| Shifting Gears - In Life & On the Road |

Gnashing of gears - it plagues the best of drivers. The momentary slip in concentration, the slightly mistimed swoop of the hand and the result is immediate - a grating cacophony ensues as metal meets metal in a jostling embrace and the car shudders, expressing disquiet. It's not an error, much less a blunder, it's simply a quirk of destiny, quite inevitable.

The same can be said about life itself. We strive to our utmost, plan as far ahead as our myopic vision allows and try to build certainty into something which is inherently fickle. Again as while driving, a small, involuntary aberration, one which no safeguard could have prevented, and the carefully crafted tidiness of our existence lies shattered.

The misalignment of the gears, be it those of a car or those of life, that's a foregone eventuality. It leads to tremors which are momentary and bearable.

What bothers us however is the unseemly racket. It triggers irritation and breeds conflict. Next thing you know, you're flustered and committing avoidable blunders.

So cruise along comfortably and ignore those silly bumps, life's a home stretch, you just have to know how to drive.

- Debdutta Dhar