THE QUESTION

My 8-yr-old son is the Champion of CP – Class Participation. This is marked by a strong desire to have a say in every topic that is discussed and ask lots of questions. He practices regularly at home and especially with his father. You are beginning to get the picture? He has a question for everything and sometimes an opinion on the answers as well. Being a politically correct and modern father, I patiently give him answers to the best of my ability. Sometimes, however he asks THE QUESTION. This is defined as a question that is so penetrating and insightful in its enquiry that it reveals an essential truth. Want to talk to you about one such “THE QUESTION”.

We were climbing up from Chandigarh to a place called Thanedar, which is at an altitude of about 8000ft. As is the nature of travel in mountains, you climb up and come down and climb up again, all the time going higher and higher as you cross various levels of the undulating terrain. CP Champion wanted to know why we were going down when we had to go up and wouldn’t it be just better to simply go up all the time to reach where we wanted to?

Hmmm…what do you think? ‘Is it nobler in the mind to suffer the jolts and bumps of an up and down road or simply take the shortest flight to everywhere?’ If you were travelling to high altitudes you need to acclimatize and the best way is to get there slowly. So, the higher you wish to go, the better it is for you to pace yourself and not fly in straight. It is also good to pause in your journey, drink a little water, grab a snack, enjoy the view, and breathe deeply. Gives you perspective.

I can’t help thinking that 2008 has been a year just like that. We have crossed the high mountain passes of the 20k+sensex, 9% GDP, 30% salary increases, 100% escalation in property value and are now descending fast into a valley. Grab this little respite from the climb and delight in what the valley has to offer. Of course it is a time to introspect and build our strengths anew on flat, level ground. A time to relish the fruits that grow here – the lower interest rates, cheaper products, great buy possibilities in the share market, all of that.

And let us keep the faith. For as we cross this valley, our time well spent, we will be climbing again, higher and higher…have a wonderful Christmas and a great 2009. I am planning to do the same.