Our Homage to the Past

who are likely to be even more deficient in mental resources? They need to grasp the fact, now and for always, that mere words cannot yield a crop of deeds. When nature sets out to grow a tree, it begins by nurturing a seed in its bosom. This is a lesson tacitly given by nature to people: if you want a tree, start with the seed; you will achieve nothing by trying to start with a tree. Overcoming One’s Limitations Opticians usually have arrangements for eye-testing on the premises, so that customers can have their eyes tested and buy their spectacles all in the same shop. One of my acquaintances once opened a spectacle shop. It was rather small, certainly not big enough to permit eye-tests to be carried out, for a distance-vision chart has to be 18 feet away from the client. And this little shop was only 9 feet in length. My friend was quite unperturbed by this. When asked how he proposed to do eye-testing in such a confined space, he said, "Simple! We just fix a mirror on the wall, and there you are! The distance is doubled!" The clients could then be asked to read the chart through the mirror because the reflection would have the effect of doubling the distance. Undaunted by the acute shortage of space, this shopkeeper had shown great ingenuity in solving his problem. This principle is applicable in most of life's arenas. When you have limited opportunities, when your horizons seem narrow, there is no need to become a defeatist. It is simply a question of racking your brains and you will be able to "convert" your "9-foot shop" into an "18-foot shop". When the home you have is quite small, you can always add upper storeys to it to enlarge it. When you do not have enough resources to make investments, your basic honesty is your best guarantee of success. When you do not possess university degrees or other high qualifications, your courtesy and hard work will in