A lesson from life

I am walking towards the railway station, a daily routine to catch the train and reach the office in Egmore. And there it comes, the train from Tambaram to Beach its nearing the Chrompet station and I am 200 meters away from the platform. It is already late to office. There are two options: I run like hell and catch the train or I just walk, miss the train, sit in the railway station and brood about having to go to office daily, until the next train arrives.

"OK, man" I say to myself, "This is life, if you want to get something you want to work hard. Sometimes, you gotta loose the relaxing walk and run if you gotta get something" Wow, that's philosophy. So my walk turns to a slow jog. Then this thought comes up "Wait, but life is a thing to be enjoyed. My stomach full with the breakfast I just ate, I don't wanna run now. That's life, doing what you really like and not forcing yourself to do something that you don't want to." Wow, that's a philosophy too. There arises a dilemma in my mind as well as in my jogging speed which slows down to a walk again.

All these happen in matter of seconds the train just is on its course towards the Chrompet station and the arguments keep going on. "But this is what they call "Comfort Zone" your mind convinces you to relax and avoid hard work. What a trick! And one who overcomes that wins and meets success."

Then I think "But, is this good to have such dilemmas on a petty thing like catching a train?" and answer pops up "Yeah, it is good and this is the way one makes decisions. Discussing pros and cons and deciding the final course of action”

“But at the same time late decisions are as useless as bad decisions. One should take a decision at the right time and go for it regardless of the hurdles”

Oh no, the train has reached the station. I don’t know what made me sprint, may be my mind has made a decision after all or my sincerity to go to office on time; anyway I sprinted and caught the train. Now I sit in a seat near the window, the compartment is less crowded, thanks for the 1st class pass I have taken. The train hasn’t moved yet. It’s been more than a minute since the train has stopped at the station.

Having got a seat in a less crowded compartment I now rewind the thoughts that sprang up during the mini-adventure. “Wow!! that is a lesson from life. All those thoughts about hard work, comfort zone, decision making all the learning just in time less than a minute. Life has taught me a lesson about very important things of life itself. How interesting !!. Life teaches us a lot but at an unexpected time and through bizarre ways”. “I made a right decision at a right time and worked little harder than usual and I got what I needed” Then I relax and lean on the window. The heaving because of the run has subsided. “Phew” I close my eyes and wait to take the breeze that’s gonna caress me once the train starts moving. I look at the platform and see others running towards the train “Ah, are they learning lessons too?!” I smile to myself.

The train is resting a bit longer than usual. I close my eyes again and wait for the breeze. There it comes, trains starts moving and the breeze starts.

Something struck wrong. The train is not picking up speed and actually it is slowing down. It has stopped completely. Then I hear the commotion outside not interested in getting up and going out to see what’s going on I just stay still and again wait for the breeze. It’s taking longer. “Shit, where is the breeze?” I get up and get down on the platform and I hear all sort of guesses from the crowd “There is a signal problem”, “The train hit somebody trying to cross the rail track”, “There is a power-cut”, “Somebody fell in the track trying to get in the moving train” Anyway, no body know for sure what’s happening.

“Passengers kind attention, Please” the speakers squeaked “Due to technical problems, the train services will be cancelled for an hour” the person announcing said the same in tamil and went on repeating.

I can’t wait for an hour, actually I cannot rely on the one hour time they are promising you never can. I start thinking about the other possibilities; go catch a bus, call the Manager and take the day off, punch the guy next to me for shouting funny comments which are not actually funny. After deciding there is no hope standing there I start walking towards the station entrance.

All of a sudden the thought sprang up “This, what’s happening here right now is the real lesson from life. Whatever you plan, decide, work hard finally life has its own way of screwing you” That’s the real lesson everyone has to learn.

OK, there I see the bus I have to catch and I am 200 meters away from it.