The " LAST DAY" Syndrome

Once I had done writing my FIRST Blog about the " ME FIRST" attitude, a thought began to creep up my now-days-idle mind (thanks to the hols, I seem to be in a eternal state of vettiness). I was just pondering on the reasons for such actions by the people. A question lurked precariously in a certain corner of my mind. Why are so many people here? (in the passport office, Err.. I can sense your frustration about me being obsessed with this place, but, shall change it soon in the course of this blog), Like what were they doing all these years? I can understand any young lad standing there with his parents, but what about all the others, there were people of all age groups standing together, all from six to sixty !!! Isn't getting a passport mandatory for almost all the citizens of India? It was at this point, that I began to get the answers.

Let me begin, by taking the best example-MYSELF. Now, the main reason why I wanted to get a passport, is not coz i wanted to go to Amsterdam, or Bangkok (No second gusses, why I chose these places :-)) , it was primarily because , I was going to write something called TOEFL on the 27th of February, 2006 and it required that I have a passport when i write the exam. As usual, I go to the passport office (this was my first visit to this place at that time.. around November 2005), I ask the procedure, and I was shocked to realize that it takes more than 6 months to get a passport in normal way. I thank our Indian governments always, thats because, they always have a provision of getting things done in a quicker way, by just giving them some extra notes which are printed and embossed by a ever changing design every time a major election takes place.. or every time a major financial racket is busted (both are the same)... I do some crap and get my passport in the first week of February, 2006.. well.. first time lucky I guess.. but it was not me alone who got this done, there were a couple of others with me who too got it done in the dying moments.. We could have well solved this issue if we had done things in a properly co-ordinated manner...with these thoughts i just sighed, there were so many people, who realize their duties only when it comes hard upon them.. till then, they just relax and let things happen.. is this the difference between us and the rest of the world... are we the true embodiments of laziness???or so to say.. procrastinators personified !!!!

These issues apply everywhere, Just go to a BSNL Chennai telephones counter on any day, the guy at the counter will be squatting flies, waiting for one sincere customer to pay his bill as and when it was issued to him.. Go to the same counter, the penultimate day and the last date of the "Pay-by-date", you will find yourself standing yards outside the BSNL building itself.. All those people before you, behind you and also, yourself.. just realized that it was the last day and you had to pay the bill.. thats when we move our lazy asses to do some work and get rid of the excess fat off it..

Let me not confine this issue only to all the domestic activities.. let me broaden the horizon where such a scenario applies... let us take the example of a student... we while flirt away all the days of the semester.. only a week before do we realize that, we have nothing called as notes with us... thanks to some, poor lad, who had burned the mid night oil for days and traveled to numerous staff rooms to collate all the notes for that subject, we just get a simple photocopy from him.. job done.. 1 week to go for semester, and we are away for a partying weekend holiday... Next day, sem exams.. we get up.. curse a few words to the poor teacher who taught us and begin our one day match...

Ok.. one can possibly argue that we get away with the exams and "all's well that end's well".. but is this the attitude one should carry??? Is this the attitude that separates one from the rest?? well.. I think.. this is the attitude that separates Indians from the rest.. having all the potential resources.. and having a population "X" times that of the bigger nations and "X" times smaller than the same nation in size ...we are still a developing country...

If we all think and see.. then we can come across various places where this scenario is in full effect... domestic issues, personal issues, official issues, all..... For all those who are well accustomed to the Tamil language.. you would have heard the adage "savura neratil , shankara shankara".. well.. aren't we all doing that...

Think my dear friends.. just think... we could make INDIA a much better place to live.. if we just do our work, before time... rather than procrastinate it to the last moments... after all.. stupid wasn't he who said.. "procrastination is the mother of all sins " !!!!!