The Sound of Inevitability

Cartoon Source: The New Yorker

Here is an anecdote* that I was reminded of recently.

Tom, is crazy about yachts.  One day he decides to build a model yacht.  While skimming through store catalogs, he comes across an attractive offer for under $100 - a complete yacht building kit including tools, material, instructions, and shipping & handling; a great bargain.  So, he places an order for the kit, and anxiously awaits its arrival.

A couple of days later, he receives the kit in a heavy package.  Tom eagerly opens the package only to find four basic items in it - a hammer, a chisel, a piece of wood, and a page with pictures of a yacht, along with the following four simple instructions.  

1.  Stick this paper on a wall for reference.

2.  Place the wood on a flat surface.

3.  Keep chiseling away parts of wood that don't look like yacht, until you are done!

4.  Voilà! you are the proud maker of a model yacht!

We went to Austin Hindu Temple along with our good friends to watch Deepavali celebration/mela on Oct. 25th.  In spite of organizer's best efforts, things didn't go smoothly.  The main event (Ravan dahan) was delayed by an hour, microphones wouldn't work for the MC, no adequate lighting when they were drawing raffle, disorderly crowds flocking the food/vendor stalls, trash on the ground, impatient audience heckling at the announcers...you name it**.

I thought, one good way to organize these events the next time around is, find a way to do just the opposite of what the organizers did this time - a grand success is guaranteed! I wonder why Desi functions normally dysfunction.  Personally, I am almost never late on work related stuff (tuk, tuk - just knocked on wood!).  But, when it comes to weekend things like this, I too slack off most of the time.  Perhaps, we Desis have (are blessed with?) take-it-easy genes that we manage to suppress during weekdays.  The devil is in the details - planning nitty gritty nuts and bolts is not our forte, generally speaking.  But who cares?  Life goes on!  Hakuna Matata!

* Don't remember exactly the way it was written.  So, I put it in my own words.

**though true, it wasn't as bad as it sounded here.  Folks have done many things really well.  But, just couldn't help thinking of that anecdote amidst the chaos that day.