It is common to notice a Greater Coucal in our garden in the mornings. Often they stay stationary drying their wings and feathers to prepare for their short flights between trees and foraging for food in the ground.
This ritual of drying the body is the way it prepares for its flights. It attends to this routine because that alone is the way it can be flight ready!
I heard a survey report presented in a meeting suggesting that about 40 percent of people are overweight by the time they are in the fourth decade of life! That is the decade for many, when the symptoms life-style related diseases begin to manifest.
It was while visiting the Coimbatore city, I realised how the civil administration has recently given a face lift to all the parks in the city. One park Anna and I went to for a walk, amazed us in the way it was converted to be a welcoming facility for adults and children wanting to come for a walk. When compared to what it was three years ago, when we visited it, we found that the walkway was tiled with plants on either side. The green belt had visually appealing plants and flowers. The two separate gymn for men and women; a play area for children, a Badminton court, posters with educational information about health and exercise, good seating arrangements for a family outing... it was a place which had an appealing look that people would feel interested to come to. We found out that hundreds of people use the facility in the morning and evening.
The family who took us to this park, use this place most of the days although they have to walk three kilometres to come this park.
The message is: make place user friendly and attractive. People then would want to come. The incentive to go to a clean and aesthetic place is a reason strong enough to overcome the hesitation of walking a distance to reach the park. That is a wise way of indirectly influencing people to a routine of physical exercises.
The usual refrain is that: our public parks are not well maintained. We found a park that looked impressive and ready to welcome adults and children!
The discipline of 'body care' the crow pheasant practices is for its wellness.
That is how it ought to be for us as humans, if we have to tame the life- style related illnesses of mid-life!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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