Our kids Anay and Aavya go to fitness class called Pune Fit-Life. The owners Archana Mam and Shyam Sir are experts in the field and take classes for all age groups. For kids they make it very exciting with fun games, workouts, yoga, and sports through the week.

Since it was raining last week and followed by weddings, they were mostly doing indoor training and not on open ground. Usually when it is outdoors, they carry their footballs and basketballs to practice and play.

The other day when they left for class, Anay insisted Arpita to take the basketball. Since they were mostly training indoors, Arpita tried to explain Anay that they would not need it today maybe next week only due to the weather. So they went without the basketball.

To Arpita’s horror, Pune Fit-Life had other plans that day. They asked kids to take their basketball on the ground. Anay was very upset, which continued even after the class. The moment he saw Arpita, his anger was sky high. Arpita tried to reason, but to no avail.

For about 90 minutes, Anay kept asking the same question – why did you not take the basketball when I told you to. My dear wife kept patience, and didn’t react. But this little one was not ready to heed. I came home and the situation was explained. It was a catch 22 situation for me! Whom do I support – my wife or the little one?

I listened to Arpita’s side without interrupting. Then I started talking to Anay about everything else but the basketball problem. We discussed about how did he feel in the class when he could do the workout; what did mam say to him when he did well; which friend did most masti day; whether they enjoyed making playset out of their toys; and so on. Within a few minutes he started chitchatting, giggling and jumping. Our Anay, which was missing in the last 90 minutes, was back, as we knew him!

It was a EUREKA moment for me! How come this same boy who wasn’t listening for last 90 minutes suddenly forgot everything and was back to his jovial best? It was because maybe in those moments he was not looking for a logical reason. He just needed a diversion from the topic of – why basketball was not taken to the session.

I realized that we are living in a world where everything seems logic. Every action or feeling is because there must be a reason. We are desperate to find logic in anything and everything. There seemingly needs to be a reason to smile, dance, laugh, cry, or just stay silent. Our entire communication is based on logic.

Do you agree with me when I say that we seem to be living in a world where –

• There is more loneliness than ever before
• Trust isn’t an obvious thing to do
• People seem to be having no faith in faith
• Insecurity is growing day by day
• Venting out seems to be a sign of weakness
• Having a best buddy to share your secrets is long gone phenomenon
• Feeling happy every day means there is something wrong with me
• Doubting even the most genuine person is a normal thing to do

While there are people who are trying to save this world in various ways, I think we too must play a part. If we have to save our human race from being wiped out, we must strive hard to protect our emotional quotient. We need to feel for others – their joy and their pain. Afterall the only thing that distinguishes a human from an animal or plant is the emotions. If we have no emotions left, what better are we than an animal?

I can clearly conclude – all of us who have reached until this part of the blog are definitely people who still have their emotional quotient alive and kicking. Others would have already shut this window thinking – this blog doesn’t make any sense. They are the ones who are logical people.

 Thanks to Anay’s BASKETBALL problem, I realized that my emotional quotient must be higher than my logical quotient. The more I can do that, the more human being I would have become!

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