Aug 1, 2009

Bad bargain

Some things just aren't meant to be.

My colleagues and I went to Dilli Haat for a hot, sunny, open-air lunch one afternoon. It was not a good day for me to be walking outdoors in the first place - I was in a sari, with uncomfortable heeled sandals, and it was terribly hot and humid. But everyone insisted so I didn't want to play spoilsport.

After sweating it out over Maharashtrian food, I decided to buy flat slippers on my way out, to ease at least one bit of discomfort. In a flustered hurry, I bought the first pair of 'matching' chappals I found, at Rs 180 without bargaining. Too soon, they were biting me, and with the lowered height, my sari dragged across the ground and kept tripping me up. In addition, the chappals had thin, smooth soles that made me slip, so I had to walk carefully to the point of paranoia. By the time I got home that evening, I was far more uncomfortable and miserable than I'd started out that morning.

I then decided to get an extra rubber sole fitted in at Rs 50, thinking I'd at least use the chappals once in a while if they gripped the floor better. But when I tried walking around the house one morning, they bit me all over again, and I pulled them off in pain. So there's Rs 230 wasted on shoes I'll never wear again.

Some things just aren't meant to be. When we are desperate, we end up making hasty, wrong choices, which sooner or later hurt us. Then we work harder to fix the problem, but realise it never will, and we've lost a whole lot more in trying a second time.

What I've learnt: Wear comfortable shoes EVERY DAY. And don't invest further in a bad bargain.

2 comments:

Shashi said...

Interesting! Do you look for healers to heal u? Or do you wait till you heal yourself?

Aekta said...

The human body has an inbuilt capacity for healing. If you let it be -- and let Time and Nature take their course -- it usually takes care of itself :)

Sometimes, though, one does need help. I do reach out when things are overwhelming. Luckily I am surrounded by lovely people, motivational books, and positive thinking so help is always at hand!

Let me write about this... Thanks for the idea!