Something was different

Dr Fahim Chand | Monday June 27, 2022 06:00

While I gazed at the solid hemlock front door, which also looked the same, the smells of summer tantalized seductively. Some lucky neighbour would be savouring a tender steak tonight.

The unmistakable fragrance of mesquite wood smoking the meat perfumed the air, which relayed a direct rapid message to my salivary apparatus. As expected, it responded with urgency.

I smiled at some neighbour’s good fortune. My hand rested on my car. I had just completed a 3 1/2 hour journey and my suitcase was still in the back. I admired my chariot’s sleek lines, muted by the black colour. It was a Chrysler Lazer and this car made the journey fun. A Porsche it was not, but if you were looking for a poor student’s Porsche, then it fit the bill.

Resulting from hard work, which meant my hand was always up when the hot summer and the Canadian population’s impressive party skills required overtime work at Molson breweries.

In addition, some astute financial management and it was a glorious day when this machine was parked in our driveway. Humble financial circumstances provide enough impetus to seriously develop these two indispensable life skills. I turned and walked out onto the street as I gazed at my neighborhood. Tall trees populated the skyline and neat grass and immaculate gardens dominated the beautiful landscape. This was Midhurst in Barrie, Canada and that meant an alluring panorama, with very few cars on the road.

As the birds provided a vibrant soundtrack for my neighborhood jaunt, one could not help but appreciate the beauty and peace. Life is really quite beautiful if you just take the time to look. Two young children taking a chilled bike ride delivered vibrant hellos as they went past. I knew every little contour, nook and cranny of this beautiful place and yet something still felt different.

Yet I couldn’t put my finger on it. As I approached the driveway, this time from the other direction, the sun began waving her last goodbyes. I love sunsets and watched the golden orb scream her last breath and waited for the equally beautiful twilight. The colours dispensed by the vault of heaven would have made an artist blush. As I leaned against my car, taking in this opulent introduction to the approaching after dark, a curious thought intervened. I smiled as I had finally Sherlock Holmesed my mystery. Elementary my dear Watson.

While everything had remained immaculate and beautiful as always, I had just then realised that the only thing that had changed was ME. It was my first time back home after having left for university. The inevitable changing landscape of life’s journey stimulate our own transitions. It is with a more mature physiology that I stood there that day. In this adventure called life, each tick of the clock provides catalyst for changes in our own internal engine. Though while these inevitable changes silently proceed, certain things remain the same.

While my introduction into the university world provided unending social opportunities and a broadening spectrum of new friends, my old high school friendships remained steadfast. It was tonight that we had planned to all watch a movie together. The video procured, the star tonight none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger in one of the Terminator movies. Refreshed after a shower and an always scintillating meal cooked by my mom, I was ready. It was in high anticipation that I saw all the cars gathered outside and when I entered, genuine warm smiles and hearty hugs greeted me. The movie viewed in that company, with the animated responses to Arnold’s famous lines was good fun. Though the better fun lay ahead as we all were ready to relay our own university orientation experiences. But first, owing to our 18-year-old bodies lightening fast metabolic rate we were all hungry. The clock said 12:30am and the usual snack for late night was always nachos.

Tummies full, the light faded revealing a scene of carefree laughter and the sharing of never to be forgotten experiences. Our athlete coloured bodies would surely have forgiven those late night culinary indulgences, but what about today? Middle age brings about inevitable realisations about our own mortality and hopefully better lifestyle choices.

What does the science say today? Numerous recent studies have suggested that calorie restricted diets (a third less calories) increase life span. Furthermore if the calories are consumed only during the day’s active phase, then the results are for more dramatic. In animal studies, calories consumed in this way showed a whopping 35% increase in lifespan.

Maybe there is something to intermittent fasting, which means sayonara to those savoury witching hour food indulgences. Though caution must be exercised, as with all research, one doesn’t know how well animal studies translate to humans.

Those carefree fearless days are gone never to return, but fortunately they live on in our memories. Most certainly we are not the people today that we were then, but what endures are the friendships. For today, our own life journeys have taught us to cherish them. They are one of the most valuable commodities we possess. It is with intertwined fingers that we celebrate joy together and with the same merged digits we face adversity as one.