Have you ever watched a cricket match? Whenever a cricket team wins a match, it is because the whole team played together in cooperation. If one player does not play well or does not cooperative, the team will surely find it difficult to win the match. Similarly, in a doubles match of tennis, there are two players on each side of the net. When one player runs up to the net, his partners cover the ground behind him. When one runs to the right, the other covers the rest of the field. When one attacks, the other is ready to defend. Each knows what he is expected to do and does it without fail, without question. That is cooperation.
The two friends
In a village there lived two fiends –Raman and Shravan. Raman was lame and Shravan was blind.
One day, a hut in the village caught fire. The fire spread all over the village. People began running away.
The friends wanted to escape. Shravan could not see the fire. But he could feel it. He knew he was in danger. `How can I run?’ he thought. `I cannot see and I don’t know where to run’. He was sad and afraid.
Raman looked at the people running away. `If both my legs had been all right, I too could have run. But how far can t run now? I can only limp.’ he too was sad and very afraid because he could see the fire.
Just then Raman saw Shravan. He had an idea. `If we help each other, we can escape’, he told his friend. `You are strong. You can carry me on your shoulders and walk. I can see. I can tell you the way out of the village. Both of us can escape the fire.’
Raman liked the idea. Shravan climbed on to Raman’s shoulders and began telling him where to go. Raman listened carefully to his friend. `Turn right. There is a tree to your right, so take a step to your left’. Soon the friends walked to safety.
Under stand
Our lives are linked to each other. We need one another to fulfill all our needs. Everyone has their own place in life. For example, a school runs with the help of the principal, teachers, helpers, bus drivers, gatekeepers, Peons and so many others. It cannot run well even if one of them is missing. Sometimes, we might have work that is difficult and cannot be done alone. At other times, we might want to do something but do not have the skills. Then we need others to help us.
People cooperative to do work that one person cannot do alone. Do you know how many people work together to make a car or a watch?
Each of us is good at something. If we put together all our talents and shills, or come together to use, we can do great work. Have you watched a Carnatic music concert? It consists of a singer, a violinist and the mridangam player. Can the singer herself play the mridangam and the violin while she sings? No. she needs people who are good at playing these instruments. Together they make beautiful music.
Look at the rice, roti or poori in your lunch box. Do you know that many people worked together before it came to you? Farmers grew it, mills bought it from them and transport brought it to the shops. Shopkeepers stored it. Your mother bought and cooked it. We are all interdependent and need to cooperative with each other.
When we cooperative, we share our time, talents and skills. When we cooperative, we participate peacefully in work. We understand our role and perform it well. We also appreciate and respect the roles others play. Cooperation is the secret of living together happily.