Learning how to fall By Xunaira

Welcome to LaLa Land! This is the land of the pure. It’s pure because none of its inhabitants are older than 3-4 years of age. They’re all little babies who just spend all their day running around as if they were drunk on a gallon of whiskey! Bumping into each other; pulling each other’s hair; screaming as if a banshee were after them; trying to eat everything they get their hands on, even their own hands and feet!

Have you ever seen a toddler who’s just learned how to walk? It’s the funniest most amazing sight! I spent quite sometime once, just noticing one such little bug! They start running around in the house as if on a never ending supply of battery. As long as they’re running it’s all okay, but as soon as they slow down, all semblance of balance starts to crumble. One unstable step is followed by another equally unstable one and as soon as they hit the breaks; BAM! They fall on their cute little bums. Hardly a minute would pass by and as if the song Tubthumping were playing in their heads somewhere, “I get knocked down, but I get up again, nothing’s gonna keep me down..” they’re back up on their little feet ready to wreak havoc all over again. It’s quite an amusing and entertaining sight.

It’s unbelievable the ways kids can lift one’s mood. Something like this happened to me in one of my particularly bad moods. I was at this store with my parents and chose to stay back in the car while they shopped. I was sitting there feeling a multitude of negative emotions, looking outside the window while not actually seeing anything in particular when this little kid of 4-5 caught my eye. He was sitting on the front seat of a car playing around when suddenly he pressed the horn. Right in front of that vehicle there stood a group of around 6-7 people. As soon as the horn blared, all of them jumped and started looking around angrily searching for the culprit who had embarrassed them like that, making them jump out of their shoes. Little did they know that the culprit was a little devil noticing and laughing at their reactions in his car. Amusedly, I looked at the kid enjoying his moment of naughtiness when he looked back at me and at that instant; maybe it was the mischief in eyes that caught me, I indicated with my hands to him to press the horn once more. As if he was just waiting for my cue the cute devil pressed the horn with full force. Once more the horn tore the silence in the air and yet again the same group of people who hadn’t left their spot from in front of the car, jumped. Their reaction this time was angrier and louder than before and quite enjoyable too, but it was nothing compared to the delight me and my little friend were sharing hiding in our cars. I can never forget this incident because the effect it had on me was just superb. I came back home feeling happy and lighthearted, blessing that kid and thinking how wonderful children are.

Looking at the kids around us can teach a lot. All we need to do is be a little more observant.

As we grow older we take calculated steps, thinking before taking that jump. We suppress that instinctive urge to just leave everything and take the leap. Yes it is important to consider the risks involved, but at times thinking about the bigger cause is more important. Thinking about what we would be able to achieve if for once we let go of the inhibitions must take precedence. Just like the little kid in the car who didn’t give two hoots about the rest of the world and just enjoyed the reactions to his naughty act.

Life is all about the choices we make and it is these choices that determine our successes and failures. However, apart from the choices it’s also our perseverance that plays a part in determining our fate. It makes us the individuals we are. Sometimes victory comes easily to us and we think “Oh wow this was easy!” but the real test of our character is when we are faced with a tough situation, one where there’s more chance of losing. How we fare under pressure is what reveals the strength of our personalities to others as well as ourselves. If we choose to stay put and not get up once we fall we’re accepting defeat too easily. If we choose to get up and running again, like the little kids learning to walk, we are at the very least, ensuring a clear conscience and no regrets even if we lose despite all the effort. People give up so easily and so soon without even trying and say “let’s pray it happens.” I never was able to understand this approach. Had everything supposed to happen through prayers then no one in the world would have had to work or fight for anything. All of us would just have had to make a prayer and viola! Our needs would have been fulfilled; our wishes granted.

Kids live such a simple life. They play, they fight, they forget, they forgive and they play again. They whine and cry for one thing but then find something else to interest them. There is just so much we can learn from these angels who are but a part of us, who are doing more than just filling our lives with joy. They are reminding us of the innocence we have lost.

~Xunaira