Quit that Rat Race!

Stop reading (Seriously, put this newspaper down or turn off the display on your e-device). I’m sure you still remember that old tale from Moral Science (I hope they still teach that subject), the story about the race between the hare and the tortoise. Dear Lord, how can you forget that!? Remember the moral of the story: Slow and steady wins the race. (Snap! Now get back to reading.)

 

“What’s so special about this story? Everyone has heard or read about it.” Good thing that you asked. Well, no, you don’t know what you don’t know. You bet!

 

Tortoise is slow but it keeps on going and wins the race. The Hare boasts of its speed but lags behind eventually. So what’s the lesson you learnt? Be slow and steady? Or, don’t boast? These are obvious, aren’t they? But if you had taken time to analyze this story, then it would feel incomplete as if something is missing. Something very important. Didn’t it ring the bell? Never mind, let me do it for you. Ding!

 

Such moral tales are written in a way that they reflect on the human behavior and psychology. But the story as we know of doesn’t seem to contribute much to that. That’s because, let me repeat, there’s something missing from the story. It’s the human nature that’s missing. Not all people I know (and you know) fall under the category of either the Hare or the Tortoise. That happens only in the movies. Sorry to break it to you like this. Get used to reality!

 

Then how do we complete the story?

 

Thanks to Dr Paul Dobransky who completed the story for us. The missing animal is a RAT. So how come we never knew about the Rat? That’s because the Rat didn’t even join the race. That’s exactly what we people do. Now we can complete the old fable. Here’s the missing part.

 

…As the race started with the gunfire, the Hare sprinted like Ushen Bolt. The Rat, amazed at the Hare’s speed, took a couple of steps behind and said, “What’s the use? I can beat the Tortoise but I can never outrun the Hare. I have better things to do, like digging through garbage cans for an easy prize—one I can taste—a nice leftover piece of meat or bread.”

 

You chose the wrong guy, n*gga!

And we know what happened thereafter. The Hare took a nap. By the time the Hare awoke, it was too late. The Tortoise became the new champion in town (or the jungle). And the Rats were left behind wondering where the race had gone wrong. (Imagine the Rats standing on their hind limbs and scratching their heads with the paws.)

 

It’s up to the person to decide to do the things that make one great, to be like the Tortoise: tough against threats, yet popping his head and feet out when there’s something good for him to explore; the Hare, ruled by instinct; or the Rat: destined to be unknown.

 

That’s why they call it the rat race, and as the adage goes: “The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat.” (Lily Tomlin). Truly said.

 

And like our Brother Rat, we never even manage to leave the starting gate of life in general. Our ancestors (the apes) must have been disheartened to see us like this.

God bless us, however!

 

[Seems like RATS were our ancestors. Darwin was wrong after all about the "Evolution". No wonder, rats are used to clone the surrogate human ears in genetic-engineering. Wow! Just Wow!]

 

©LinkinMyth: My Generation-Quit that Rat Race published on Republica (Aug 20, 2014) p13.