A Mistake

Many times we do not understand what a mistake is. Not remembering a mistake is a mistake only. Mistake is as important as a right is.Wherever or whatever it may be a mistake is normally glaring.It's rarely appreciated. A mistake doesn't normally carry or secure any marks. Some say a mistake is a mistake whether it is a small mistake or a big mistake or it is an oversight. Some are only mistake conscious and some are not. Some opine that one should never make a mountain out of a molehill whenever there 's a mistake. They like to ignore all silly and small mistakes. They say wisdom comes from experience gained from making mistakes and learning from them. Pointing out more & more mistakes in a person affects the self confidence of that person.More one commits mistakes more one loses confidence and more & more frustrated one becomes.Everyone making the same mistake makes one forget the correct one.There is every possibility of wrong being considered correct one. One must be careful while doing anything as more time is required to correct a mistake than time required to commit it. In fact ,many mistakes cannot be corrected at all.Nobody need question one about their mistakes, mistakes question them. Conscious questions.

Who does not commit mistakes? Everyone in this world commits them .They are essential.There are no one who hasn't committed a mistake at one time or other. Perfection is a rare phenomenon. Mistakes enlighten us. They open our eyes .They are experiences. They sharpen our mind. One needn't be ashamed for committing mistakes .Only after committing them one tries to correct themselves & notes not to repeat them also. A child totters and staggers while learning to walk. In the same way while beginning to lead life we make mistakes.There's nothing strange or wrong in it. Mistakes occur in every field. It's impossible to keep a trail of mistakes that occur in this world. There could be no mistakes that aren't at all committed so far.Mistakes could be a research subject too.There is nobody in this world who has not committed a mistake and come up in their life at all. How big is the mistake is the only question? However ,one must not make a mistake thinking that their head is strong.It is as good as like hitting a rock thinking that the head is strong. Prevention is always better than cure.This is true in case of mistakes too. Often people are not cautious before committing them. Somethings could not be avoided. That does not mean one shouldn't be cautious.In life, however cautious one is it is less only. Caution should be always one's watchword.Usually,people commit a mistake & thereafter become cautious or start repentance .Regretting a mistake isn't unusual in life.

If,whatever we do is right , we wouldn't know what's wrong. Wrong and right are two sides of a coin. We must know what's right as well as what's wrong . That's learning. Otherwise learning would be incomplete. A mistake is natural . None would commit it if they know what it is. A few commit mistakes intentionally or deliberately. Majority of people commit mistakes due to either innocence or ignorance. Mistakes are either major or minor incidents of one's life. They can be either harmful or harmless. It's not easy to predict why, when, where and how a mistake occurs. One needs courage to make a mistake deliberately also. There’s a reason for everything. There is a reason for every mistake too. A mistake made would usually be remembered and would not be usually repeated . Mistakes do not allow everyone to be successful. They are a check. They allow only capable to succeed. They make a selection easy. They tell volumes. Being unaware, in our madness without our knowledge we commit mistake after mistake.Without committing them nobody can be perfect . It's not only when it's very difficult one commits it ,one can commit it when it's damn easy too .There would be less number of mistakes only if the brain is alert and works well. We must neither give too much of an importance to mistakes nor ignore them totally. The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make mistakes. Mistakes are to be treated on merit. They are our teachers .They help us to learn. A mistake could be a stepping stone to success. George Bernard Shaw says "A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing." Mistakes make our brain and mind active. We must not say every mistake is a foolish one or a blunder. Albert Einstein rightly says "a person who never made a mistake never tried anything new"

We are very good lawyers for our mistakes. Similarly, we are very good judges for others mistakes. Who does not make mistakes ? We are not God. We are only human we commit mistakes and promise not to do it again. We should not feel apologetic, ashamed, or afraid of committing mistakes. Even great people admit when they make mistakes. Mistakes are not crimes. Committing a mistake is not a sin.Everyone has got freedom to commit them. Of course,we should be careful. We should not deliberately or unnecessarily choose to make mistakes.One who repeats the same mistake over and over again and again is called an idiot, or insane. A mistake has got an excuse either once or twice but not always. One must learn a lesson from every mistake. Lack of focus, lack of confidence ,lack of knowledge and skill are generally reasons behind a mistake.One who has the habit of introspection seldom commits the same mistake again.Most often, crying over a mistake is crying over split milk.The amends that one could make after committing a mistake is to look for ways and means to set it right. A mistake cannot be always corrected. They are different kinds of mistakes.

