I was in yoga this morning and Diana was talking all about learning how to swim when life's waves try to knock you down. She told this great story that really spoke to me. If you do not know Swimmology, when life's waves come your way, 100% of your life will be wasted!!
"Once upon a time a very learned professor was traveling in a ship to some place. It was a long voyage, and very soon word of the professor’s knowledge spread. People were eager to meet him, to invite him to their cabins for tea and chat with him. He was a distinguished man after all.
There was one old Sailor (employee of the cruiser) who was more than eager to meet the professor and learn whatever he could from the distinguished traveler. He would lie in wait for him, bend over backwards to serve him and be extra courteous to him than he was with other travelers on the ship.
Seeing this service, the professor was pleased with this sailor and called him to his room for a chat. He asked the sailor, “Do you know about Meteorology ?” The sailor replied “What’s that Sir? I’m illiterate. I’ve never been to school .” The professor said “Old man, you spend your entire life on the waters, under the open sky. You don’t know meteorology, the study of climate conditions? Go away, 25 % of your life is wasted.”
The old man not knowing what to say, just nodded his head and went away. “If the learned man is saying 25% of my life is wasted, then it’s wasted. No point crying over it..” Saying that, he went his way.
A few days later, their paths again crossed. The learned professor regaled him with various anecdotes of his academic life and the old sailor lapped it all up enthusiastically. After some time, the professor asked him “Do you know about Geology?” The sailor replied “I told you Sir, I can barely scribble my name. How can I know?” The professor, somewhat angry, shouted “Old man, what type of a sailor are you? You do not know meteorology, now you do not even know Geology, the science governing the earth and the mountains? Fifty percent of your life is wasted.” Saying that, the professor gave him a lengthy piece of his scholarly mind, and again, the old Sailor, shaking his head in shame, went away.
As the days progressed, the Old Sailor in no way angry with the professor met him and served him selflessly on many occasions, overwhelmed by his distinguished air. He held him in the same awe as a poor man holds a billionaire, as an ugly person holds a Greek God. Seeing his meek dutifulness, the professor entertained him, chatted with him, but it was only a matter of time before he could not control his academic superiority any longer.
He asked the Old Sailor, “Old man, tell me, do you know about Oceanology?” The old man replied “Told you Sir, I’m a total illiterate. I never had the occasion to learn about any of these great topics.” More in disbelief than anger, the Professor actually snarled “How can a person be this ignorant? You do not know Meteorology, you do not know Geology, now you do not even know Oceanology, the laws covering the waves and the tides of the ocean? What type of a sailor are you? You have spent your entire life on the High Seas, and you couldn’t even learn oceanology? 75 % of your life is totally wasted!!”
The old Sailor not knowing what to say, simply nodded his head in silent acknowledgement, as if to say “Yes Sir, if you say so. You cannot be wrong.”
As the weeks went by, and the voyage neared its end, one day early morning, the old Sailor came rushing to the Professor. He blurted out “Sir, do you know swimmology?” The professor shouted “You fool, there is no such logy!” The Sailor reverted back, this time with a little triumph in his voice. “That I do not know Sir. I only wanted to tell you that the ship has dashed against a Rock and is going to sink any moment now. There is a little Island just a few miles away. All those who know Swimmology, they will be saved. If you do not know ‘Swimmology’, 100% of your life is wasted.”
Seeing this service, the professor was pleased with this sailor and called him to his room for a chat. He asked the sailor, “Do you know about Meteorology ?” The sailor replied “What’s that Sir? I’m illiterate. I’ve never been to school .” The professor said “Old man, you spend your entire life on the waters, under the open sky. You don’t know meteorology, the study of climate conditions? Go away, 25 % of your life is wasted.”
The old man not knowing what to say, just nodded his head and went away. “If the learned man is saying 25% of my life is wasted, then it’s wasted. No point crying over it..” Saying that, he went his way.
A few days later, their paths again crossed. The learned professor regaled him with various anecdotes of his academic life and the old sailor lapped it all up enthusiastically. After some time, the professor asked him “Do you know about Geology?” The sailor replied “I told you Sir, I can barely scribble my name. How can I know?” The professor, somewhat angry, shouted “Old man, what type of a sailor are you? You do not know meteorology, now you do not even know Geology, the science governing the earth and the mountains? Fifty percent of your life is wasted.” Saying that, the professor gave him a lengthy piece of his scholarly mind, and again, the old Sailor, shaking his head in shame, went away.
As the days progressed, the Old Sailor in no way angry with the professor met him and served him selflessly on many occasions, overwhelmed by his distinguished air. He held him in the same awe as a poor man holds a billionaire, as an ugly person holds a Greek God. Seeing his meek dutifulness, the professor entertained him, chatted with him, but it was only a matter of time before he could not control his academic superiority any longer.
He asked the Old Sailor, “Old man, tell me, do you know about Oceanology?” The old man replied “Told you Sir, I’m a total illiterate. I never had the occasion to learn about any of these great topics.” More in disbelief than anger, the Professor actually snarled “How can a person be this ignorant? You do not know Meteorology, you do not know Geology, now you do not even know Oceanology, the laws covering the waves and the tides of the ocean? What type of a sailor are you? You have spent your entire life on the High Seas, and you couldn’t even learn oceanology? 75 % of your life is totally wasted!!”
The old Sailor not knowing what to say, simply nodded his head in silent acknowledgement, as if to say “Yes Sir, if you say so. You cannot be wrong.”
As the weeks went by, and the voyage neared its end, one day early morning, the old Sailor came rushing to the Professor. He blurted out “Sir, do you know swimmology?” The professor shouted “You fool, there is no such logy!” The Sailor reverted back, this time with a little triumph in his voice. “That I do not know Sir. I only wanted to tell you that the ship has dashed against a Rock and is going to sink any moment now. There is a little Island just a few miles away. All those who know Swimmology, they will be saved. If you do not know ‘Swimmology’, 100% of your life is wasted.”
Do you know Swimmology??
Beautiful story... nice blog!
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