Risk the Unknown

What bothers/hinders us the most? – Fear, fear of failure. For years it was held that the human body was simply not capable of running a mile in four minutes. It wasn’t just dangerous; it was impossible. People had tried for over a thousand years to break the barrier, even tying bulls behind them to increase the incentive to do the impossible. On May 6, 1954, Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute barrier, running the distance in 3:59.4. He never ran away but he ran. Guess what happened after that? 24 people ran a mile under four minute in a year. What was holding them back? Fear! No never run away – risk the unknown Dear Toastmasters and Guests Good evening! When you walk to the edge of all the light you have and take that first step into the darkness of the unknown, you must believe that one of two things will happen. There will be something solid for you to stand upon or you will be taught to fly. Here is one such incident! A winter’s night and to fuel our adrenaline rushes further ahead and wanted to do a night trek. As scary and enthralling it may sound, but, that’s never out of danger and its own risk. What’s that life, where you don’t take any risk? So, we five, the bravehearts, decided to venture into a dark deep forest in the middle of the night away from the city. We start to move and the place was so dark and the dog on the street is non-stop barking to us. May be he recognised the extraordinary humans in us. We keep on moving and keep asking so many questions to each other just to forget the fear of our heart that night. But the night is getting darker in the road. And then we start climbing the mountain. We were half-way through and I really don’t know if I am the only one saw this shadow’s sitting under the tree. I open my headlamp and trying to see if someone is there but I saw (someone like a shadow). My eye couldn’t lie. And I told my friends about what I saw. We keep moving and moving until we reach that tree and we heard some human voice. Stop there. It was too windy, so we assumed it’s just our delusion. As we neared the tree, we heard it again. Can’t you hear? Stop. We stopped. None of us could really see who is that? Then I slowly tried to turn myself so that my headlamp will focus on those faces, I see – police. I told myself, this can’t be true. How in the world police reached here, even before the climax? This is not even the beginning of our trek and they already reached in there. All of us stop as obedient students. As much as we mock our police, but in the forest you get caught without anyone around, in the middle of nowhere, during midnight dark with three guys and two females, your heart goes through a slight shiver. So, two police started asking questions. I noticed that they didn’t notice me in that darkness. So, they took two of the guys to side to talk. I couldn’t hear what they spoke. And we three were standing beside in the black dark night. And they come back. My two friends said, they are asking for money- 5000 rupees per each person. I told myself welcome to India and there we have our regular police, not to be worried. And they started their interrogation- do you know what can you be booked under? Some illegal activities in the forest and the regular police threatening ways. After a while, individual questioning started. I still haven’t opened my mouth. Lawyer in me, I guess was enjoying the whole show. So, the question started with the first guy – name, age, place of work, married or unmarried, where does he work, how much he earns etc? Finally after all of them were interrogated, spotlights turned towards me - don’t you know it’s risky to come here in the night. I say yes, I know. What’s your name? – Suchithra; are you married – I say no; hmm ! you young people are totally irresponsible. I just stay quiet. Where do you work….I responded – high court. What court? I repeat – high court. Which court? Sir, where all the lawyers, judges and police gather, criminals go, that high court. Where? Bangalore. Are you a lawyer? I slowly responded – yes, I am a lawyer. With whom do you work? I reply with my senior’s name. Suddenly I recognised the change in the tone. You tell me madam, isn’t it very risky to come here and trek in the night? I respond – sir, we were told that, there will be police coverage and they will take care of us, that’s why we thought of trekking here. Who told? Sir it came in the newspaper. He replies – these newspapers are utter gibberish madam. Never trust them. Finally he agreed to leave us saying - today we are just giving you warning and letting you go. Next time onwards please don’t come here. My friends were all relaxed and we started climbing down and then reached home safely. My mind recalled, whenever the clouds of pain and sadness loomed, tears came till the eyelashes and this lonely heart got scared, tell your heart – don’t run away, face it! Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat. When troubles come, don’t’ run away, face it. It’s human to have a wish to travel: the desire to move, to satisfy your curiosity or ease your fears, to change the circumstances of your life, to be a stranger, to make a friend, to experience an exotic landscape, to risk the unknown.