As we grow up we realize more & more of our mistakes. We learn to cope with them.They are opportunities to learn. Life is learning from mistakes. We gain confidence. Some realize their mistakes fast and some take time to realize their mistakes. Some realize their mistakes themselves and don't repeat them . Whereas some do not either realize mistakes or even if pointed out do not correct the mistakes too. We come across different types of people and different types of mistakes. Treating a mistake as a silly mistake or as a grave mistake depends upon the mindset of individuals. Some mistakes are common mistakes which everyone commit in their day to day life. Some are grave mistakes which differ from individual to individual. Some mistakes that we commit could be set right and some mistakes that we commit could not be set right at all. Sometimes a mistake may turn out to be very expensive and one may have to pay a heavy price for it. It may make them suffer through out their life. Some mistakes that we commit are harmful and some mistakes that we commit are harmless. Some mistakes are pointed out. Some mistakes are not pointed by anybody at all. Pointing out of mistakes committed by us by someone should never be considered as a fault finding exercise at all. It is a well wisher who makes us understand our mistakes. Mistakes open our eyes. They make us an expert. We learn and learn from the mistakes and the things change. We get experienced and attain full maturity to become a real man. Many wait others to commit mistakes because many times it is on their mistakes they could cash upon. Life is a long journey.It is a process. It is not a bed of roses. It is very complex. It is the best teacher. Nobody not even a poet can describe it well.

When the above thoughts were making round , life of Mr Das slowly crept into my mind. Some mistakes are not in our hands. They cannot be avoided too. They are in His hands. Fate plays its role in their occurrence. Mere mistakes are not behind a failure. Fitzgerald rightly says

"The moving finger writes; and, having writ, are not

Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit

Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,

Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it."

A mistake or mistakes build one's life story.In 1960, Mr Das was working for a company in Madikeri Coorg Karnataka. He was a highly qualified graduate . He belonged to a respectable Brahmin family of Brahmavar in Udupi district. Madikeri is the headquarters of Kodagu. Kodagu is home to the native speakers of Kodava language. Kodava language has no script. Madikeri is a hill resort. It is a beautiful place . It is a tourist center.Mr Das was only 23 years old at that time.He was not married. He was the most eligible bachelor. He was handsome. He liked the place. He was attracted by a beautiful Kodava girl by name Rani. Their love was blooming. However stars were not favorable to Mr Das. Rani's parents as well as his parents were dead against the marriage. In fact, Rani's parents were planning to brutally attack Mr Das. Mr Das cleverly got himself posted to Haveri office of the company to extricate himself from all the troubles.

Life isn't a joke. There are critical junctures in it. One must be careful at every critical juncture. One must be doubly cautious especially at critical junctures .One must not take a chance or risk at that time. Sometimes, incidents break a man more than what an earthquake or a thunderstorm can break him. A marriage is a critical juncture. It's when one chooses life partner.Marriage takes place mostly at an age when everything appears to be rosy and scruples work less. Mostly, it's whenever when one loses cool, one commits mistakes. It is not merely a dullard commits mistakes but also an intelligent too commits mistakes. In hurry bury he married Sita,daughter of a village accountant. Sita was the only daughter to the parents. She was also good looking. Only mistake that Mr Das committed at that point of time was that he had not inquired much about the family background of Sita. Sita's mother was hysterical .When a mother is hysterical , children mostly run the risk of becoming hysterical. It was a grave mistake. It was too late when he came to know it. Marriages are made in heaven.One need not commit many mistakes A mistake can be enough.It can be fatal. What matters more in a mistake is it's consequences or gravity.

Life is strange. It's always wise in it to one rely more upon their own experience rather than relying upon experience of others. However, in case of mistakes it is not so. It is better one learns from their mistakes as well as mistakes of others too. One shouldn't repeat mistakes that others commit. Sometimes one need not pay anything for their mistakes. Many times one goes unscathed even when they make a grave mistake. Sometimes, a mountain out of a mole hill is made to a small mistake. But ,this is not always the case. In fact, no one would be aware of the price that they may have to pay for a mistake that they commit . Sometimes one has to pay heavily for their mistake and Mr Das had to pay immensely for his mistake. Before committing a mistake only one must be doubly cautious and take all possible steps to avoid it. Once a mistake is committed it may or may not be possible to correct it at all.

In 1962, Sita gave birth to Venu. During the birth of Venu, Sita turned hysterical. Subsequently, Sita gave birth to two more children. As a result ,during the rest of his married life spanning over three decades, Mr Das had to manage both his office as well as home. Attending office as well as home is really very a hard job to anybody. His married life was really pathetic. Children that grow up with a parent who is mentally ill, face an increased risk of developing a mental illness during their lifetime. Children of Mr Das were not normal.

Bringing up a normal child itself is an herculean task. One can imagine the pains and efforts that Mr Das had put to bring up his children and take care of his wife. God was not fair to him. Whether they were mentally retarded or whether they were physically handicapped , children whatever they , they were his children. The bond could not be broken. They could not be neglected. Mr Das had to swim against all odds and tide. The mistake committed by him was very costly. Yet, he did not run away from life. He faced it boldly.He deserves kudos. He was always calm and quiet. He was meeting people smilingly. He seldom displayed his agony.He is a life example to show that it is not enough one is capable they must be fortunate also. Many are great but are not known. They do not come to light.