Learn (at least) the (basic) 'life skills'

There is an old story. A saint had to cross the river to go to the other side. He hopped inside a small ore-driven ferry. He struck a conversation with the person operating the ferry. Naming some of the religious texts, the saint asked him whether he knows them. The boatman replied, 'No sir'. 

Again he asked, 'Do you know anything about the scriptures'?  The boatman, 'Sorry sir, I don't know anything about that'. 

The saint, 'Any historical novels?' The boatman, 'What are those sir?'

The saint finally told him, 'So, you have wasted your entire life! What's the use of your life'?

At that point of time, the ferry started rocking dangerously, due to a sudden surge of river water. There was no way that the boat journey could be continued. The ferry operator asked the saint, 'Sir, do you know how to swim?' The saint replied, 'No, I don't know how to swim'. The boatman said, 'Sir, you only have wasted your entire life. Now the ferry is going to submerge in the water. I am going to swim away to safety. Bye!'

Though it is good to learn scriptures, religious texts etc., it is imperative that we all learn the 'basic skills' of life. They are much more important than anything else.

These days, we see frequent reports in the newspapers that even college students getting drowned in some ponds, as they were not knowing 'swimming'. This is a basic life skill every individual should learn in time. People in the villages have access to the swimming facility in the form of agricultural wells. For most of the others in towns and cities, there are swimming pools and trainers available. So, everyone should make it a point to learn swimming at an young age.

Like swimming, cycling is also an essential skill one should acquire in time. Though, not many people use bicycles these days, it is better to know the act. In fact, cycling is a very good exercise to keep oneself fit. In the ever-increasing fuel cost scenario, and to be environment-friendly, it is better to use bicycles for shorter distances rather than using two-wheelers or cars. We can hit two mangoes with one stone!

Male or female, now-a-days, everyone should know how to do the basic house chores like cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, keeping the home tidy etc. This is a must for everyone of us.

Now-a-days, learning basic computer functions has become an essential part of everybody's life. Even though, still many people may not operate computers on a regular basis, most of us use 'smart phones'. We may not need to learn to write codes, but very basic functions should be learnt. This is essential even for old people and people with minimum educational qualifications. This will help us in our day-to-day affairs.

People are now talking about 'multi-skilling'. But it is mandatory for everyone to know the basic skills so that we are not left far behind. Things are moving at a frantic pace these days. Unless we could at least jog (forget running), we will be obliterated soon....