Being Cautious,
Not Always Good
by Amit
Parmessur
A baby boy was
born. Giving him his name seemed the most
difficult job. All kinds of archives were
consulted. All kinds of opinions were taken. Yet,
no name was found. In despair, the mother got her
treasured school dictionary out and opened a
random page. She fell upon the word
‘precaution’.
Another baby
was born. His naming ceremony proved very
dramatic. There was going to be a drawing of lots.
Each family member’s suggestion was put in a
large hat. The winning name came out as
‘Negligence’. There was a bit of panic
in the room, but then, firecrackers followed and
in excitement no one bothered who could have
suggested that name.
Surely these
two newborns were complete strangers. But as they
say, opposites attract. Negligence and Precaution
became somehow the greatest of friends. Even if
you put them side by side and blow them with a
dynamite, they wouldn’t get separated.
Theywouldalwaysremainveryclose.
There was one
fundamental difference; each would try to honour
his name. So you could encounter Negligence
making silly mistakes everywhere. And you could
often encounter Precaution being the most careful
person.
Everyone
believed Precaution would succeed in life and
that Negligence would definitely fail to alter
the dictionary meaning of his name. So was it
going to prove one day during a drinking party.
To honour his
name Precaution had some Pepsi in the party. And
to honour his, Negligence drank four bottles of
wines. And with him drinking and partying so much
it got so late that there was no bus home.
Once on the
road, they lifted their thumb a million times,
but no car stopped. “I’ve a genius idea,”
shouted Negligence suddenly. Precaution knew the
idea was nothing more than wine. “I’ll
have none of it,” he said.
“Listen,”
said Negligence, “I shall sleep in the
middle of the road and we’ll get to stop a
car.”
“You’re
mad?” yelled Precaution.
“Listen
to me. Come you too,” said Negligence,
making his way to the middle.
“It’s
suicide,” advised Precaution. “Come
back!”
“It’s
not,” said Negligence, lying down.
“Ok, you
want to die,” said Precaution. “I’ll
wave from the roadside itself!”
No car was
coming. A couple of minutes elapsed. One came. It
was arriving at full speed and seeing a body
lying on the road it swerved. In the process,
Precaution enthusiastically waving his thumb was
swept aside.
The car ran
away.
Negligence got
up and jumped with a dive that Sylvester Stallone
would have been proud of to collect Precaution on
the other side of the wooden barrier. “I
told you to come with me,” said Negligence,
in tears. “You didn’t listen.”
Precaution
collapsed.
You know,
it’s after this very story that we say that
one should take risks in life to succeed. It is
not always right to be cautious. Certainly, the
father of Negligence was a man who liked big
risks. Else why would he be the one to suggest
the name Negligence for his own son!
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