A Leech Tale – 4/1/2018
Being in the jungle comes with many drawbacks: bugs, ants, mosquitoes, and my personal favorite, leeches.
Leeches are real pests. They're after one thing—your blood—and they go about it so stealthily that you hardly notice until it’s too late. By the time you feel an itch and go to scratch it, blood is already trickling down your leg, and somewhere at your feet lies the little culprit, curled up like a tiny black pearl. Until you get used to it, your first instinct is to stomp on it in disgust, angry at this sneaky creature that dared steal a few drops of your precious blood just to survive.
But then someone who knows the forest tells you gently, “Have a little compassion. You’re the intruder here. If you don’t like leeches, maybe you should live in the city.”
It takes time to get used to them—slimy, slippery, slithering little things. Once they latch on, they don’t let go so easily. But my friend once told me: “Just let it take a little of your blood and be done with it. It’ll drop off when it’s full, and you won’t even itch afterward.” A small sacrifice. No drama. Just acceptance.
Why do I bring up leeches? Because I had a leech of a different kind a few days ago while hanging out at the fisherman’s jetty with a friend. There were three of us—the third, a man I had never met before. Loud. Obnoxious. Trying hard to dominate the conversation. I could tell he was a burden even to my friend, who later admitted they were old schoolmates.
I sat mostly quiet, just observing. My friend kept apologizing through his eyes. At one point, I had enough. I told both of them to be quiet—that’s why I came, to chill. I reminded them that at fifty-one, people rarely change. But we can still change our own bad habits, especially those we dislike in others. Best to roll with it. Let the guy rant. He’ll wear himself out eventually. No need for conflict, just endurance. Maybe, even growth.
I told them I wasn't judging. I was a guest, after all. But being older, I felt it fair to offer some perspective. When in the company of strangers—especially someone older—act your age. That was my quiet offering before I took my leave.
As I walked home, I realized something: some people are like jungle leeches. If you fight too hard to shake them off, you might just end up worse—itchier, angrier, more wounded. Sometimes it’s better to let them have their say, take their fill, and slip away on their own.
And then it hit me: this wasn’t the first time.
When I last visited and stayed with my twin brother for two weeks, I encountered the same leech-like character. He showed up again—this time staying in my brother’s home. I was practically dismissed from that very home because of this man’s insidious, blood-sucking influence. It still stings to recall. According to my twin, he was a college senior and was a former cop.
I rarely dislike a person. But of the few I do, I don’t even care to remember their names.
Acceptance in action.
Or in this case… recognition, distance, and peace.
My first lesson of 2018.
#LeechTale #JungleLessons #AcceptanceInAction #SocialAwareness #PacatDalamDiri #EmotionalIntelligence #HealingThroughObservation #UrbanSpirituality #JetiReflections #SmallSacrificeBigLesson #LetItGo #BerjiwaHutan #ManusiaPacat #PenerimaanDiri #LessonOfTheYear
No comments:
Post a Comment