Taking a Back Seat

SADHU VISHWAMURTIDAS





Some people are compulsive exhibitionists. You can find them almost anywhere. They would do anything to get noticed. At a wedding, they want to be the bride. At a funeral, the corpse. Julius Caesar, who was an incorrigible egotist, was kidnapped when he was a child. He was held for a ransom of 11,000 gold pieces. Horrified, he exhorted his captors to raise the ransom amount to 250,000 gold pieces so as to preserve his prestige. There are very few people who don't like being the centre of attraction.They are the true giants of humanity , the others are insignificant.The boxer Muhammad Ali once reportedly refused to wear his seat-belt on a plane.“Superman doesn't need a belt,“ he insisted. Tying his belt for him, the stewardess replied, “Superman doesn't need a plane either.“ The truly great are those who know their weaknesses and aren't afraid to admit them. They accept their limitations and blend in with the crowd because they know that when it comes to the basics, everyone's the same.
Whether rich or poor, we all have the same emotions deep within us ­ to protect the family , educate children, provide for healthcare, to be free to walk the streets in safety , to have time for oneself, to contribute to the good of the world and to leave one's mark, however small, on history . And the last is something all human beings do, for better or for worse. Even an ant does not go through this world without affecting its outcome in some way .