A Steeplechase called Life

We all face numerous obstacles in our day to day lives- big and small -which block our way to reach our dreams and achieve all that we wish for. None of us can claim that life has been a bed of roses for him/her – we all have had our share of thorns too.

But that is the challenge – to overcome these obstacles and be victorious in the battle of life. Of course, it is easier said than done. Many of us let these problems overshadow us and we surrender ourselves to them – in many cases – without even putting up a fight. After all – it is easier to curse our fate and cry on our failures than taking on the bull by the horns. That , my friends takes real guts- to cross over the hurdles of life and emerge a winner- just like steeplechase is the most difficult of the lot in athletics.

So many times I have found myself cribbing about little things. As a child it was some dress or toy that I wanted, as I grew older it was good marks, a good job- now it is a big house, a grand car and then I'm reminded of a little story my mom once told me about a little boy who complained he had no shoes till he saw a man who had no feet. It was a very touching story and inspires me till date. How selfish man has become- instead of thanking God for all his blessings and for all that he has given us- what do we do- crib about the little things that we don't have.

There are some great people in the world who showed immense courage in the face of adversity and did not let their disabilities pull them down. One such person was Hellen Keller – the American author, political activist, and lecturer, who was the first deaf - blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Helen was born a healthy child, but lost her eye-sight and hearing ability to a mysterious illness at the age of 6 months. The story of how her teacher Anne Sullivan, herself visually impaired taught Helen and helped her move out of her dark world into the brightness of education and knowledge is a story that miracles are made of. After the initial struggle, Sullivan managed to teach her the first word. As Helen later recalled in her autobiography 'The Story Of My Life ' "We walked down the path to the well-house, attracted by the fragrance of the honeysuckle with which it was covered. Some one was drawing water and my teacher placed my hand under the spout. As the cool stream gushed over one hand she spelled into the other the word water, first slowly, then rapidly. I stood still, my whole attention fixed upon the motions of her fingers. Suddenly I felt a misty consciousness as of something forgotten - a thrill of returning thought; and somehow the mystery of language was revealed to me. I knew then that "w-a-t-e-r" meant the wonderful cool something that was flowing over my hand. That living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free! There were barriers still, it is true, but barriers that could in time be swept away." The 21 year old Sullivan worked out an alphabet by which she spelled out words on Helen's hand. Gradually Keller was able to connect words with objects. In 1904, at the age of 24, Keller graduated from Radcliffe, becoming the first deaf blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.


She is a hugely inspirational figure for everybody- a great example of how one can achieve one's goals with determination and endurance. It is remarkable how she achieved with her disability what many of us cannot, with all our abilities. Maybe it is because she concentrated on her abilities and put them to good use instead of grudging about what she lacked.
Keller's life has been interpreted many times through books, articles, documentaries and movies, a popular one being 'The Miracle Worker' which is based on her autobiography. The hugely popular and critically acclaimed Bollywood movie Black (2005) was largely based on Keller's story, from her childhood to her graduation. She is a role model for many more people like her who refuse to give in to their fate and who believe that anything can be accomplished if one has the grit and compassion to persevere. There is so much that we can take in from her story - the spirit to cross the hurdles of life - just like a steeplechase. As Helen herself has said -

“The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome."