It’s all inside you..

When we produce a product, that we expect to function properly, we do not leave anything to chance. We do not want to see something happen to the product and say – ‘Gosh, that was unexpected’ ! The best products work as per the specifications of the manufacturer and wear out as expected. So, what about human beings?

Human Beings

Well, I will not go into the eternally impossible argument of who made man and the planet he lives in and the solar system his planet is in. Whether it was science or a higher power, someone made an amazing product and it’s ecosystem. Everything should have been perfect as the plan was brilliant and it was executed well.

However, every product that one buys comes with a set of instructions. There is never a perfect product that just says plug and play, without any instructions. This is something we never take seriously as most of us, definitely a majority of us, do not read the instructions. We couldn’t care really. We think we know best.

How long does it last?

That is a common question that we ask when we get either white goods, produce or any product in general. If it’s a car – most Indian’s will ask about the mileage. That is a very typical question. We are then told that the mileage will be X or Y. We are rarely told that it is what we get in test conditions. Therefore, we are often disappointed or happy that we are at least getting 90% of what we expected.

Many people nurture whatever they buy, plant or grow so that they can get the best results. If you are lucky, the output will be better than expected. If not, well it is disappointing.

How does this translate into human life?

When a human being is born, the first prayer or hope is that the baby has good health and a long life with good health. Unfortunately, babies are not born with any warranty card or life expectancy confirmation. Would it have been better if they came with that? I do not think so.

So, the child navigates it’s way through life and depending on it’s metabolism ( in my view) survives, grows and is either healthy or not. Whatever we do, it’s virtually impossible to reverse what nature gave us as a package deal when we were born.

Many people have expressed shock when they hear that someone they know was found to have multiple blocks in the heart, when they knew that the person in question, exercised, never smoked or drank and lived the ‘ideal’ lifestyle. We are also shocked when people smoke like crazy and live to a ripe old age. Why? No one has figured it out as yet. Me, I believe that we came with a package bundled with instructions that were unique to each person. The only problem is that we did not know what the specific instructions said but try to do what we think the general instructions specify.

Then when it strikes

We are often dumbfounded. Of course we are. We were never told of the warranty we came with. We did not know of the specifics. Me, I have a plethora of orthopaedic problems. Thankfully, I have a school buddy who is an Orthopaedic genius. I do not have the usual problems that strike us when we get past a certain age. I should be happy, right? No, I am miserable because I cannot stand straight, I cannot walk straight, and most of my bones make me ache all over. I am as fat as I do not want to be. I am told I could/ should have done this and that and I would have been able to avoid what I am facing. Really? is it that simple? Will I fight to try and sort out my problems to the best of my ability? Of course I will. That is what my DNA makes me do. It may not be the same for all. No, it is NOT the same for everyone.

Cricket – I always use that game, for analogies. So, a batsman scores a huge score, say 275 and then hits a bad shot. The ball goes up in the air and he starts to walk away with just a glance at what is happening to the catch. Suddenly, the fielder stumbles. Our man will rush back to his crease. It doesn’t matter that he has scored a huge score – he doesn’t want to be out.

That is how it is for us in life too. A googly suddenly come out from nowhere or a brilliant piece of fielding gets us. Some play surprises us and the commentators say – he got out against the run of play. Does this sound familiar?

The shock felt by the supporters of the batsman or team can only be understood by the supporters. We will commensurate with the supporter but after a point it doesn’t matter to us. It’s not our problem. This is what happens when a sudden illness comes upon us or someone we know well.

What can the fan or supporter do other than pray and hope and support. Nothing. However, that prayer and support we give is more important than what we realise. It’s what strengthens the receiver and makes him or her get up from the blow.

Many of us play above our abilities. Many far less. That is why we are all unique. I would put my money on Rahul Dravid rather than VVS Laxman. That is because Dravid is a more consistent fighter.

While the answers are all within us, we will never know them in the beginning. Do we want to know them before we started? I, for one, do not want to know. No soothsayer for me either, please. We need to make the best of what we are given. Our strength is often more than we can even believe. If someone told me I would have been able to face what I did and overcome most of it, when my problems started, I would have looked quizzically at the person speaking. Yet, if someone told me that I wouldn’t try my best, that person would have been taken by surprise at my response. We MUST fight our best fight, as long as we live on this earth. When Jacob fought all night with an Angel, without knowing who he was fighting against, he stood his ground. Yes, the Angel broke his hip in the end but God, did Jacob fight? !