The Lioness

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Today, I read about someone visiting Africa. In the middle of the night, he and his friends went into the jungle where two lions were darted. Once they arrived, they were sitting by the sleeping lions, and he put his hand on the lioness. Then, at one point, the lioness woke-up, and his friends all rushed to their truck. He remained sitting in the same spot, did not feel scared. The lioness did not harm him (she was eventually sedated again). Later, back at the camp, he was the only one to sleep by the fire while his friends were all in their tents. Thinking about this scene really got me reflecting on my own life, here on the south coast of England. For a moment, it felt ordinary and monotonous. Now, I have no desire to be that close to a wild animal (one that is known for devouring human flesh), but the experience sounds so thrilling, so exhilarating. However, upon further contemplation, I realised that being near an African jungle only seems thrilling because it is not my day-to-day experience. If it was, it would’ve felt monotonous, and living by the sea, on the south coast of England, would’ve felt like the novelty.



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