Entice a Readiness

“The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.” 

 H. Jackson Brown

The street lights shimmered,  the deep red sky was waning into darkness, yet the evening was bright at seven. The  illumination added its glow alleviating everyone to enjoy the lush, cool gentle wind on that hot summer evening. The venue was  the newly built road that would be soon connected to the Mumbai Pune highway, connecting Chinchwad to Mumbai. For now, one of  the four well laid roads was being used by the Pradhikaran  skating club members. There was plastic cone stands kept all around to avoid traffic and driving on that particular wing of the road. The central mounted path had well lit neon street lights glowing in the gently sloping twilight.

Children aged between five to twelve skated on the road from one end to the other. The stretch must have been a little more than a kilometer, the boys and girls protected themselves with helmets, knee caps, and elbow caps. Their parents sat on the footpath and observed them as they slid effortlessly. The trainer looked proudly at his youngest student barely five years skated and halted at the assigned place. The students were slim and tall, held the right bearing, inspiring an admiration for the kids owing to their agility and fitness and their perfection in skating.

There was a large audience walking like us, or sitting on the raised cemented surface under the street lights. There were little kids from the slums near by. Unlike the normal scenario I saw the parents of these kids sit with them and admire the zeal and abilities of the kids who skated. These kids confidently told their parents the strategies used by the skaters to stop and slide with ease. The men listened to their kids admiring them as parents. I loved the feel that it was a scenario of changing India, not the normal one where the poor felt deprived, but the kind where one accepted their inadequacy knowing that there was something good coming out of it. The kids were taught to bend, raise a leg, and perform many more feats to exercise their shanks and other muscles of their body. They achieved each of these with effortlessness.

There were  deep  red rose petals  spread on the table. A large glass bowl with flowers supported a single stout candle in the center of the table. A bouquet of red and yellow roses was kept next to it. There was champagne brimming in the two white wine glasses. The young couple smiled and spoke lovingly in the light of the  brightly lit candle.  It was their first wedding anniversary. They were celebrating it at this hotel well known for its exquisite ambience. The waiter brought a black forest cake on a platter. They cut the cake, fed a bit to each other, sipped champagne and ate dinner. As they left they were the happiest as the day had gone as planned.

The hall had a beautiful poster of Lord Krishna equipped with lights,  gentle music played in the background, people sat in the hall in a trance. They had smiles on their faces, while tears surged through the eyes of a few as realization dawned upon them. When the music stopped and the meditation was over, they gently left the hall in tranquillity. Nothing deterred them, the loud horns, the traffic or the mob. They felt enlightened as they silently dispersed to carry on with their lives.

All these incidents etched a mark in my memory towards an anticipation for things to go on well as planned. These people were pleasing in their attitudes, and had the ability to energise and inspire others through a performance replicating quality. The young boys and girls were preparing for their skating championship through rigorous practice while the young couple was preparing to lead a life of commitment respecting and loving each others sentiments. The people in the hall through meditation were understanding the secrets of life and preparing themselves for salvation.

 A dream is realised through an ardent observation for opportunities and grounding, making it come true. If new India depicts  youngsters living life to the utmost making each moment a cherished one by thinking  the desired and acting effectively, it also depicts the young and old understanding the true meaning of life through a scheme, a  thoughtful preparation and readiness.

We should remember that good fortune often happens when opportunity meets with preparation.” ― Thomas A. Edison