"First time seeing a pelican?" I heard a man shout from afar.
I turned to meet gaze with a local fisherman counting his wins for the day. "On TV? No. Real life? Yes. And I must say this one's different. I've never seen anything like it". I replied, my gaze locked on the majestic pelican perched on a rock by the seashore. It had a long pinkish beak and a mixture of white and brown feathers down its back. It looked like it was lost in thought. A sight I haven't seen before.
"Then I guess you're not from here", the fisherman continued, walking close to me. He must have finished counting his harvest.
"Yeah, I'm not. Just an old soul on vacation seeking to find my path again" I replied without looking at him. I had so much going on in my head.
"I'm Josef" he introduced himself with a big smile revealing his brown teeth.
"Marty", I replied, taking a glance at him. He reeked of fish smell and wore a brown shirt which I guess must have been white before.
"Magnificent right?" He asked, looking at the pelican.
"Yeah"
"That spot is their favourite fishing spot. But that particular bird sometimes comes there not to hunt. You just find him so thoughtful. With every fish that pierced the water, he doesn't flinch. It made me ask, one day, what if the animals also take a break from all the struggles to refuel and get in touch with their inner selves?" he paused.
I looked at him. Was he making sense? I couldn't tell but I needed to hear the end of his speech.
The fisherman chuckled. "If that's true, then why can't we humans emulate such? Sometimes, we're caught in our constant pursuit of goals and success but never pause to get in touch with life, our surroundings and the people we love. It happened to me." He paused again. "I lost my wife because I couldn't pause to realise that what she needed was my care and affection on her dying days. I thought hustling too hard and making money for the family was all it took. Never knew she was dying" he took off his cap and held it in his hands.
"I'm sorry to hear that" I turned with compassion in my eye and tapped his shoulders.
"Nah! It's fine. It's not your fault. Nature sometimes teaches us what we need to know. To think that I work closer with nature but couldn't see it. Now, I make time for my kids. They're all I've got left Marty" he put his cap back on. "Gotta head home. My kids are waiting," he added, walking away.
I watched him walk away, realising he made sense.
"Thank you, Josef. Just what I needed to hear" I yelled at him.
He turned and gave me a cheeky smile revealing his brown teeth again. Then he doffed his cap and continued walking.