Take the road less travelled

Doing easy things is wired into our psyche, but that is not enough

It is but human to opt for the easy path. However, we encounter many who do not hesitate to go the extra mile for the good of fellow beings.

I have been undergoing therapy for the past few months. I tape magnets on both my palms each night. One late evening, I was struck by a strange observation. I started the exercise by taping the magnets on my left hand, before switching to the other. I understood the reason. It was easier since I am a right-hander.

I went back many decades when I was a young engineering student. The golden advice drilled into us was to attempt the easier questions first, and the more difficult ones at the end. This would optimise time and maximise marks. We developed such proficiency in the art that it became second nature to us. This was not taught in any syllabus in the school or the college. The wisdom was passed down to the generations by word of mouth. We also handed it down to the next generation.

I realised that we form habits from lessons imparted during the formative years. These sometimes make us insensitive towards others.

We have engaged a part-time cook. She also works for a young couple. She takes their dog out for walks. Recently my wife came across a video of this lady sitting on the society lawns with the pet and talking loudly on her telephone. There were howls of protest by a few on the community WhatsApp group. It was later that my wife sifted through the messages. She could not comprehend if the protests were against the pet sitting on the lawn, the maid sitting on the lawn, or the lady talking loudly on her telephone. Many residents can often be seen indulging in all three activities most of the time. Any video of a resident would have resulted in a loud protest about the legal issues involved in filming someone without permission. The reason that I could comprehend was the availability of an easy target who could not retaliate

I was recently driving to Delhi. Part of the road runs through the Aravallis. Heavy monsoon rain this year have resulted in a lush green landscape. It would have been a pleasure to drive along this road had we not been distracted by the grey and brown patches. The entire construction debris of a city which continues to burgeon towards the sky seemed to have been dumped along the stretch. It was easy for the authorities to issue instructions for the waste to be taken to the designated sites, and it was easier for the builders to inflict a festering wound on the lovely landscape.

Our roads are an interesting pot pourri of sights. I feel that the workload in our traffic departments has come down substantially. I am sure most of us now notice a posse of these officials, sitting in ambush at strategic locations, to pounce on the hapless riders and drivers. It is often amusing, though tragic, when we find the authorities and the defaulters huddling together in a corner. Many cannot resist the temptation of an easy way out and others the lure of easy money.

I often witness the old helplessly trying to cross the road or navigate the daily routine. They had done all this, and more, with ease only a few years earlier. I find an urge in the young in several countries to render that much-needed assistance to the old even when it means choosing the more difficult option of making that extra effort. We were three old couples vacationing in Austria recently. We caught a bus in the morning and realised that we had overshot our destination by some distance. A helpful young lady got off the bus with us and walked to our destination to ensure we were not lost. Sadly, closer home, we do not find the same spirit.

Doing the easy is now wired into our psyche. But that is not enough. We must learn and also teach to take the more difficult path. American basketball coach Rick Pitino gives us that much-needed advice, “Tackle the difficult things first in the morning.”

sanjaychandra59@gmail.com

Published - October 20, 2024 04:10 am IST