RUNNING IN A CIRCLE

Around the 1980s era, I read an article in which someone was describing the problems associated with running in a circle. When running, in every race your competitors become your objects of conquest. You run in such a way as to become victorious.

In the article I read, the writer was trying to argue that when you are running in a circle, you try to catch up with one who is ahead of you and then overtake him/her. When you see her/him in front of you, you try very hard to overtake them. When you do overtake him/her, you seem to have conquered. But as you run, you find that (s)he is ahead of you because you are running in a circle. You overtake her again, if you are lucky, and then she is again seen ahead of you.

Life is also like that. Those who are working, before month-end, look forward to it and long for it. Once it comes, it is not satisfying, instead you find another coveted month-end ahead of you. And so on. Life.

At the beginning of the first term, students long for October half-term holiday. It comes, and then all of a sudden, it is meaningless, and you look forward to Christmas holiday; once it comes, you shift your attention to the next holiday, and then the next and then to the next year. Like running in a circle.

Enjoy today and then each day as it comes. Do not try to live your life in the day, week or month yet to come. Get the most of October half-term holiday, without thinking how good it could be to have Christmas holiday as well. Let the words of the psalmist suffice, when he says, “This is the day that the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it” (Ps 118:24).

Have a blessed day.

Dr H. Gondwe

Deputy Headmaster Pastoral