Mama :  Again, you missed the bus? And what is this? Your leg is bleeding. Oh my God!

Roshan : (Sobbing) Mama, I am sorry. I was running to catch the bus. But I fell.

Mama :  Reshma, bring the first aid box and a glass of water for Roshan to drink.

Reshma :  See, I told you not to run, right? Now, I also am missing my classes because of you.

Mama : It’s OK. You give him the water. Meanwhile, let me wash the wound and put on the bandage. It’s nothing serious. Don’t cry.

Papa : What happened? Why is he crying?

Mama :  He fell while rushing to catch the school bus

Papa :  I told you many times you have to be careful. You shouldn’t be in haste. See, this is not the first time you have hurt yourself.

Roshan : But Papa, mama always says that we live in the ‘twenty fast’ century and need to be fast and quick.

Papa : What Mama means is entirely different. This twenty-first century is marked by its speed, and we also need to be as quick as possible in doing things so we won’t lag.

Roshan :  Exactly. That’s why I often run.

Mama :  What you do is entirely different from what I mean by being fast. Doing things fast and in time is completely different from being in haste.

Papa : See, my dear. Everything has its own time and pace. We need to give that. Do you know for how long your mama was carrying you in her womb?

Roshan :  More than nine months.

Papa : Yes. If Mama got impatient and wanted you to be out in 4 or 5 months?

Roshan :  Maybe I would have been dead like how it happened with Veena Aunty’s baby.

Papa :  Exactly. For each activity, there is a minimum time and effort required. You should give that.

Reshma :  He knows all that, papa. The problem is he always wakes up late, rushes with breakfast, runs to the bus and all these hue and cry.

Mama : You are also pretty close behind. How long did you stay awake yesterday night? Both of you were watching cartoons, right? You went to sleep late and got up late—simple logic.

Papa :  This is exactly what happens. You waste your time on things that are not important, and at the twelfth hour, you realise you are getting late to do something which you have to do. Then, do that in haste and lament the mistakes and accidents.

Mama :  Great haste, great waste.

Roshan : I need some clarification. Yesterday only you said I have to finish my homework quickly. Now you are saying I shouldn’t be in haste!

Papa :  I will explain. If you are quick or fast, you start on time and take only the minimum required time for that particular activity. This needs planning, practice and focus. Initially, when you do something, you may not be able to do it as fast as the person who does it regularly or has been doing it for a while.

Roshan :  Just like how mama cooks and you cook.

Mama :  Ya, a very good example.

Roshan :  Papa, you must explain what is meant in haste or hurry.

Papa :  Rush or haste often involves urgency due to time constraints or external pressures. It often happens because you start the work late. In this case, you usually lack concentration and make mistakes.

Reshma : Papa, suppose there is a fire inside a building where you are. You have to hurry to come out, right?

Papa :  Good question. That is what I meant when I said external pressures. This is an example of that. In this situation, you have to hurry—no other choice.

Mama :  Yes. But not in sleeping late, getting up late, rushing with routines & running to the bus.