ONE very frightening sight on our roads is to see adults walking with their children on the outer side. The little child tugs and pulls and skips and hops and sometimes even breaks loose from his or her father’s or mother’s hand and that could spell disaster as the child walking on the outer side is a hairs breath away from death or danger.
Foolish parents, you may say but many, many of us just do that without thinking. How often I have stopped my car and yelled at parent whose little one oblivious to the danger so very close by, has nearly thrown herself sidewise at some vehicle going by. Parents shouldn’t be doing that. Careful people don’t do that either, whether it’s their child or wife or aged parent who needs to be protected from the risks of perilous road.
I have seen tall son guarding tiny mother or daughter shielding feeble father. I am sure it must be a wonderful feeling to know that someone is there safeguarding you from the threats so nearby. But how does the child feel when he sees a grown up standing between him and the road?
Watch him. The little fellow tries to get to the dangerous portion. The little one is fascinated by the traffic, by the noise, by the hustle and bustle of fast cars, moving crowds and busy people. The child isn’t too happy that mother or father is keeping him away from the ‘wonderful’ happenings of the outside world.
How like us, the child is. Sometimes when we are being sheltered from the risks outside we start growing angry and resentful. “My freedom is being curtailed!” cries the teenager to her father. “Don’t you trust me?” shouts a flirting husband. “It’s just innocent fun,” says a wife, coming slightly drunk from an office party.
“What’s little sugar in my tea!” exclaims a diabetic. “Innocent excitement!” cries a heart patient. How we all love to get away from walking on the inner side, it’s more fun on the outer side isn’t it? We call it all sorts of names; restrictions, limits, constraints, control, curbs, regulations, rules, conditions, stipulations, etc.
Who stands next to you right now? Is it your son? Your husband? Your daughter in law? Your wife? Or is it the face of God you see, walking alongside you, keeping you safely on the inner side..!
