Age-old proverbs in new capsules (4)

When I started this series of blogs, I wondered of how others would take them. In a world overflowing with grief and sorrow, we need to search for some form of light and make an effort to view Life in a lighter vein, from a different perspective. Hence, here goes some more proverbs to ponder over …
Nothing succeeds like success – the path to success is lined with currency notes and favors. To get something, you have to part with something. These are today’s watch words. Hence, success has strings attached. Tiny, invisible strings to those not in the know.
People living in glass houses should not throw stones – unfortunately, those living in glass houses do not know that they are living in glass houses. We love to lay the blame at others’ feet not realizing that when we point a finger at somebody, the four remaining fingers point back at us.
Rome was not built in a day – this is common knowledge. However, when a minister announces a plan it is invariably a hasty plan - constructing a bridge or a flyover or a railway line or some such item can seldom get completed in the course of the tenure of the minister. Even if he get reelected next time there is no guarantee that he would get the same ministry. In the bargain, haste makes waste.
Slow and steady wins the race – tortoises have learnt the tricks of the trade. They have mastered the art of taking life head on in the fast track. Today we do not use multiplication tables or slide rules – we punch out the answers in the calculators. We do not write letters – we send SMS. Remember the kid William (created by Richmal Crompton). He had his own typical methods of spelling – spell the word just as it is pronounced. We have come to that state. So, ‘love’ today is ‘luv’.
Spare the rod and spoil the child – the days when children used to look up to elders as role models have vanished. Wielding ‘rods’ to make errant children fall in line is absolutely taboo since such cases are viewed very seriously by reps of Human Rights Commission. Result – you have to keep your fingers crossed, hope for the best and be prepared for the worst.
Time and tide wait for no man – the hypothetical Time Machine could take you back in time. We have had several Hollywood movies on this theme – from the Space age, you can be transported to the Stone Age at the flick of a switch. Looking at the deteriorating qualities of various Public services, we complain that they are taking us back in time. On the other hand, we shoot videos at will on camera enabled mobiles and transmit them all over the countryside just to prove that we are moving with the times. As to tides, if our efforts to interlink all the major rivers do succeed, we could consider controlling the tides also.
To err is human, to forgive divine – yes, true even today. We have seen second rung political leaders shouting off their mouths in Public just to bolster their images and improve their standing with their superiors. Subsequently, they start whimpering for forgiveness. The best part of such incidents is that they are forgiven – in the interests of the Party. In Politics, you can commit murder and get away with it.