A Camouflaged Surprise

Now, setting aside all the speeches I’ve written for my Toastmasters prepared projects—today, I want to write something different.

Not a speech. Not a story with structure.

Just a moment captured by my camera… and by my heart.

The picture you see above is one I took in our Manjaveedu.

(That’s what I like to call it—Manjaveedu, because it was painted in yellow color. Yellow color—it’s the home where I grew up and spent a decade of my life.)

One day, I was sitting at the back—the backside steps, as we say.

This Manjaveedu is surrounded by dozens of coconut trees. And whenever I visit, I find myself drawn to those steps. Watching the trees. Listening to the gentle sound of water flowing toward them. It’s a feeling that’s hard to describe—just very soothing.

While scrolling through my phone gallery and wondering what to write about, this picture popped up.

At first glance, I honestly thought it was just a dried neem leaf hanging on the wall. But then—it moved.

And only then did I realise: it was an insect. A perfectly camouflaged one.

Now, I’ll admit—my gallery doesn’t look like a photographer’s collection. It’s more like those random uncles’ galleries full of shaky, grainy pictures taken with Nokia 108 phones. Even though mine’s an iPhone, the spirit’s the same—I’m just not a camera person.

But this? This clicked moment felt different. That little creature completely captivated me. When I looked closer, it almost felt like it was bowing. It gave me the image of a soldier moving with honour in front of a king.

It wasn’t just blending in with a dry leaf—it was doing more than that. It was weaving an impression. A gesture. A moment.

It made me think—camouflage isn’t only about hiding. Sometimes, it’s about carrying a story silently, gracefully. It was such a delicate movement. And when I clicked the picture, it shifted ever so slightly—as if to remind me it was real.

Later, I searched what camouflage really means. Soldiers use it to protect themselves. Animals and insects use it to survive. And this little insect—it did the same, without any noise, without any show.

It made me stop and think. Even a small creature like this knows how to adapt, how to stay hidden, how to move just when needed.

Let that be the inspiration—how to be quiet, stay calm in a difficult situation, and camouflage yourself with such qualities.

That’s the little moral I realised.