TIME

Once upon a time in a faraway land, a thief had earned great name because of his clever and quick ways of stealing. He was popularly known as Mr. Time. He would mark a place, bide his time and the moment the occupants go in for their afternoon siesta, he would attack. One moment and all the valuable possessions of the house would be lost. But fortunately he never attacked at night. The king, tired of the complaints about Mr. Time and of the failures of his officers in nabbing him, issued an order saying that afternoon siesta was banned. That was the only way to keep these increasing thefts at bay. Since then on the afternoon found the inhabitants working in their fields or in their houses. Thus the economic condition of the country improved and people led an active and prosperous life and Mr. Time was from then on remembered only as history.

This is just a story my mother used to tell me when I was a kid. But now as I have grown up I have suddenly found this uncanny similarity between the thief and time. The story goes to show how Mr. Time was your friend when you were hardworking and your enemy when you were lazy. It is true in real life too. For example, a student who studies uniformly day after day has no problem in revising before exams. But time plays a wicked trick on those who laze around thinking they have ample time for studying. One moment you think there is loads of time left and the next moment you suddenly realize that you don’t have enough time to learn, let alone revise your subjects. Time has a brisk and strict personality. It has no mercy on people who don’t respect it. It has no patience for people who don’t have a grip on themselves and are of a nervous type. For example, when you are just about to give an exam and have become very nervous, then you should just check your watch. Instead of moving slowly to calm you down it runs in double speed sending your blood pressure soaring high. If you manage to compose yourself and start solving the question paper you are saved but if not, then you are heading for a half finished paper and consequently a heart attack. On a more serious note, I would like to say that it is time that has created history. The reason we are in this age of technology is because people have learnt from the various mistakes committed in the past. Thus we can say that these comfortable days are also dedicated to time.
My dad is a greatly punctual man. If you have an appointment with him and you turn up even a minute late, he gets real huffy. He says, your dedication in maintaining time shows your dedication for other things too. In fact his most favourite saying is “If you maintain time, there are good times ahead. But if you think time is waiting, then it’s your watch, and not time which has stopped. Time is a bit naughty too. When you are having a good time it races along and each minute feels like only a second. But when you are having a boring time, then each minute passes as if an hour.

Time is much more than what has been stated above. Time revolves around life and life revolves around time. So respect and maintain it. For

‘Time And Tide Wait For None’