Ray, Rob, John and Mike
were born continents apart. They had nothing in common except for an
indefatigable spirit of adventure. This spirit, berthed deep inside their
hearts and minds. Ray, Rob and John were surfers who had chanced upon Bali in
early 1960s and hit upon each other as they tried to catch the virgin big,
white waves. Mike was a strapping Marine during Iraq War and had got his maiden
chance to be the Mission Team Leader.
Both surfing and commando
military mission have one thing in common- Timing. The hunt must begin in the
right earnest and at the right time. The execution is important. One has to be
at the right place and at the right time. Both need minimum interference from
external disturbances and arrival at the action site has to be perfectly
orchestrated. Ray, Rob and John were mesmerized by the long Kuta Beach of Bali,
There were very few surfers around Bali and the three pioneered their art to
take Bali by surfer’s storm. Any new wave did not break in Bali where Ray, Rob
and John did not have their trademark presence. They were always on the hunt
for a new location where they could step onto the sea and begin riding the
waves. As they stepped onto a new wave front in Uluwatu, an exceptionally high
wave smashed Ray as he tried to mount on it. The impact was lethal and left Ray
with broken bones and ruptured ears.
Mike was leading his
mission along with friendly forces and they were raiding a compound filled with
enemy terrorists. The teams were in accurate position as per the plan when a
radio communication just snapped. The glitch, though momentary, led to the
confusion in the plan of action. The fog of uncertainty stepped in and the hell
broke loose. At the end of the mission there were unwanted casualties in Mike’s
team and the mission was branded as a failure. Someone had to take the call for
the failure.
Both Ray and Mike knew
that it was their hunt and they were responsible for the outcome of their
respective missions. Ray was rescued by Rob and John and as he lay recuperating
in the hospital, he knew it was his hunt and he would go back and ride the sky
high wave again. Mike was brought in for debrief by an investigating team along
with his team mates. Each one was being grilled, when Mike got up and took the
responsibility onto himself. He knew that it was his hunt and he had to take
the pole position to give the answers on behalf of his team. Mike took the onus
of the mission’s failure and watching his conviction, he was sent back to lead
another mission. The failure was not construed to Mike or Ray. Ray had nothing
to prove to anyone as he was an independent individual and his decisions were
his own. Mike was working in a hierarchical system and had answers to give to
his superiors and to the men he commanded. Each one had a hunt at hand and the
methodology was same-risk which needed precision. Both were passionate about
their jobs and took the onus of the damage upon themselves. The others around
them, in various positions, understood the clarity displayed by Ray and Mike
and supported their decisions.
Ray and Mike went back to
their respective hunts and attained great professional heights. Ray surfed and
Mike combed out terrorists. Both knew their tasks and planned well to meet the
unknowns. The trait that stood them ground was the capability to hunt and hunt
for more. Each living thing has the ability to survive, but, those who can hunt
better survive more than the others. After all, it is the survival of the
fittest. As the World around humans changes at a rapid pace, the capability to
hunt will continue to be an important survival tool.
Hunt is omnipresent. It
is a part of almost every facet of life. Sensory organs get active for smallest
of the human activity. They get involved in the hunt the moment brain sends out
the control signal. Humans are capturing phenomenal amount of data and some are
devouring it to generate new prospects. The data scientists have taken the hunt
to a new level. Trails are being left by humans in various forms and somebody
is capturing the trail to generate a new hunt each day. Humans will continue to
be caught in smaller spirals as questions become deeper and deeper. The arena
of hunt has become larger and there will be no escape for erring humans in
times to come. The ever widening hunt will also impact the laws of various
games of human existence. Winners will be decided on the ability to hunt in a
positive and decisive fashion. Options to escape will become limited and time
consuming. So, would it not be better to join the hunt and join it positively!!
Keep chin a little up, keep the eyes focused on the ball, move the shoulders
and let the club face meet the ball head on- that has been the lesson each budding
Golfer gets when the game is being learnt. A mere follow up of these guidelines
ensures that the ball travels the right distance and in the right direction.
The game finishes on a high note in spite of a few erratic ball hits here or
there. In the end, what matters is a good result and a game played with a
positive spirit keeps the fun quotient to its maximum.
So, what do humans wait
for? Keep the hunt on in its correct perspective because no one else is going
to come and hunt for us. Each one of us has to live his or her own life.
Survival is our own duty and responsibility. If we can then we must help others
as they gain better strength to keep following their hunts. There is no escape
from hard work, efforts and efficient planning. Without these, the hunt would
not materialize. So, are you ready for the hunt, eh?
