I do apologize at the outset of this post that it 'will' come across as excessively preachy. But anyway here goes .....
In an earlier post, a letter to my son, a piece of advice I gave him, was on the importance of staying healthy. To paraphrase it, I wrote "Take care of your body. It is the only vehicle that truly matters - all others can be bought, discarded and upgraded"
Of course at the time of writing that, it was just one of the many thoughts whizzing through my mind. It was a period when the conflict between sagacity and emotion were raging in my head, and I was being torn between being a parent and a sage. But this particular line somehow resonated with me, especially when I relate it to the behavior of so many people.
Recently I read an irony (relating to India of course) that 'Indians are obsessed with screen guards on their smartphones even though most come with Gorilla glass that is scratch proof, but never bother wearing a helmet while riding their bikes'. Don't you think the same sentiment holds true for so many who take assiduous care of their vehicles, but not for their own physical well-being?
It has often struck me as amazing that anyone would buy a machine or a physical object and then persevere to maintain it in perfect condition for the rest of its useful life - whereas the same person would completely ignore the one thing that they should not - their own health! We all know of people who will strip an engine down periodically and reassemble it after cleaning and oiling every part. They will spend countless hours in polishing, burnishing and shining their cars. They will take pride in the spotless gleam of the chrome bumpers, and the hermetic cleanliness of its interiors - but will be absolutely callous with their own health. The time, money and resources some have spent on getting their motorbikes souped and primped up, in my opinion could have been better spent on a gym or sports club membership.
On the other hand they ignore the most important vehicle in their life - their own body! They abuse it by eating junk, smoking, drinking and depriving it of sleep. And I really wonder as to how they justify these two such seemingly contradictory practices?
I mean how can one be so particular of one and not the other? AND if there is in fact a choice to be made - would it not make more sense to take care of ones body first?
Is it that this self-evident truth is not obvious to them or is it that it is just too difficult to do? Maybe it is similar to a smokers mindset - one that recognizes the detrimental impact of cigarettes in general, but does not believe that it applies to them.
Even if one looks at it from an economic consequence - no matter how expensive a car you have, whether it is a Rolls Royce or a Ferrari - at the end of it you can only lose the value you paid for that car, and that too if you are not insured. At the time of taking out insurance you are required to declare the cars value. How much would you value your body for? And what value would one place on the consequences of its failure?
How can one take pride in owning a powerful German car or a beautiful Italian machine, when they themselves look like a wreck? I cannot pretend to understand the mental psyche of an overweight person, preening and posturing proudly as they step out of a sleek automobile.
I have tried to use our cars as a juxtapose to our bodies, because in some shape or form they are both vehicles, but in reality this can be applied to almost any physical construct that one gets obsessive about. Whether it is ones house, stereo system or wardrobe - they are all replaceable.
Now please understand that in no way am I suggesting that one should trash ones vehicles or misuse their possessions into a bad condition. I take pride in the cleanliness and maintenance of my cars, just as I do for all my belongings. I think it is a privilege that I have what I have and I try and use all those objects accordingly. But I truly believe that my body is more important by orders of magnitude, than any of these other material possessions!
Some people may be equally callous with both their assets and their physiques. They could read this and justify to themselves that they are egalitarian in their approach to all things - which in some way provides them with a warped rationale to indulge and trash their bodies. That is being quite foolish. I think we have a greater responsibility to our bodies and have to learn to live up to that.
So I say to you - Dude - you better pimp up the one (actually the only) ride that truly matters!
