The first thing that comes to my mind when I hear the word 'time' is punctuality. You may have surely heard the one-liner - The bad thing about being punctual is that nobody is there to appreciate it. Well, it may sound comical at the first reading, but it actually tells us how ignorant we are when time is concerned.
I have always observed that a party receives its first guest only an hour later. In this modern India, appearing late for an event has become more of a style statement. How will others know that you are really very busy if you don't turn up late?
Tardiness has seeped into the human-psyche in such a way that some people now are planning to keep an 'Early Bird' award to attract visitors on time!
Ask an Indian stock broker the following question - Is time really equal to money? You will surely get a fitting reply,"Oh, that's just a so-called proverb. Look, we don't have any shortage of time, do we? But if we don't have money, we'll land up begging, you see. So money obviously matters more."
I feel that if a rupee is given the status of a second, then one can easily become a billionaire within months. The one who does not value time and wastes it without a second thought has to definitely, run the gauntlet. I sincerely believe that each and every second of this minute, of this hour, of this day, of this month, of this year, of this decade and of our life should be given utmost importance.
I dedicate the following poem to all my fellow Indians who perhaps, might have still not realized the value of time:
People made clocks and watches,
And then was devised, the tic-tic sound.
Now, the World controls time,
Or is it the other way round?
Time is a dimension,
Of seconds, minutes and hours.
And not a calculator,
To measure conflicts and Wars.
It is with the mendicant and the king,
And is known as 'The Priceless Thing'.
For no greatest dime,
Can ever buy the millisecond of a time.
There's an old saying which says,
"Time and tide wait for no man".
And if you still don't believe in it,
Then pause the moment if you can!
-- Written by Parth Dave (that's me!)
Please Note: I do not mean that Indians are only people who are not punctual. I only want to assert that if Indians respect time, India can surely go a long way and take the first step towards becoming a developed nation.