic scenarios suddenly take U- turns for the better. And I am already past eighty. This naturally has hardened me all the more and the untimely demise of a young family member early this year has finally sent me off on a rough ride down the river of no return. Who cares? Que sera sera! I take consolation in the fact that it’s going to be a short ride only as I am already on the wrong side of the threshold of the twilight zone.

Now that I am in my 80s and hence in my twilight years on this beautiful planet there is no way I would be travelling up river against the tide. Taking the easy way from now on this old man will be seen floating down stream in almost perfect harmony with the current. That much is crystal clear.

Of course the old nincompoop will be stopping now and then along the way unnoticed to lend his humble helping hand in his own peculiar way in any righteous collective endeavour. That much is also crystal clear.

At my age not struggling is more peaceful than struggling. And I have little time left to enjoy peace and tranquility. In the meantime the little boy deep inside me will emerge now and then to cheer up this old weirdo and play with the toy trains. Just a simple matter of pragmatically adapting to the unavoidable situation at hand. According to Darwin the ability to adapt to the environment means more chances of survival.Of course he was referring to evolution. Anyway I am grasping at the last straw.
Ha ha!

--

--

Banya Saw
Banya Saw

Written by Banya Saw

Born in 1940 when my country was still under British rule. Graduated from Rangoon University with Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law in 1963 and 1966.

No responses yet