See Saw

That sweet little ride in the park that we all must have enjoyed in our hay days, our childhood. Little did we know that time that it was not merely a lever getting the kids up and down on his shoulders, it was an epitome of life. Life, except for not being so clearly and visibly standing in the park, has all the makings of a see-saw.

When you think you are at a high, above everyone else, just when you think nothing ill can ever reach you, comes a jerk from the other end to bring you down and if you are not alert enough, might be enough to make you bite dust. And that low in life also would not last forever. A little effort to push the ground, a little belief in yourself that you can again reach the top, and you are again on your way up. Up till the time you have had enough of the flight. Then again the halt, again the jerk and again the journey of downturn.

Art is to understand, like all the kids in the park, that this up-down is the very nature of the see-saw. This is where the fun lies. No fun in staying up all the time, no point in keeping down always. And its all the more fun when its collaboration rather than competition. When you are there at the top, to keep the game alive, you’ve to help the person down there holding you up, to come up. Even if that means your decline for the moment. And when you are down there holding up for the other person to stay up, you’ve to support when he starts downhill. Leave the grip, and he would surely be down, but so would be you. Remember you need his help to go up. Collaborate. That’s how the game is, that’s how it’s enjoyed the best.

Today nothing seems to work, nothing going your way. No one agrees to what you say, no one understands what you mean. Today life looks like one complete mess, one useless little thing that you wish was not so long. Today that special someone ignores you, does not care what you have to say, does not say what you want to hear. Today it seems it’s all over. Your heart crashes in thousands of pieces. You wish this day had never come in your life. Your favorite song is noise today. The traffic is heavier than usual. The cars are honking enormously; the traffic lights are not working. You have feeling of loss, remorse, regret, and void. Heart is broken and heavier, every breath is coming with more effort. Every act is tiring.

Tomorrow, things start working for you. People listen to you, take you seriously. You have a long chat with the special someone, though you may not say the “Dil Ki Baat” even today, but that “can not say” has its own charm. The thousands of pieces that the heart was crashed into a day earlier start to take shape again… you wish this day was a lot longer, it would allow enough time for the crashed pieces to come to life again. The songs are again melodious; traffic lights start to work again. Heart is pumping cheerfully and there is fragrance in every breath. All this without any extra effort from you.

Wondering what’s going on…? It’s the upswing day on your see-saw. Enjoy it as it won’t last forever. Tomorrow the downturn might start. But don’t worry, that won’t last forever as well. Keep swinging. It’s a lot more fun to actually ride the see-saw than watch it from a distance.