Hey friends,

Greetings from Haryana, India!

Update: I am moving my newsletter service from Revue to Substack. Not only is the software more powerful, it works better to ensure my issues don’t get sent straight to spam.

If all goes well, then most of my subscribers should get this in their inbox.

So enjoy this latest essay I wrote in Write of Passage!

A snake saved my life. By biting me.

It was midday in my thatched roof hostel, nestled deep in rural India. A slender Bronzeback Tree snake crawled up the window rails, desperately searching for an opening to escape through. Beside me, my roommates gasped in horror as I reached out to grab it. Their shadows danced on the wall as the snake lashed out, its jaws wrapping around my middle finger.

As it sunk its teeth into my soft skin, it injected an energy into me that said: WAKE THE HELL UP!

You see, over the last few years, I felt like someone was suffocating me. I had this burning love for the wild, yet everywhere I turned, I was told to forget about it and get a real passion. I was on an anvil, with the hammer of social conditioning and pressure slamming me into submission.

Slowly but surely, I felt myself drowning in the ravages of society. I needed something to put on the defibrillator and jump start me back into life.

Grabbing that snake was my instinctive act of defiance. It was my last attempt clawing for breath, a manifestation of my innermost self, an acknowledgement of my passion. It was my blank refusal to abide by society's norms.

In grabbing that snake, I took charge of my life. I pursued my passion relentlessly, convinced that I am the master of my fate and that I now get to decide how I want to live my days.

Ultimately, it is our passion that guides us through the waters of darkness. It rests within us, waiting to burst forth and take its rightful place in our life.

So when you find yourself falling into the slow atrophy of the present, remember these words:

Your life is meant to be LIVED. Summon the courage to go against the grain. Snap out of autopilot and steer your ship in the direction that you choose.

Grab the damn snake.

Live life by your choice.

Weekly Update

I've been thoroughly enjoying Write of Passage, writing as much as possible. I've been staying up into all odd hours in the night just because my mind is racing with ideas. I feel truly alive.

One realisation I've had in these past few weeks is that powerful writing is such a useful asset. A well written article can get you move millions. I hope that my writing has such an impact.

This Week’s Links

Looks like this week’s links are going to be about the Lord of the Rings

The power of the music in Lord of the Rings

A character analysis of Samwise Gamgee from LOTR

Tolkien reads out a section of the LOTR (The Ride of the Rohirrim)

Postcard

I was walking in Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, Kerala when I saw a flock of Egrets flying above me. I cursed myself for not having my camera settings ready, for missing a great shot. Luckily, the flock settled down 20 ft away.

I sat down and focused the camera, waiting for them to take off. After an eternity, they all suddenly took to the air, coming right at me. This time, my settings were all dialled in and I got this image.

This image, to me, shows that knowledge of your subject is very important in wildlife photography. I recognised earlier that there was something in the area where the egrets were browsing that spooked them, sending them flying ( a snake perhaps?). So when I saw them settling down again, I knew it was just a matter of time before they took to the air again. So all I needed to do was get my camera settings ready, and then wait for the right moment.

I converted it into b&w, as I wanted to give it a timeless, regal look. All of them, flying in synchronisation, somehow evokes inexplicable emotions in me. I hope it does the same for you.

Favourite Quote

"I recognize the right and duty of this generation to develop and use the natural resources of our land; but I do not recognize the right to waste them, or to rob, by wasteful use, the generations that come after us." - Theodore Roosevelt

Have a great week!

If you’re new, welcome to The Owlet! My name is Ishan Shanavas, and here I talk about my work, along with curating the most interesting ideas on the internet. I confine them to topics like Nature, Culture, Photography, and Art but often fall prey to other genres.

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