That extra push

I do believe that there is a lesson to be learned from every aspect

of life. Sometimes, the lessons are harder and sometimes they are so

short and sweet.  Though the turbulence and after effects of some

hard lessons leave up a mark on your future, these hard lessons,

learns well enough, will surely raise up your living standard or

at least the way you live.

But the short and sweet lessons of life are in plenty.  Plenty

enough that you couldn't identify and learn from them. Its like

loosing yourself while you Google. However, with open mind and with

bright attitude, you don't let to miss learning from these little

lessons.

It was a busy Monday morning,and with all respect to these busy week

opener, I was getting ready to drop my kid to her school. I don't

know if it was because of the laziness of the yesterdays holiday or

if it is because of the urgency to start the week on time, there is

always a mess on this Monday morning.  This Monday morning mess-up

might creep from a simple shoe laze that get cut when u try to tie

up for your kid and you don't have a spare, or it might be an

unavoidable call that keep extending to loose up your regular timing

or even worse that your kid cries and reminds of an incomplete

homework which was not written on her diary.

A normal human, with some years of experience could possibly be

improving his schedule and planning to overcome such mishaps. I tell

you that life is such a good teacher that it keeps teaching you the

basics which you might have forget in your over confident planning

or the plans that has been now modified as routine and it is time to

enhance your plans.  I did keep track of lessons learned and I do

improve my plans for life but nonetheless i can match to perfect.

And this Monday, when I started by two wheeler, i did notice that

small change in the way i kicked of my vehicle to start.  I noticed

that the kicker was little bit easier to kick and I could also

notice that the reflex action to bring back the kicker to position

didn't work. With my kid waiting for me to start the bike with her

multi-kilos bag and lunch, I didn't give very much importance to this

little spring action, that resets the kicker back to the position. 

I cared enough to pull the trigger and place it back to the starting

position with my leg and I asked my kid to sit. As with one of the

important lessons of life, starting early always had it benefits for

me.  I didn't had to stop the vehicle anywhere in the road. In fact,

the roads were almost empty with very few early birds like me and I

was on the planned time to my kids school.  And here is where life

lessons start.

Not so usual, my kid requested me to drop her to the door steps of

her class. Usually, I drop her, wave her a bye and make a U-turn and

would ride to my home. Today, as she requested, I stopped my

vehicle, took enough care to lock my helmet and my vehicle and then

carried her bags to her class. On the way to her class, she said

that she was worried if she would be late for the class than usual.

I questioned her the reason and she answered that she thought that i

would drive to mechanic shed as it was unusual that i took few extra

seconds to start. I wondered how these kids are so watchful that

they can even sense these extra little differences in seconds. I

updated her that some spring in the kicker might have worn out and

it is time for servicing my bike. I also updated that i will do

this immediately and said that i have learned many lessons because of

procrastinating issues. As a immediate fix, i wanted to fix the

kicker and thought of letting the bike for regular service by the

immediate weekend. After dropping her in her class, when i came back

to my bike and tried to kick start it, i could sense the

introductory session of these small and sweet lessons of life. Yes

as you guess, the kicker went for a toss. I couldn't start the

vehicle as the kicker lied hanging below the foot rest on my first

kick. All my trials to bring it back to the position went in vain.

Now, having heard of similar experiences from my fellow mates, I

switched on the vehicle, pushed it a little holding the clutch,in

first gear and released the clutch all in a sudden to get my vehicle

started. I kept pushing and running with holding the clutch and

releasing it again and again.  By this time, i have come to road, i

kept doing the same exercise but with no response from the engine. I

know that all it takes is to release the screw with holding the

kicker, place it back in position, tighten it and you are done. But,

my memory was so strong that it reminds me immediately that i

misplaced by toolkit in home during my last water wash and was sure

that i don't have the toolkit now.

With no other go, i had to walk with my vehicle in the early sun

heading to near by mechanic shop. The near by one was almost 3

kilometers away and the Monday traffic had started in full swing by

now. With one way lanes and packed traffic, i was left in the left

most part of the road, pushing and walking with the vehicle.  I

could see almost everyone crossing by giving a strange look at me

and rushing to their work. Few were kind enough to slow down next to

me while for most of the others i was one among the reasons for

increasing the traffic. I could even hear few murmuring sounds

pitying on my state at this early morning.  But no one bothered to

stop by or inquire.  I too didn't dare to stop these rushing vehicles

and get the toolbox to fix the kicker.  I cursed myself for not

having the toolbox in the vehicle and i took this as a punishment

and lesson thought by life for such careless mistakes.

Almost after a kilometer or so, in the bare sun with full of sweat

and in the left side of those busy roads, i kept marching towards

the mechanic shop.  I know, I had to walk another two kilometers are

so and I also couldn't stop worrying about the entire week messing up

because of this couple of hours delay.  I could easily sense that

all the plans lined up for today is going to get collapsed and that

is going to expand its ripples the other days of this week. When I

was tired and about to stop for resting for a while, a passer-by

crossed me and stopped his vehicle.  He was dark in complexion and

seems to be a frequent user of two wheeler.  I don't know how, may

the way he dressed, a Jean and t-shirt with a scarf visible helmet

and a chrome leather shoe, or the way he crossed and parked in style

and the way he took his helmet of his head, or something else, made

me to think that he should be a mechanic.  However to ease my

trouble in conversation starters, he queried if i am running out of

petrol. I said it was because of kicker and if he could lend his

toolbox. He said that he don't have one and he also added that he

could extend his help by tow-in the bike.  He asked me to sit on my

vehicle and he said he could push with a leg while driving his bike.

 I started to obey his instructions as i had no other choice. When

my vehicle started to move, he instructed to release the clutch in

first gear and my bike started.  It was that simple, but I would

have crossed more than 1000 members during my walk from school to

here.  Only one had the patience to stop by and give that extra push

to increase his count of thanks he own.  With the ignition on, I

thanked him, and started to drive in my direction.I made a note on

his number TN07 AV 9955. I owe him. I owe him for this deed and for

the lesson that he thought. Yep. All it takes is 5 seconds and the

extra push from your heart to reach out and help.

Now, how many of us (including me) would care to help a person

walking with his bike? how many of us would care to stop by and

inquire any person walking along the road, if they are in need of a

help? It might be just lending your phone for a call, or a lift to

drop them to a near by bus stop / near by fuel station, or a call to

your nearby mechanic shop or that little extra push that would help

him to start his vehicle. But none of us have time, not even to

listen or to get to know on what is going on to a fellow human we

cross by. All it takes is our 5 seconds to forward a good mail, to

share a good thought, to help a person in need. Yes. From now on,

let us seek for the opportunity to help others and increase our

score of help count.