Like most schools, we had a notice board that was used for quotations, to inspire us, to be good citizens. There used to be a Header, QUOTE OF THE DAY, followed by the content that used to be short and precise, written in multi-coloured chalk. One of the favourable quotes; that I continue to remember is :
When Wealth Is Lost Nothing Is Lost
When Health is Lost Something Is Lost
When Character Is Lost Everything Is lost
As children, one and only way to make money was to study and study hard, to become an employee. Given a choice, join the Government service. Second choice was the public sector. Private sector was not high on our agenda. Profit was considered a dirt word.
We were not inflicted with life threatening diseases while we were students. Occasionally we had fever, throat infection, loose motion, bruises, swelling and ringworm, malaria etc. Character was not understood very well. Occasionally we stole our friend’s homemade food, cookies and chocolates. Often we told lies to get sick leave, to exempt from Physical Training.
I am now in my middle age. I am beginning to understand the depth of the three magical words. I see people who are healthy. I also come across persons who are wealthy and on a few occasions, an honest person. Rarely a person combines all the three elements. It appears that health, wealth and character; come in stages. Between 25 to 50 years of age we are interested in wealth; and ignore our health and character. In the late forties or early fifties, quite a few of us, are afflicted with lifestyle diseases like hypertension, uric Acid, high cholesterol and diabetes. It is like a wake up call. We visit the doctor, who invariably advises us to buy a pair of jogging shoes and shorts. By then it is usually too late.
Whenever I go for a walk, I come across obese middle-aged persons trying to cut the fat. Even if they manage to trim the excess fat, the diseases are irreversible.
I understood this when I was nineteen. I was not satisfied with my height. I was a vegetarian all these years, but started on a protein rich diet. Instead of growing vertically, I expanded horizontally. On a few occasions I told my father that I would have been a few inches taller, if he had fed me non vegetarian food regularly. My son is five inches taller than me. He has no reasons to crib. He is twenty four now. He is thinking to go slow on meat.
One of my neighbours, with one foot in grave, was pushing his friend’s car that refused to bulge. After a few seconds his knees gave up. I wonder if he had pushed when he was an adult.
This morning, on a rainy day, I was unable to change the tyre of my friend’s car, who was drenched in the rain. I was going on an assignment and I did not want to get wet. Both of us looked at each other helplessly. In the evening on my return, I looked at the tyre. It was still flat. I am still carrying the guilt. And this article is an outcome.
The wording on the board should have been:
When Wealth Is Lost Everything Is Lost
When Health is Lost Something Is Lost
When Character Is Lost Nothing Is lost
Sanjay Agrawal's Blog 