605. The Price of Procrastination

"You have completed your studies. Should you not be trying for a job?" Arunachalam asked his son Viswanathan.

"Don't you know that I have been trying?" shot back Viswanathan. 

"I wonder! After your examinations were over, I asked you to look for job advertisements in the newspapers and apply for jobs suitable for you. But you didn't."

"Dad! I can apply, only after the exam results are released."

"There are many advertisements that say that candidates awaiting results can also apply. I have shown such advertisements to you and asked you to apply for those jobs. But, you responded only to a couple of such ads."

"After the examination I wanted to relax for a few days!"

"Isn't getting a job an important step in your life? You could relax, after getting a job. Look at your friend Raghu. From the very next day of completing his examinations, he started sifting through 'situations vacant' pages of the daily newspapers and applying for each and every job, for which he was eligible to apply. Now he has been called for interview by a good company."

"Dad! Raghu is a book-worm. When he was studying in the college, he was immersed in text-books. Now, he immersed himself in newspaper ads. Even if he gets a job, he will keep reading the job ads in the newspapers, looking for more lucrative jobs. He will keep doing this, even after his retirement. I can't be like him."

"You don't have to be like him. You have relaxed enough, by being carefree for two months, after writing your examinations. You have been roaming about the city and sleeping till ten o' clock in the morning. Now, the exam results have come. You have also received your score card. If you are serious about getting a job, you should be spending some time every day, going through the job ads in the newspapers. But, I find that you have been reading only magazines filled with entertainment stuff. Instead, if you read journals that have content relating to general knowledge and aptitude development, it will be of some help in writing aptitude tests or facing interviews. But, the point is, you have not been going through job ads. If I go through the ads, select the ones suitable to you and ask you to apply, you don't apply to them!"

"Dad! I have been applying to all the ads you ask me to."

"No, you are not. If I show you ten ads, you apply for two or three, that too, only after repeated reminders from me. Sometimes, you say you forgot. By the time, you remember and set out to apply, the last date gets over. It has been five months since you completed your studies. Seven or eight of your classmates have landed a job already. The number could be more. After all, I don't know all of your classmates. You get up at ten in the morning. After that, you just while away the time, without doing anything worthwhile. You neglect to do the things you have to do, in time, and just say you forgot! I am worried how your future is going to be, if you  continue with your ways!"

Arunachalam spoke his mind, conveying his concern and sorrow.

"I will mend my ways, daddy. Hereafter, I will be earnest and brisk and do things promptly" said Viswanathan.

However, Viswanathan did not make any effort to change himself.

It has been eighteen months, since Viswanathan completed his studies. He had still not got a job.

Arunachalam stopped the practice of going through job ads and pointing out the relevant ones to his son, after getting fatigued and frustrated by the attitude of his son.

Viswanathan's friend Kumar told him, "A new industrial unit is coming up in the public sector. It is going to recruit a large number of people for various positions. The ad has come in today's paper. There is a good chance of our getting a job in this firm. It is a very good firm. The salary is good. The career prospects are also bright. If we get a job in this firm, we can settle down in our life. I am going to apply for this today. You may also apply."

"I will" said Viswanathan.

Viswanathan decided that immediately after going home, he would look for ad and apply.

When he reached home, his father was there. Since Viswanathan wanted to avoid any question from his father about the job he was applying for, he postponed looking for the ad. If his father came to know about the opportunity, he would pressurize him to apply immediately, making a lot of fuss, in the process.

Since the last date to apply was about fifteen days away, Viswanathan was complacent for the next couple of days, 

Some relatives visited his home and stayed for a couple of days. Viswanathan's attention was diverted. By the time the relatives departed, Viswanathan had forgotten about applying for the job.

He remembered the matter, after two days, but he didn't remember the date on which the ad for the job was published in the newspaper. He took out the papers for the last fifteen days and searched for the ad. He couldn't find it.

Kumar would be having the cutting of the ad. But he was not in town. 

Viswanathan concluded that he had not searched for the ad meticulously. He decided to search for the ad more thoroughly, the next day.

When he searched again the next day, he was able to find the ad.

Viswanathan felt relieved.

But when he read the ad, he saw a problem.

The application process was not simple. First, he had to request for the application form, by writing to the head office of the firm at Delhi, with a self-addressed, stamped envelope. After receiving the application form from the firm, he should fill it up and send it to the Delhi office, along with copies of his certificates and a postal order for ten rupees.

The last date for receipt of the applications was only five days away. It would take four days to receive the application form from Delhi, even if he were to send the request for the form that day. Even if he could post the completed application the same day he received the form, it would take at least two days for it to reach Delhi. There was a Sunday in between. Therefore, the completed application would reach Delhi, only after the last date.

After the bitter realization that it was impossible for him to apply for that job. he put the newspaper away, in disgust.

The feeling of regret that he could have applied for that job in time, if only he had been a little less lethargic, created a pain in his mind. 

Arunachalam, who had entered the house just then, saw his son going through several newspapers and felt, 'Not bad. At least now, he has become responsible.'

After three months, Kumar received an appointment order from the public sector firm.

"You are better than me, in all aspects. So, if you had applied for the job, you would have definitely got it. Why did you miss applying for the job?" asked Kumar.

Viswanathan cursed himself for losing a good opportunity, due to his lethargy and sluggishness.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 61

Not Being Sluggish

Verse 605 (in Tamil):
nedunIr maRavi madi thuyil nAngum
kedu nIrAr kAmak kalan.

Meaning:

Procrastination, neglect, sloth and slumber; these four are the ship that are lovingly boarded by people destined to lose.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'visvanAdhA vElai thEdu' by the same author.) 

Verse 606 (Soon)
Verse 604