A smart way to swim

It so happened that my maternal uncle visited us in Bombay (not Mumbai) and stayed with us for about a week. Suddenly, there was a death in the family and he had to rush to his hometown, Erode, in Tamil Nadu. Train tickets would mean more than 12 hours of journey and he would anyway be late for the rituals. So my father suggested that he take a flight to Coimbatore and then go to Erode by bus or train.

Flight tickets were booked, and he was contented that he could finally reach his native place on time. But there was a small hitch. The ticket was not confirmed and had the wait list tag attached. However, the only solace was that it was WL-1, which meant his tickets would get confirmed if even one person cancelled his/her ticket. But was he too optimistic? 

I was too young at that time and picked up an argument as to what he would do if the ticket did not get confirmed. I thought I was just being a wee bit practical. My uncle was too sure and did not think of any other alternative. A hard-core optimist, he packed his bags and left to the airport on time. 

A few hours later, he came back with a sad face. His ticket remained with the wait list tag, and he couldn't fly. Of course, we made alternative arrangements and he could reach on time for the rituals and funeral. Being optimistic is good, but being practical is smarter. 

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Optimists are a class apart. Come what may, they love to swim, often against the tide, and hold on to a small branch (in some cases, it is just a floating twig) hoping to reach the shore. Even if there are loads of troubles and innumerable hurdles, they have a strong feeling that they can overcome everything and finally succeed. Appreciable, though.

But is it not a waste of energy and efforts, if not done intelligently? Staying afloat may not always be possible. You may not find something to hang on, or even get a glimpse of land. Or even get help from a ship that you hope might come sailing by. You are actually hoping against hope. It is when you believe in your own efforts and do not wait for things to just happen, that you can see or taste success within no time. 

Take for instance any day-to-day affair, and keep your hope alive. Hang on, try your best and wait for the fruits. One fine day, you will realise that it only makes you better. There is no doubt that you have to put in the efforts required, but what about the results? Will just hope and patience bring success? How far is it practical in this fast-paced world? How long can you wait, in hope?

Swimming in an ocean is not easy, especially when it is an Ocean of Optimism. But it does not mean that you should not even try to swim. The waves are huge, and often try to put you down, making mere survival a big challenge. Assessment of the situation, judging the available time and being practical is a smarter way to swim.

Are you optimistic or smart? 

Queen of Questions