Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Accident between Me and a Sweet Corn

Months ago, I went through an accident while riding a bike. It shattered one of my foretooth, which was then treated to have an artificial tooth (Crown, as they call). Doctors warned me that the tooth should not be used to bite anything hard and it was just for cosmetic purposes. Calculations told me that I have spent more than Rs.15,000 just for cosmetics!!

I maintained my new, so-called aesthetic, tooth well until yesterday when I tried biting a sweet corn. Heck, I heard a cracking sound and a little bit of pain. I rushed to my dentist, and after taking an x-ray, he said, that the internal support of the tooth is fractured. Well, I thought it may cost a few hundreds, but my caring dentist said that the tooth must be removed and be supported by the adjacent teeth. Ultimately, 3 teeth will be treated and crowned. The estimated bill was for around Rs.12,000 !! Accidents happen both in large and small scales. Life is mystically designed !!

Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. once said in a speech: "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." So true. What we are as human beings presents itself more fully in times of adversity than at times of ease. Anyone can be positive, polite and kind when things are going well. What distinguishes people with an extraordinary character from the rest of us is how they respond when life sends one of its inevitable curves. They don't crumble or surrender. They reach deeply into themselves and present even more of their highest nature to the world.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I was on the highway, ready to travel to Chennai from my home-town. The bus had been delayed by a few hours so it felt good to be close to start. I had my walkman in place, a new book to read and my magazine. Then, the driver's voice came over: "We had found a puncture in one of the tires. We regret that we must cancel this bus." The reactions that statement provoked were fascinating.

One man close to me became belligerent to the driver. A couple in another row grumbled loudly. A gentleman actually kicked the seat in front of him. Yet some passengers responded differently, with a quiet humanity. An elderly gentleman smiled as he helped others take their bags down from the overhead compartments. A teenager, rather than trying to rush off like most of the other passengers, stopped to help a woman with a disability. The lady sitting next to me laugh and said, "Hey, it's not the end of the world," before calling her kids and sharing her adventure with them. The wisest among us have a remarkable ability to maintain grounded when times get tough.

No life is perfect; mine certainly isn't. We all must face challenges, both large and small. This very minute, somewhere in the world, there are parents dealing with the death of a child. This very minute, someone has suffered an accident that will devastate their loved ones. This very minute, there are human beings dealing with illness in a hospital bed. Sickness, loss, disappointment. No one gets through life without experiencing this stuff. But you and I have the power to choose to rise above our external circumstances. We always have the choice to be strong and positive when things fall apart. We have the right to use our stumbling blocks as stepping stones to our greatest life. This isn't motivational sloganeering. I believe this is truth.

I feel really great to stay cool, positive, and kind, even after my brand-new accident with a Sweet Corn.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Your blog is astounding.......a good booster.....good....keep blogging with some interesting stuff....

premblogger said...

Thank you radhika.. i will

Anonymous said...

Great work.