Normally I like driving (I define abnormality as driving within the 6 Km radius with Geeta Bhawan Square as the center)…
I think most of the people like driving because it gives them a pseudo sense of control over at least something in life; with a piece of iron – at your wish – moving as you push one pedal and stopping as you press another…quite a joy-ride, on an ego-trip…
I am sure my reasons of liking it start with this one but don’t end there…as I love the resultant solitude… coupled with an opportunity to be in communion with the untouched piece of nature enjoying its state of pure being. That’s why I prefer to go for any session or seminar by my own vehicle (of course also because it frees the company-car for some other usage)…
However, a few days back, our marketing department asked me to use the company-car as there were two back-to-back sessions at two different places (and perhaps they did not trust my driving-skills enough to reach in time).
Our company-driver is a treat to be with as long as he is not driving (he is good at it, yet at times a bit too rash for my liking). Well! He attends all the seminars and also doubles up as a marketing-assistant. His confidence borders around brazenness yet overall he comes across as a genuine guy with a happy-go-lucky streak (can’t comment on his driving for the apprehension of commentator’s curse – courtesy ‘cricket’- and also because I have always believed that irrespective of all the experience, each one of us is only as good as our last drive…or the first one).
While we were coming back, I joked to him that “having attended so many of my seminars now you also can take my seminars”, to which he replied, “Sir, not only yours, I can take seminars of all the other Sirs (then he took names of a few of my colleagues who he accompanies in their assignments)”.I was hugely amused at his repartee and all of us had a real good laugh (I also got reminded of an anecdote of Einstein and his driver)…
The experience stayed with me and when I narrated it to one of my friends, he jokingly said “Well, beware of the competition! It can come from anywhere”! I know he meant it only in a funny way but when he said this, a thought dawned upon me in a jiffy…
Isn’t it amazing!! When someone says that we are good, we feel flattered…when he says that he would want to become as good as we are, we feel honored…when he eventually becomes as good as we are, we feel insecure…and if he becomes better than us, we feel jealous…
Well! What to say??? Anyways…what’s the way out?
First, keep getting better…till we reach our best…and then…redefine ‘best’
And more importantly…
Let’s replenish our souls; something is not quite right there…
