Lagging Behind…

We fanatically run hard. Hard enough to stay ahead, trying our best not to come last. Because the word ‘Last’ is a stigma in the society, in fact in the entire world. We have been taught since our infancy that ‘last’ is associated with ‘losers’. While we either look down upon those who lag behind or we push them hard to run with us. We never think that it could be possible, a person, who we condemn as a failure, actually may not be the part of this mad-rat-race. One of my uncles, my father’s close friend Mr. Anupam Mishra gave us a wonderful perspective of looking at people coming last with utmost ease and simplicity. I have mentioned him previously in my post about Wastage- Habits, Lessons and Introspections. He is an environmentalist and water conservationist [Read his full bio here: Anupam Mishra on TED or find him on wikipedia]. He said, why parents today can’t accept the last position of their children anywhere. They harass and burden their children sometimes to score highest instead of motivating them to learn and gain knowledge without worrying about their scores and position in the class. If my child comes first, somebody’s will come last too. Why do we think that someone else’s child should come last and not ours! Why we can’t accept it is our child this time who lagged behind. We always expect it should always be our child at the top, may be because we care about this world a little too much. We should surely motivate our children to perform better, but we should accept them graciously even if they are not able to. There must be something unique about them that we can’t see today, that the scores can’t tell us either. 

Everyone finds their own path sooner or later in life. Every one succeeds with their own pace in the world, at the pace one wants to, not the pace other’s think one should. No one is lagging behind, they prefer to stroll and enjoy the beauty around than running fastest and missing out on most precious life events.

L is for Lagging behind on April 14