Gerald D'Cunha

“A large oak tree is just a little nut that refused to give up." David McGee I t’s said, that an Oak tree lives far longer than the gardener who plants it. In fact, that is merely an understatement… For, an average Oak tree may live for 200-300 years, it can also live over 1,000 years! Yes, that’s why they are legends – who have been glorified by poets, songwriters and story-writers. But, think about it: does not the life of an oak tree begin just the way the lives of other trees do? There is something in the seed of this tree that makes the tree live an enduring life… Just as there are horses which are meant to run a long-distance race… Yes, the Lambi race ke ghode ! As Amitabh Bachchan, 77, (and several members of his family) are in the news today after they have been tested Covid positive, the imagery of an Oak tree and a Lambi race ka ghoda , suddenly, flashed before me… I have been a massive fan of Amitabh Bachchan. I was a high-school ...

\ “You can’t do big things  if you’re distracted by small things.” -      Anonymous L et’s accept this fact of life: In a running race, a tortoise can never win, unless the hare gets distracted… Yes, distracted by his overconfidence, by his underestimation of others, and, above all, his laziness. We all have in us something of these two famous characters – the hare and the tortoise. Most of us are endowed with the speed and competence of the hare… and, we are aware of this strength. But, often, we are unaware of our weakness… that is, our tendency to get distracted easily. Some of us are endowed with the focus, commitment, consistency and patience of the tortoise… And, because we are equally aware of our strength and weakness, we tend to get less distracted. So, as the hares go off to sleep, some of us – tortoises – make it to the finish line! The slow and steady have, always,...