Life of a ZERO!!-Chronicles of a Budthu

Very often we Indians boast about Indian contribution to mathematics especially in Arithmetics i.e zero. Zero has a different connotation also.It means nothing or signifying nothing.This is the context in which it is written.(Whenever I think of nothing it reminds me the famous dialogue from play of Shakespeare “The king Lear” to his dear daughter ” Nothing will come of nothing.”(We know the tragic consequence of that statement.))

Very often when you have almost completed around 60 revolutions around sun it is worth looking back at what you have ventured into and where you have reached.(It is very unlikely that you will have another half century !!)So here I am having a peek at the path followed ”trodden path they say'”and what was my impact on society or on individuals in particular.Your impact/contributions to society is decided by what is your contributions to people around you .That comes to a big zero.I will prefer to call my life as a life of a zero or similar to zero.Am I becoming very cynical or doing injustice to self or becoming too modest.Frankness/speaking the truth is a virtue which should be appreciated .But being modest need not be that virtuous Kahil Gibran would say it is fouling of mind.Let me illustrate it with an example : When Socrates was born there was an oracle from Apollo (the Greek God) that he is the most wise person ever born on earth.Yet Socrates has made that famous statement that ” I know only one thing that I do not know anything “. Will you think that he was being modest.?? His detailed explanations helps us in ruling out that.

Let us go back to mathematics. There the zero standing alone has no significance.You may add or put zeros infinite number of times still its value remain nothing.But now see the miracle!! you put it at the right side of any other integer (right is written in bold – I am asking you look for the meaning of right in English). Now see the magical transformation a minimum of ten times value addition happening.Now look carefully,it not only transformed the zero-from nothing to something but the value of the integer to which it is associated get a value addition minimum of ten times.The analogy of my life is also similar.Standing alone I am nothing But along with a few people it assumes/assumed a certain significant value.It is value addition to both.This is the way I would like to see/remember my life.Giving value to others in turn changing your value from zero(nothing) to something.