I am a slow child. I am mostly slow, even as an adult. Let's go back a few decades to when I was born.
My birth was difficult. I was born premature and a lot of people thought I wouldn't live more than a few days. When I was two, I got chronic bronchitis which continued for 13 years. There were several nights when my mum sat up with me, watching me struggling to breathe and wondered if I was going to see the next morning.
I was bad at Math. So bad, that I am sure, my Math teachers didn't even know I existed. I ate slow. There have been countless dinners where my father has yelled at me because I would take hours to finish the food on my plate. Eating with people therefore stresses me out. I am mostly the last one to finish. I found Economics quite tough in college. I never understood what was being taught and came home every single day and sat with my books to read on my own and catch up with the class.
Unfit and slow. Those are the two adjectives that could perhaps be used to describe me.
But, I have changed. I have grown. I am fit now and I have made some progress in life despite being slow. I have seen some of my students, who were 'slow' doing fairly well too. I guess, the point I am trying to make is, in all these observations I have made in nature, I disagree with the 'survival of the fittest' concept.
When I am gardening, I sow about four seeds. If I have to consider the germination rate and the purity of seeds, about four seeds increases the probability of having a good crop or plant. The rule is, that after waiting for around 4 weeks, one has to decide which of the four seedlings remain and which three are going to be uprooted and discarded. The idea is that the fittest will survive- blossom and fruit. The thin and slow ones are not fit and deserve not to live- there is nothing emotional about this. It's a science as Darwin pointed out. But, if you know me, you will be able to guess that I do not discard any plant. I let them grow and because of my emotional folly, sometimes, none of the four get the nutrition they really need.
But, how can I, with my life experiences, ever give up on those who take a little more time?
My birth was difficult. I was born premature and a lot of people thought I wouldn't live more than a few days. When I was two, I got chronic bronchitis which continued for 13 years. There were several nights when my mum sat up with me, watching me struggling to breathe and wondered if I was going to see the next morning.
I was bad at Math. So bad, that I am sure, my Math teachers didn't even know I existed. I ate slow. There have been countless dinners where my father has yelled at me because I would take hours to finish the food on my plate. Eating with people therefore stresses me out. I am mostly the last one to finish. I found Economics quite tough in college. I never understood what was being taught and came home every single day and sat with my books to read on my own and catch up with the class.
Unfit and slow. Those are the two adjectives that could perhaps be used to describe me.
But, I have changed. I have grown. I am fit now and I have made some progress in life despite being slow. I have seen some of my students, who were 'slow' doing fairly well too. I guess, the point I am trying to make is, in all these observations I have made in nature, I disagree with the 'survival of the fittest' concept.
When I am gardening, I sow about four seeds. If I have to consider the germination rate and the purity of seeds, about four seeds increases the probability of having a good crop or plant. The rule is, that after waiting for around 4 weeks, one has to decide which of the four seedlings remain and which three are going to be uprooted and discarded. The idea is that the fittest will survive- blossom and fruit. The thin and slow ones are not fit and deserve not to live- there is nothing emotional about this. It's a science as Darwin pointed out. But, if you know me, you will be able to guess that I do not discard any plant. I let them grow and because of my emotional folly, sometimes, none of the four get the nutrition they really need.
But, how can I, with my life experiences, ever give up on those who take a little more time?
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I think what survival of the fittest means is :
ReplyDeleteAre you strong enough - mentally and emotionally - to overcome adversities, to overcome whatever life throws at you, to adapt to changing circumstances and grow?
I don't know a stronger person than either of the Three Musketerrs (You, Lavi and sussana)
Thank you H :)
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