The Cycle Principle

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A long time ago when officers used to travel on bicycles to the Unit, young pilot officer bought a Atlas classic for himself. He used to ride from his bachelors room to the Unit everyday and was in love with his vehicle. As he spent a few months working in the Unit, he became busy and was allotted a number of secondary duties. Apart from his primary duty ( flying) the new lad had to take care of the Unit garden, the unit cafeteria, the Unit album and also was he was made the Oi/c Airmen Mess. As weeks went by, his flying (primary duty) occupied less of his attention and the secondary duties the most. Instead of filling his log book with flying hours, he dedicated hours correcting sometimes filling the ‘cash book’ registers. The lad realized this was not he had signed up for and confronted his immediate senior. ‘well boy when I was at your seniority I handled double the secondary duties you handling now. Just shut your hole and keeping doing what is been told you’ came the reply. ‘but sir when will I fly ?’ asked the lad. ‘ FLY??? I guess you already flying very high for your wings, how dare you question my authority ? ill cut your flying hours further if you question me on the duties you have been assigned.’

Puzzled with the reply of his senior, the lad walked off hanging his head down. Today he had a number of registers of his secondary duties to be filled. He decides to carry them home and complete them . Carrying the bundle of registers in his hands he realizes how was he to carry them on his Atlas?. He takes his cycle to a shop and asks the vendor to fit a ‘carrier’ to his cycle. The vendor fits the ‘carrier’ and the lad is able to carry the registers to his room. Coming to his room and offloading the registers he realizes that the vendor in fitting the ‘carrier’ has removed the ‘stand’ of the cycle. Totally depressed now, first with his senior and now because of the ‘fraudster’ vendor, he rides back to the shop angerily. ‘you scoundrel in fitting my ‘carrier’ you removed my ‘stand’ and cheated me. fit back the stand immediately’, demands the young lad. The vendor calmly smiles at him and says ‘ boy for your cycle if you want a ‘carrier’ you ll not have ‘stand’ and if you want the ‘stand’ you ll not be able to have a ‘carrier’. The lad stands still for a minute and smilingly rides back. The poor vendor had taught him an important lesson in his life. Like his cycle in his JOB too he could either have a ‘career’ like the ‘carrier’ or have a ‘stand’ like his cycle’s ‘stand’, but not both together.