Do you live for yourself?

It was one of the hottest days of the summer. Kids were playing football (soccer) in a soccer field and parents were watching their game sitting on the green grass very comfortably. It was pretty hot there and in the middle of the day, these little kids those might be 7/8 years old were running around in the football ground.

Some parents were sitting in a shady, some sitting underneath of beach umbrellas and some covering their head under a big hat with holding a soda or water bottle in their hand. Kids were chasing the soccer ball and throwing their sweat on the ground and parents were just watching and sipping their cold soda or water.

The kids were looking very tired and stressed but still playing the game with full enthusiasm. I was one of the parents who was not feeling well, it was kind of guilt inside me who was asking tough questions from my soul.

Hey! , these kids are throwing their sweat all around and what are you doing? Why don’t you do some kind of an exercise to keep fit yourself?

Suddenly , my attention diverted from my thoughts and heard a screamed voice, One of the parents was shouting over his kid , Come on , go go , you can do it , Hustle hustle !

When I saw this person, it was kind of a shock to me, He was a fat guy, who was sitting very comfortably under a beach umbrella, He was holding soda in his one hand and in other hand he was holding a big packet of chips.

When his son kicked the ball into the goal, He was screaming around with dance. It was good to see him; he was a very fat person. Even though he danced for a few seconds but his breathing was so heavy that he was panting very heavily.

I saw him with a smile; he waved his hand in response to his gratitude then he opened the box of his cooler and took another soft drink and start sipping it.

I came near to his chair to do some gossips with him. As he saw me, he started whining, oh! Man how much is hot today? It seems body will burn. I have already consumed 2 water bottles. I shook my head in his approval and suggested him, why don’t you sit under some shade?

He took a deep sigh and said alas! I could not find anything near to the game field that’s why I stuck here. I saw him with a cunning smile, you can’t just sit here, how you would expect from your kid to play in such harsh conditions, I said.

He did not like my statement and make his face with disapproval. Come on! Man, they are growing kids, they have to burn their energy that will be good for the health, he said in an argumentative way.

If they are growing kids, they need to keep themselves fit them why you don’t to do exercise for yourself, you need more than them, I said in reply. He thought for a while and about to say something somehow holds his lips. You cannot manage your health, even could not sit outside in open but expect from kids to play in such a hot weather for being fit, this is not fair, I further said?

You are right, we should be wondering about our health more than anything. Unfortunately, we as a parent involved with kids so much, never think about ourselves, He said.

Suddenly, this discussion disrupted at that moment, Kids were coming out of the soccer field. The Kids were full of sweat & were looking deep tired, Majority of them was whining about the heat that it was so tiring & exhausted to play outside.

I was having full sympathy with my kid that he was forced to play when I was not able to stand in the open field but I was having no choice just to follow my wife instructions. Anyway, I encouraged him by saying that when I was in India, we used to play in very hot weather compare to this. He shook his head in disapproval but did not say anything.

When I was going back to home, it was just hovering in my head, why parents pushed their kids so much?

More than this they themselves are big time looser but expect so much from the kids.

The truth is this when you are getting older; you should be the one who needs daily exercise not the kids. However kids can play with their friends in free time and in school they have play time but what about people like us those are grown up have very short time, less motivation and immiscible desire to do exercise.

This incident reminds me the safety procedures shown in the flight that first put your oxygen mask than try to save others. If you can’t save to yourself how would save others?

 People, those are not able to save themselves, finally end up as lost souls who died and let others died too.

This is true in every aspect of life that when, we are spending money and time for kid’s fun, sports, entertainment, gadgets, and education then why we don’t do anything for ourselves?

First respect and try to treat to you them think about others whether it is wife, kids or anybody. Remember, tomorrow nobody will be with you except your health. The decision is yours.

By

Kapil Kumar