Life is getting simpler by the minute. Ease is the guiding mantra for all the emerging technological inventions and the golden principle of all research labs around the world. We wish to learn new things, we wish to explore and we wish to expand our grasp but we do not want to fail, we do not want to burn out the night lamp, we do not want to perspire. My friend had a dream of joining the army, and fight the enemies of the nation but he was not quite prepared to take the challenge of getting up before the sun, working hard all through the day and crash down heavy on the bed. He joined an engineering college and started his Counter Strike career. He kills a lot of terrorists all day, the only thing that burns now is the pack of cigarettes that he shares with his ‘clan’ mates after the cyber game session is over.
When I was small I was excited about my first bicycle just like any other kid of my age. My father and my older sister took the charge of giving me balancing lessons. They would make me trust their firm grip on my bicycle, with their support I was all set to tame this monster I was riding. I fell. I stood up. I fell again. My father helped me get up again. And I fell again. The few bruises that I got were tended to by my mother while father told her how brave I was and how fast I learnt riding.
My niece is a brave girl too. She’s about six years old and she always manages to beat me in whatever games we play! So, she’s brave and fearless but her mother is not. She’s ready to fight out the odds but her mother is always busy trying to make things simpler for her. She demanded a bicycle and like all ‘good’ mothers my sister got her a ‘safe’ bike, the ones which have little wheels fixed along the rear wheel to give support. The bike is safe. It won’t let her fall even if she didn’t balance properly. It won’t let her get bruised. It won’t ask for her father to stand by her while she explores the joy of learning. It won’t be required to clean any wounds, give words of encouragement.