AsI get older, I have become the person I was always meant to be. When I look into the mirror in the morning, I secretly wish I was young again. My long curly hair has disappeared. My youthful looks have faded into nothingness. Our relevance to society reduces as we age.
Yet within my brotherhood, I find friendships in the most unlikely places. We are no longer rivals — we nourish each other. We lean on each other. We share our anxieties and experiences openly. Perspective puts a different lens to help to be open.
I learned to breathe through the pain of my separations. It eased the anxiety and the uncertainty. Taking one day at a time helped me to step into the next moment. Life took care of itself, moment by moment. I moved on.
These dynamic changes propelled me to take a quantum leap, leaving a lifelong industry and moving to a new undiscovered industry. I got into a job that I had not done before. I reinvented myself, learning the ropes of content design and bringing my curiosity to another level. I moved away from my comfort zone. I met a whole set of creative designers.
Now, I live the best life, running a creative practice,s and managing an awesome team.
When Covid hit more than two years ago, I changed again. My team and I started working from home. With the change of lifestyle, I evolved. I did my team meetings and 1:1s walking in my beautifully landscaped neighbourhood. Thanks to my Apple watch, I walked 12 kilometres e. I saw an exercise physiologist and worked out every alternate day. As a result, I lost 3 kgs, which is 5% of my body weight. I changed my diet and learned to cook new varieties of food. I adopted wearing casual clothes, moving away from office attire. I upgraded my tech gear, from my Apple devices to the sound system. I subscribed to Apple Music, allowing me to listen to thousands of songs.
I befriended my neighbours and played table tennis with them on weekends, often beating a bunch of young thirty-something men. I learnt about human trafficking in Africa by watching a myriad of challenging movies on streaming services. I learned to draw on my iPad and rediscovered my love for artwork.
I started writing on medium and am pursuing it rigorously as a daily habit. It is therapeutic and self-soothing. I love it.
These gifts of self-contentment were the best gifts of Covid-induced change of lifestyle. So my stars aligned for me.
I imagine when I can travel again to various corners of the world and meet my brother and old friends, I grew up with. I imagine volunteering in Sri Lanka, in the education field or social sciences, encouraging creativity and reinvention.
I imagine myself waiting impatiently until my grandkids become teenagers to walk with them and share the joys of creativity and my own stories of reinvention.
A Child of Curiosity How inherent inquisitiveness became a key driver in learning experiences. Denzil Jayasinghe · B orn in the mid-20th century, I am a product of the post-World War II era. My parents, who were teenagers when the war commenced, married in the 1950s. As a representative of the baby boomer generation, I was born under the astrological sign of Capricorn, the tenth sign of the zodiac. My birth took place at Zoysa Nursing Home, a renowned institution in Colombo, Sri Lanka, around 5 in the morning. Sri Lanka, known for its tropical climate, is a beautiful island nation south of India. This climate appealed to me, and I sought similar weather in my twenties, spending them in Dubai, where the winter resembles an Australian summer. Raised by religious parents, I held them in deep affection. However, the church teachings posed a paradox for a young mind, instructing one to love God more than one’s parents. I initially adhered to the Ten Commandments and other societal norms in ...
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Doctor Doctor Memories of medical care in my early years As a toddler, I contracted whooping cough, a deadly disease of that time. My mother went through a lot of anxiety until I got better. She was so pleased with the doctor who treated me that he became our family doctor. As a two-year-old, I don’t remember a thing about that trying time. It must have shaken my mother so much; she thought my survival was a miracle. She never failed to remind me of that fact growing up. At four years, I was operated on for hydrocele at Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital in Colombo. During my entire stay, my mother stayed with me at the hospital, sleeping nearby. I have great memories in the hospital, caring nurses and frequent visits from my grandfather, Lewis . I loved his visits, his fancy stories sitting on my bed. When the hospital discharged me after four days, my grandfather carried me to his car. Back home, I was not allowed to wear pants until I healed. That was embarrassing. The discharge...
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