A CONTINUANCE TO : THE VISION

The children open a door of memories to your own childhood; a time when you expended with homework in the least possible time to race off to play with your friends, when tables were loads of elements to be memorized and recited over and over again, when the teacher gave you a stern look if you spoke out of turn or asked a bold question, and proclaimed that you were a wild kid who would have to be tamed! Then there were those rare teachers who put a smile on your face every time they entered the classroom; who inspired you to dream big and believe in yourself, who taught you to play with numbers and skip on the rainbow all they way to the moon; just to examine if the earth was flat or round!
A tantalizing aroma of coffee jerks you out of your reveries as you approach a glass structure that is glinting in the morning sunlight. An array of electric scooters and bicycles line the side of the glass cafe that is bursting with activity, it is called Ambrosia. The interior is surprisingly cool, and the serving area is dominated by a jolly, rotund man who is flanked on both sides by busy attendants. The customers are a curious mix of early morning joggers, sleepy-eyed students, lounging elderlies, chirpy kids, alert businessmen, dreamy artists and even a few construction workers! You wonder as to how the workers can afford a cafe that looks like it was sprayed with the colors of the rainbow; you wonder what such tough and roughened men could find in common with the the white collared executive they were chatting with as casually as if they were talking to an old friend, you wonder as to how those men could look at home in an environment you found yourself so much in awe of! You move closer and eavesdrop on the conversation going on among the men and the executive. You can't help but be shocked as you confront the fact that two of the men so casually dressed in overalls are well respected employees of a multinational company, and had donned the attire of blue collared laborers as they were going to help the actual construction workers build their own homes. The group huddled around a blueprint exudes an aura of suppressed excitement that is so unusual among adults that you find yourself smiling at their enthusiasm. As you watch the men pat each other on the back and exchange encouraging words, you find yourself wanting to be a part of a team that is so self willed and united; you find yourself aching to be a part of the adventure that the men are embarking upon, you find yourself eager to be ordered about by a few construction workers that you once considered beneath your station! The beauty of the situation startles you as you realize why the men who belong in an office as surely as a fish belongs in the sea were so excited to be in a domain that was so unfamiliar to them. They had been transformed into two young boys who were full of vigor and zeal to learn something new, to explore a whole new world that had just opened up before them. They were unafraid of making mistakes, because of the assurance that they would definitely make many! But the difference was that they would be free to laugh at their mistakes, make the appropriate changes and move on; they were unburdened of the fears that so many adults laden themselves with. They were free of the fear of failure, they were untouched by self-doubt or greed, they were motivated only by the desire to create their own home with their own hands, and that made all the difference in the world!

TO BE CONTINUED

A VISION

Have you ever observed children playing with toys? Let us suppose that 5 children are playing with different toys, and one of those children has a beautiful toy that everyone else admires and envies him for. He agrees to let everyone play with his toy and shares it quite congenially. However, one boy desires to obtain that toy for himself, he is envious of the other boy and decides to bully him into giving him that toy for himself. Once he is denied the possession of the toy, he might do one of the 3 things from the following:
1. He will sulk and cry
2. He will steal it
3. He will fight with that child and take it away from him

Does this situation remind you of our world today? There are so many people out there who are envious of others and who do not appreciate what they have. There are so many people who always want just what the others have. In the above case at least, the kid can be reprimanded and the unfairness of the situation can be explained to him. How do you do this with adults who are old enough to think that they hold the upper hand in every situation? How do you reason with politicians who are corrupt enough to think that they should have free access to the taxpayer's money. How do you rationalize this world and create a situation where everyone can live amicably?



The one solution that I can think of is to give every human a dream, a vision, a thought so compelling that he would help in any way to make it come true..........
The vision of a new world.

Let me show you a picture that has developed in my mind, that I improve every day. This vision could be OUR vision, this vision could be reality.

I christened this vision "ATLANTIS".

Envision a scene where you are walking along a road that is beckoning you towards a new land, towards new people and a wealth of knowledge. As you walk, the wind dances a tango with your hair, the misty sky sheds a tear or two on your upturned face that is being caressed by the cool breeze. You feel a tingle of anticipation as you walk around a bend in the road and come to your destination. The path now descends into a plateau, the swaying tall grass adjoining the path welcomes you cheerily and the flowers greet you with a fragrant kiss! You step onto a cobblestone path as you behold a fountain made of pure white marble, the water springing up into the air with a joyful glee, a symbol of freedom and an epitome of joyful abandon. As you move further ahead, you notice a child sitting under the shade of a tall oak tree. You go towards him, and perceive a few other children lounging in the garden; one is seated on the low branch of a tree while another is lying on his stomach on the ground balancing himself using his elbows. The environment is peaceful, the children are relaxed and carefree, yet you find some change in their behavior. You move closer only to find that they all are immersed in the extensive world of Maths! Yet another surprise greets you as you venture further into the garden, you locate the Maths teacher who is instructing a group of kids on how to build their own slide and see-saw! If you would have waited around to talk to the Maths teacher, you would have learned that the children were being taught to build everything with their own hands, they were being taught to be independent, they were being reared to fly!

TO BE CONTINUED