LEARNING TO DRAW A KITTEN

 



“To attain knowledge, add things every day;

to attain wisdom, remove things every day.”

Lao Tzu

 

One of my friends, who has been a fine financial-consultant and quite a resourceful person, is now on a sabbatical.

“What are you occupied with, these days?” I asked when I met him, yesterday…

“Cutting vegetables and washing clothes,” he said without even blinking.

“Seriously?” I asked him.

“Yes, very seriously,” he asserted, “I am 63 now; and all my life, I hadn’t learnt how to cut vegetables or wash my own clothes… I feel very happy and relaxed as I do them now.”



There are so many things, as this friend of mine has found, you and I haven’t learnt/done, yes, ‘all our lives’. As another friend of mine, who is a bigshot in a corporate proudly claims, “I haven’t boiled even a glass or water”… and as another bigshot goes further and claims, “I haven’t learnt to turn on the gas stove.”

So, what does this tell us?

In life, we may be experts in some things and dumb in so many other things – even in seemingly very ordinary things.

Let me make my own confessions: I am terribly bad – even scared and anxious – when it comes to technical and electrical things. I haven’t learnt to replace a tube light… or operate so many mobile Apps – including Swiggy, Uber, and a dozen simple things which even a little kid does like a Pro. The other day, one of my students, who comes from a wealthy family, consoled me, “Sir, you have a great company – my dad.”

Teek hai… I know a few things quite well, very well. I also know quite well how to prepare at least some dishes (even though not for guests)… I know to wash my own clothes and fold them up neatly… I know to buy vegetables, cut them, clean them and so on. But then, because there is someone at home - like my wife or house maid – who do these things for me, I may not use my know-how… The same thing is about booking an Uber, Swiggy, Zomato, fixing an electrical or technical problem… There is someone out there who can do it for me… So, Life goes on…

“Cutting vegetables and washing my clothes may not be rocket sciences that I didn’t learn them all these years,” said my friend, the financial genius on a sabbatical, “But, I find them very relaxing and meditative, now.”

Does it ring a bell?

A days ago, my son was telling me this: “Dad you should learn how to draw sketches on your own. You can start using them to illustrate your blogs… It’s very satisfying and you will feel authentic.”

I know, I know…

The ‘kid-stuff’ that we learn now – in our fifties, sixties, seventies and even post that – can be very, very satisfying… We are doing them now for simple joy, to help us get relaxed and centered in life… There is no competition or comparison… just some simple joy…

And, how many such things – ‘the kid-stuff’ - are there to learn for each one of them?

My 63-year-old friend has started off with cutting vegetables and washing his clothes… Maybe, I can learn to order a pizza today on Zomato or draw a nice kitten for my tomorrow’s blog!




Knowledge and wisdom… I constantly wonder how much to add to, and how much to reduce from my long ‘to-do’ list…

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic’s.: Picabay

Video: Denver 7

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