Towards Zero

Recent events at home and elsewhere kept bringing to mind the words, ‘Towards zero’. Life moves on and is made up of so many incidents, some important, some seemingly trivial. Many a time there is a link between them and at other times it is as if they are isolated events. We have so many goals in life and we work towards reaching them, those goals are the zero hours .

Our world has become so small now and we are connected at all times. What happens at a particular place has an impact not only in that place but also on the lives of people living elsewhere. We followed with interest the US Presidential elections. It is true that politicians everywhere are the same. All that they want is power and wealth for themselves. Who would be the next US president was the question in everybody’s mind. November 9th was the zero hour. Trump won. Many people were shocked at the results, and there were protests. But Trump has been elected to power, and people will have to bear with it. I wonder what changes we will be seeing in the future?

Another ‘towards zero’ activity has been taking place around our home. In the first week of October we saw a bundle of dry leaves in the branch of the hibiscus plant outside our bedroom window. We were wondering about it and it turned out to be the nest of the sunbird. The pair worked hard towards their zero hour. The nest was finished around the 15th or 16th.

‘Birds working together
Up in the hibiscus branch
A nest in safety.’

Then for some time all was quiet in the home front. We thought the nest had been abandoned. After about two weeks we saw activity again. We heard a lot of chirping and twittering, I tried to take a photo of the birds but succeeded only once or twice. They are busy feeding their young one or is it young ones? Life is moving towards the next stage for them and soon their current home will be an empty nest. The same happens in our lives too.

Our daughter and grandson have come for a visit. They came on 26th October. We are having a lovely time. Our life has been revolving around our grandson and sometimes it is like a roller coaster ride. It is fun. But time is passing by and they will be leaving this Saturday. Life is moving on. For months we had been waiting for them to come, they have come and it is time for them to leave.

‘Towards Zero’ is one of my favourite books by Agatha Christie. I like her books very much and over the years I have read and re-read them countless times. They have never bored me. One of the characters says about events that happen in life, “All converging towards a given spot… and then when the time comes- over the top! Zero hour , yes all converging towards zero hour.” Yes, this is what happens in life, most of the time we are all moving towards a zero hour, our goal maybe something important or something very trivial. But we move on till the end, there is no going back except in our memories.

‘Morning follows night
Small and big events in life
Move towards zero.’

 

Thank you so much . Just recently I read about Haiku , I enjoy it very much . Regards , Lakshmi

 

Thank you so much Jayasala , life goes on with all its ups and downs . It all depends on how we face life. Regards , Lakshmi