|
Good Luck, Mr. Gorsky!
Lima Sehgal
Being the first is not really like the chicken and egg story about who
came first.
Its about road building, which I am told is not about engineering but
usage. Chinese writer Lu Xun (1881 – 1936) expresses it perfectly –
“What is a road? It comes of trampling places where no road was
before, of opening up wasteland where only brambles grew. There were
roads in the past; in the future also there should always be roads.’
Who takes the first step which invites others? Especially where there
is no road? That is what differentiates those who take risks from
those who do not. In pre-historic times, risk taking was not optional.
It was an issue of survival. You had to be the first to kill the
monkey who tried to steal your wife. Neither was there a question of
negotiation with the dinosaur which wanted you as dinner.
The development of our neo-cortex, specifically the frontal lobes of
our brains, has contributed greatly to the reduction of impulsive risk
taking behavior. The neo-cortex controls anticipation of the future.
The benefit of foresight has been crucial for survival. But what has
also happened as a result of the development of our neo-cortex is that
by taking calculated risks or by avoiding taking risks because of our
capacity for evaluating future consequences we have been able to
create a more relaxed environment that has been utilized for more
wonderful things like producing more babies or technological
advancements.
But the natural fallout is a large number of people who have lost
their ability for taking risks altogether. You can see them everywhere
– hiding in the depths of bureaucracy or the heights of authority, or
camouflaged in the shadows of dependency. They are people who carry
umbrellas in anticipation of sun or rain alike. They already know why
a new idea can die before its even tested. They are the walking
encyclopedias of why it won’t work, or won’t happen.
But the inherent problem with the evolutionary process is that it
continues forever. So if our species is to survive, risk taking must
continue even if it exists as a rare quality in a small minority, So
while the majority continue about worrying about keeping up with the
Sharmas and the Vermas, there have to be some who have to brave about
going beyond their backyards.
Listen to this.
On July 20, 1969, as commander of the Apollo 11 lunar module, Neil
Armstrong was the first person to set foot on the moon. His first
words after stepping on the moon, “that’s one small step for man, one
giant leap for mankind,” were televised to earth and heard by
millions.
But just before he re-entered the lander, he made the enigmatic remark
“good luck, Mr. Gorsky.” many people at NASA thought it was a casual
remark concerning some rival Soviet cosmonaut. However, upon checking,
there was no Gorsky in either the Russian or American space programs.
Over the years many people questioned Armstrong as to what the “good
luck, Mr. Gorsky” statement meant, but Armstrong always just smiled.
on July 5, 1995, in Tampa bay, Florida, while answering questions
following a speech, a reporter brought up the 26-year-old question to
Armstrong. This time he finally responded. Mr. Gorsky had died, so
Neil Armstrong felt he could answer the question.
In 1938 when he was a kid in a small mid-west town, he was playing
baseball with a friend in the backyard. His friend hit the ball, which
landed in his neighbor’s yard by the bedroom windows. His neighbors
were Mr. and Mrs. Gorsky. As he leaned down to pick up the ball, young
Armstrong heard Mrs. Gorsky shouting at Mr. Gorsky.
”Sex! You want sex?! You’ll get sex when the kid next door walks on
the moon!”
I know Mr. Gorsky quite well.
Now please don’t ask me who Mr. Armstrong is. I still haven’t quite
figured out that as yet!
 |
|
Jobnet's
Placement Consultants Directory - India & International
What's Inside?
Placement Consultants in
over 38 cities in India
International Placement
Consultants in over 31 countries
Coverage in MNC's NGO's
UN Government & Indian Co websites
Special Section for
Freshers
with complete Addresses,
telephone numbers, email ids & specializations.
Jobnet Placement Consultants
Directory -
Order Online
or Call - 09811017183 |
