To
Be & Not to Be
What
is it to be present and not to be present at the same place at the same time?
To answer this, allow me to take you on a story ride – boring or not but a
story. Bear it to understand the meaning of the phrase.
Once a boy asked
his grandfather, “You always say that one can be at a place and not be there at
the same time. How is it possible?” The grandfather replied, “Son, I am glad
that you pay heed to what I say and as your reward, I will take you to a fair.”
So, the grandfather and his grandson went on to a big fair. As they approached,
grandfather said, “Dear, I will buy anything you like and spend as much you
want. We will stay here as long as you desire and you will guide me through
this fare but I have a simple condition, while we enjoy this fare, you will carry
an earthen pot on your head and it will be filled with water to the brim. All
you have to do is make sure that it does not spill over – not a drop should
fall from it.” It was a weird condition but nevertheless, the grandson accepted
it. So, they went on. The grandson was enthusiastic at the beginning and
extremely careful. By the end, he grew tired and requested to go back home
soon. The grandfather asked him to remove the pot from his head and appreciated
his efforts. On their way back, grandfather asked him, “So, do you enjoyed the
fair? What all did you like?” The grandson’s face fell. “What happened?” asked
the grandfather. “To be honest, I did not enjoy the fair. I had all my
attention towards the pot I was carrying. I did not want to spill any water
from the pot.” “Well, it means that you were and you were not there in the fair
at the same time,” replied the grandfather.
The
boy was present and not present in the fair. He went to the fair but did not
enjoy it for he went with a load on his head. He was busy carrying that load
and taking care of it. Doesn’t the same thing happen with us often? How busy we
get in making the ends meet that we forget to enjoy life? How many days pass
without a smile on our face? How many nights pass in restlessness for the
morning? And still, we will assert that we are living. Are we? What is it to
life if not happiness? What is it to this world fare if not enjoyment? What is
it to all breathes and beats if not life?
Somebody
had once said and it has been repeated a hundred times, “We all are poor rats in a big rat race.” We all are running towards what, we don’t know
for sure because our destination is so static that it changes every day. We
have a hazy idea of our destiny but nothing beyond it. Still, we love to run in
this rat race or perhaps, we feel obliged to run. Why? Neither you know nor I.
It
does not take much to smile and laugh and yet we postpone it and say that we
have no reason to do that. Why wait for reasons, why not be the reason yourself.
When I wake up every morning, I make it a point to smile at the beautiful life
I have irrespective of all the bad happenings of the past and present. I laugh
even when I am the laughing butt, even when the joke is not worth the laugh and
I practice it every day so that I keep doing it till the end of my life.
Add life in years
and not years in life. You never know when the luxury called life and the
fair called world will end for you. Enjoy it and if you cannot initially, then
learn and then practice to enjoy it. You will definitely have a great life
ahead.
