That Mighty Jungle

AMIDST THE DELUGE of back-to-school ads we're developing for June, I come to realize that five school years had passed since graduation.

In most aspects, I'm exactly where I wanted to be. If not beyond.

Is it really that much of a jungle out here? At the start I guess. But you find your way around, recognize any traps, get to know your predators and discover what sustains you. Before you know it, you're no longer just surviving, you're a natural. In stilettos too.

Of course, it's not called a jungle for nothing. If there's one thing I've learned in five years, it's that our best predators are ourselves. To chase and challenge us is something bosses can try to do. But passion, however rare or raw, is only ever self-propelled.

Paintings by Henri Rousseau. Images from commons.wikimedia.org