Hello Dearest Reader,
I’m back from another adventure and it does call for a story to be told. I firmly believe our lives are nothing but stories of different hues. There are stories of love, loss, despair, hope, adventures and grief. But how beautiful they are when they are brought out in the sun and shared with others. Recently I had visited Turkey for a vacation with my boys and we had a wonderful time exploring and experiencing the country. From Istanbul to Cappadocia, its magnificent landscape, its eon traversing history and rich culture mesmerised us. And oh boy what adventures we had on the hot air balloon and the ATV rides!
But today’s story is not about all those, but about a person who got introduced to us as our guide as we toured Cappadocia. Mr. H looked dapper in his casual attire and had an easy laugh. We had the privilege of exploring the cave churches and underground dwellings of ancient civilisation with him. His knowledge of history was in depth and informative but what captured my attention was the story of his life.
Mr. H mentioned that he is very much a hot blooded Turki born and brought up on the Eastern part of his country. He looked way more matured and edgy for his 29 years on this planet. So he shared how his clan and specially his grandfather always paid attention to physical strength and agility. Belonging to a farmer’s family, his childhood was spent playing sports rooted to earth. He mentioned that at the age of 12 he was asked to hold on to the horns of a mountain ram and the game was that the animal should not be able to move him an inch from his position. He very casually mentioned “ I used to be thrown helter shelter initially but by the time I was 14, I would not budge an inch”.
Hunting was a regular event as he grew up. By 14 he could shoot and by 16 he was going for hunts alone in the mountains of Turkey. He mentioned besides being this sober sophisticated tour guide for us urban softies, his main income was in conducting hunting tours for foreign tourists who come in from Spain, Italy or Russia. It means for 30-50 days he will be out in the wild scouting the terrain for the wild boars ( which might way upto 300kgs) and then take his clients chasing for a hunt. There’s money in this business he mentioned. But what touched my heart was what he said next. Very softly he said, “ I don’t like hunting anymore. Every time you hunt and rip of the skin of the dead animal, a part of your soul dies. You become less of a human. It scares me”. It was such a profound statement to make, for a man who earns his living out of doing it that it shook me when I realised the depth of his being.
Mr. H has also served the Turkish army which is a mandate for all able bodied men in the country. He very proudly said that he was one of the top notch cadets and trained in driving tanks and operating hand missiles. So good he was, that he was offered a job in the country’s intelligence service, which honestly didn’t surprise me looking at his built and his knowledge in geography of his land. But he had declined the offer because he did not want to make a living out of deceiving and harming people. His struggle to preserve his humanity in the face of his geo- political environment was apparent. And that as a young man, he is steadfast in his endeavour made me thank his upbringing. An educated man who majored in history and has a knack of reading books, he was an enigma.
His fondness for his mom, his intent to earn enough to fund his wedding and take care of his future wife was all sweetness. In their country the boys have to spend and sponsor for their own wedding. He seems to have found his girl and awaiting the blessings of the families. Mother here is the last word here when it comes to approval.
He is a backpacker by passion and loves travelling. It was heartwarming to hear that India is on his bucket list. For sure he will be richer in experience when he visits our land. Mr. H very cheekily had asked us to guesstimate his age when we met him.We all pegged it at mid 30s. With a very somber tone he told us he’s just 29 and that life has etched more lines on his face than what’s expected for his age.
A very proud Turki, steeply rooted in his tradition yet modern enough to question what’s right, Mr. H enchanted us with his candour and curiosity. His interest in how he should invest in mutual fund in the global economic scenario was quite a refreshing discussion. It’s rare to find strength and softness balanced so immaculately in a man. His love for books and expertise in hunting, his philosophies and his training in combat such a sharp contrast and a rarity. I salute the family and specially the Mom who has entrenched such values in him. Cheers to more of his kind. We need men like him to make this world a better place.
Till I have foraged another story as I go along my life, keep well and be happy my dear readers. Store your stories. Not all might be pleasant. You see there are always stories within stories. May the best of your stories keep your smile intact till we meet again in these space.
Always yours,
Pocket full of life.
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