Wake up and smell the roses

 WAKE UP AND SMELL THE ROSES 

(A  4.45 am weekend thought )

 Have you ever wondered why people behave the way they do?

Punching below their weight- intentionally!

 being critical and confrontational, 

While attempting to validate alleged grievances .

 

Are they just captious perfectionists? 

Entangled in mystifying arguments with themselves?

Or nebby, boisterous, busybodies- acting on a whim?

Taking it upon themselves 

 to sweep the Augean stables clean.

Why do otherwise principled, right thinking, intelligent humans, behave irrationally? 

 Totally out of sync with their habitual, ethical selves

and think nothing of it. 

Topic for a dissertation maybe?

Is it trepidation, apprehension, anxiety, over thinking?  

Is it a, ‘yeah I am awesome syndrome’?

Or could it be an inflated ego, and over estimation of self-worth?

 Is it one of these or an amalgamation of the above?

One minute all is quiet on the western front.

Music, peace, friends, laughter, tranquility-

 and then without warning,

or so much as a, ‘by your leave’, 

Or a, ‘may I please’

Pandemonium ensues  and the world knows it .

 Off they go on an irrevocable tangent.

Cursing the rainbow and cuddling serpents! 

Spiralling out of control – frenzied, raving, and ranting 

Refusing to listen to reason, logic, or even common sense. 

They become unpredictable, unresponsive, ludicrous &  irrational 

Lashing out 

And often throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Is it letting feelings override facts? 

Is it decision paralysis?

Is it perception based on biases?

Or are they just befuddled, bewildered and punch- drunk?

Zoned out Angels can start to grow horns- can’t they?

Wake up and smell the roses! 

Or the coffee if you will! 

Life is all about choices.

About fulfilling purposes and accomplishing goals 

Its an aspect of existence

The weekend is upon me

 The weekend is upon me .

What are my plans ?

Wait.

Come Monday morning 

And social media is abuzz 

With how the trendy spent their weekend

With this glorious weather in abundance 

They are sunbathing on the beach

Running marathons

Cycling fifty kilometres 

Hiking in the mountains

Driving in the 'wadis'

Ziplining 

Paragliding 

Swimming and surfing 

Parasailing 

Breaking the hundred meter barrier on the treadmill 

Doing squats, bench press and the like

Then there are the sand surfers 

Wind surfers and dune bathers

Who throw caution to the wind

And always tell you 

How they enjoy life to the fullest.

Must not forget the party people

Whose tag line is

Work hard and party harder!

Don't they all have such awesome lives? 

Now here's me

Woke up at a leisurely eight am

(I am usually up at the crack of dawn)

Sat in the morning sun with a 'cuppa'

And pondered on the joys of life

Played my guitar after quite a while

Did a spot of writing

Talked to the cat - she seemed to understand 

When I said ' stop biting me'

 And then fed our stray cat

That is attempting to adopt us.

Next on my 'to do list'

Is grocery shopping

Preferably alone

As the wife takes time to decide

Which potatoes and onions

Are better than the other!

(I am an impatient soul you see)

So I don't blame her.

Groceries over

And depending on my mood

I may rustle up a non veg dish

Quite enjoy cooking when in the mood.

Lunch and the compulsory 

Weekend snooze will follow.

The grandchildren often decend on us

And turn the house upside down!

I will wait for the evening to unfold 

And then there is the morrow.

I love my life 

And God is good.

And no

I don't wish I was twenty one again !

On being Grapa

 Becoming a horse and then a donkey

Braying and all.

Singing songs 

Made up on the spot

About birds, babies, grandma's,  grandads, baby sisters& pretty flowers  and 

Then instructed to add in mama and

 dada too.

The cat is her favourite

So Chanel was included into the song 

as well

All to the tune of ' Are you sleeping brother John!

Having biscuits dipped into my tea

And dreading that they dissolve and fall in!

Something I don't like.

Seeing the hallroom  being upset and smiling 

Knowing fully well that it's become the norm.

Standing on one leg with eyes closed.

Hopping and catching and dreading falling !

Teaching her to be sly by giving her a piece of chocolate with the clear instructions 

" Let's not tell mama"

Cajoling her to drink water in vain

While filling myself with glass after glass

And feeling bloated.

Forcing myself to stay awake

And missing my weekend slumber.

Doing silly magic tricks  to amuse her.

Counting fingers and toes- hers and mine.

Pretending to be a blind man and scaring her in the bargain!

The fun of being ' Gra- pa' 

That's what she calls me

And I love it!

Afternoons like this are magical.