Gone in a flash

When I read Thomas Jefferson's quote, 'Let the eye of vigilance never be closed,' it brought back memories of incidents that happened years ago in the United States.

We were visiting a friend in Colorado, a state that has one of the most beautiful and diverse landscapes in North America. Back then, we were residing in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We were looking forward to visiting what was pegged as the most breath-taking river in the state, the Colarado River. We took a train ride to reach this place.

We were all so excited when we set foot on the banks of the river, and the raging river put all of us in total awe. Our friend wanted to feel the rough waters and climbed on top of a rock. He bent over to touch the turbulent waters, and the moment he did so, the contents of his pocket fell into the great river. The contents, including his wallet with credit and debit cards and an expensive mobile phone, were swept away in a second. In his excitement to touch the chilly waters, he had allowed the river to gobble up his belongings. Our friend was in a state of utter shock, and even as we consoled him, he blamed himself for his poor vigilance.

The lesson of vigilance often revisits us, like it did to me yet again when a monkey startled all of us.

This incident also happened years ago when we visited the holy place of Brindavan. My parents also accompanied us. We had arranged for a guide to take us around and explain the finer details of the place. As he was showing us around, he pointed to a particular tree and said that Lord Krishna had jumped from that tree on the Kalinga snake to perform the famous Kalinga dance. Though we all looked at him in disbelief, it was my mother who took him seriously and decided to prostrate before the tree. Having decided so, she removed her new pair of slippers and tried to perform her salutations. No sooner had she removed her slippers, a monkey snatched them and went atop a tree. It refused to budge from its place, and my poor mother had to walk away from there without slippers.

The incidents happened on two different continents in two different situations. But the lesson remains the same: a lack of vigilance can prove costly.

I am reminded yet again of another quote by William Shakespeare: "I am as vigilant as a cat to steal cream." How true! To survive without any hassles, one has to be vigilant and careful.