Staging Sagely

Greetings!

In rocketry, "staging" means mounting multiple separable parts (with their own engines and propellants) to create a multistage rocket. These stages might be in tandem (that is one above other) or in parallel to each other. The most popular is a 2-stage rocket but there could be 5 (or even more) stages. 

For a rocket, the ultimate aim is to put the payload in orbit. Each of the stage plays it's part in giving it the right speed and proper height.

These parts do their "part" (literally), and then usually get jettisoned away, with explosive bolts.

The rocket launch is successful, when each of these stages fire up, burn out, remain attached, as well as get detached, in the right place and at the right time (which is usually not a moment before nor a moment after they are supposed to do so)

You may say, this is all good, but why write a blog on it?

Well, because i think this entire process maps to life and growth as each one of us experiences it.

As we grow, there are a number of "attachments" that get formed. For a stage of life, they become the driving force and propel us to surpass ourselves. This could be a favorite actor, favorite teacher, a book, an adage, a place or a purpose that one has got attached to. We feel charged up, we accelerate and we may even find ourselves in a better place as it lasts.

But then, at some moment, the same attachments may start dragging us down. We start feeling the strain of these and feel like the bolting mechanisms may have weakened and would give away.   

However, a number of times (unlike the rocket), we try our best to hold on. We know in our heart-of-heart that this would perhaps only take us down, but still, the attachment for such "attachment" makes us ignore the drag.

Some of us, driven by the vision of possibilities and astute intuition, actually let go of attachments at the right moment, to miraculously find other stages firing up and find us souring to the lofty heights. 

But a number of us can not bring ourselves to let go. While many such lives may wander off waywardly, some may even implode and remain a mere shell of what they were.

As it is with the rockets, so it is with us. 

Just like those rockets, if we had not taken to those "attachments" at the right stage of life, we would not find ourselves where we are. Paradoxically, it's equally true that, if we don’t detach away from them when it is time to do so, we may never find ourselves reaching where we should.

And its not only us, sometimes, the rockets too, get entangled in their own stages and can’t shake them off. 

In such cases their "mission control center" on earth comes to the rescue. This center on earth provides clear instructions (depending upon connectivity) and even takes "control" and fires the explosive bolts, course corrects for the next stage. Where this cannot be done, the rockets end up in a wayward journey or meet the deadly fate of exploding into many worthless pieces. An unfortunate fate, not very different than some of the unfortunate humans!

Now, no one can accurately predict where anyone (or anything for that matter) would ultimately end up. But still, rockets have their "mission control center", which at least attempts to handle staging sagely. 

Do we?

 

Sincerely Mine!

Anand Kulkarni