In a hurry to get nowhere

“ Slow down a little, may be your destiny will be able to then catch up with you….!”

Ah! Such profound words from someone I had met some days back and was somehow propelled to be with by some strange invisible forces. That too at a place, which, in strange ways seemed to be waiting for my arrival to offer me opportunity to find answers to what I was seeking for long. But that’s for later!

While traveling back from the sojourn, I was once again amused with the familiar sight of those who almost eject out of their seats the moment the plane touches down to stand at the aisle, all poised for a head start like at the 100 m start line, or as if their life depends on their setting their foot on the holy land first. I am tickled more when I find some of them waiting for the bus at the tarmac, while I leisurely saunter along. Not to forget some of early starters I see at the conveyor belt, visibly fidgeting, pushing and nudging others to get close to the conveyor belt to pick up their stuff, which somehow seems to fetch last for the most fretful ones.  Often traveling light, I am usually out of the gates more or less at the same time or sometimes even faster than the sprinters!

The story repeats itself when I find myself being overtaken by a local Schumacher from the wrong side at breakneck speed, to be stuck in the same traffic jam as I a few meters away!

What is this hurry all about? Are we so critical and important for something so extremely dire, like saving humanity before an alien attack, where every second counts? Or do we respect punctuality so much that we could be keeping someone waiting, if we didn’t run over a couple of people on the way? Or could it be actually true what is often heard at the back of those seen in a tearing hurry – “ Arey, rocket chorne ja raha hai kya?” (Loosely translated, “Hey, are you rushing to launch some rocket?”)!

So then where does this need to be in a perpetual rush come from? The answer eludes me.

To me, it appears that this behaviour has nothing to do with paucity of time. Then what prompts it? A misplaced sense of competitiveness (‘See, I am faster than you are’)? Or does it have to do with our idea of self-worth (‘ See, I can get off faster than you can, even when I invariably brought up the rear in every race during school days that my mother forced me to participate in’? I don’t know….

The prophetic words of this friend to ‘slow down’ make even more sense, then. I sure intend to give it a shot and hope to meet the destiny while I bask, allowing it to catch up with me. Even if the destiny takes it’s time to fetch up, one thing is quite sure -the journey will certainly be much less arduous, more joyous!  

So welcome to the tortoise club and happy snail-pacing. No sweat if you wish to stay away, but don’t forget to help me figure what I have not been able to figure about the rabbits on steroids. Really, I wish to know…..