Wheeling through the journey of life

As the vehicle slowly cruised up to the top of the mountain, I sat mesmerised by the scenic beauty and natural grandeur of the place. The expanse of greenery, the wild flowers in different colours and shapes, huge rocks, small and big waterfalls, deep gorges, tall trees, descending fog, rays of the sun filtering through it all…..it was so picturesque that it seemed surreal. It looked as if the masterstrokes of a talented artist had come to life!

I was jolted out of my trance as the vehicle screeched to a halt and we had to alight. All those who wanted a view from even higher points had to make it on foot. I decided to be adventurous and started the climb despite my protesting knees. As I kept trudging up the slope, it suddenly struck me how dependent we are on the wheel and how it’s invention had changed the course of human history.

Acknowledged as the greatest invention by many, the wheel brought about tremendous impact on the movement of people and goods, thus accelerating progress. History and science fascinate me but my thoughts revolved around the different types of wheels which come to our aid in different phases of our life from our first foray into the world till the last journey.

Most of us get wheeled around quite a bit actually, come to think of it. As a new born, we are wheeled out of the delivery room in that cute transparent baby trolley and then from there begins our odyssey with the different types of wheels throughout our lives.

As babies we might get to travel in many different modes of transport with all kinds of wheels but the promotion from the stroller to the baby walker gives a high like nothing else does. The baby walker is a circular contraption with wheels beneath and babies get very creative with it.

I remember my son, then an eight month old baby using his tiny legs like paddles to gain momentum and then lift his legs to go wheee ….! The joy of freedom I saw on his face stays fresh in my mind along with the havoc he would create by pulling down all things he could access. The wheels had set him free to explore at will!

There was another phase in my son’s life when he took a fancy to anything with wheels and we had to get him myriad things like pencil boxes and erasers shaped as vehicles with wheels.

The next set of wheels in sequence is usually the tricycle and most kids consider that to be their first official vehicle. The transition to a bigger cycle with safety wheels is usually smooth but learning to balance and cycle without safety wheels results in a few bruised knees and tears. It’s all part of growing up and instilling grit and determination in kids.

These days, parents go all out and the progression to different sets of wheels may include mechanised and customised vehicles at different points during childhood.

Wheels under the feet as in roller skating provide a thrill like no other and enliven our childhood and teenage days.

The wheels seem to have the power to give us an exhilaration, a sense of control and freedom akin to setting us free from shackles.

Moving from a bicycle to a two wheeler is the next big step in the progression and this transition comes with its own painful and hilarious anecdotes. I don’t think there’s anyone who hasn’t taken a fall or bumped into something during this upgrade.

I, for one have the dubious honour of crashing into my brother who trained me to ride the scooty and who had more confidence in my skills than myself. That the scooty became my fond companion later on is another story altogether!

Driving a four wheeler is a dream ingrained deep in most kids during childhood and the number who get to fulfil that dream is steadily increasing as societies become more affluent with passing generations.

A few among us get to be in control of more exotic vehicles, be it in the air, land, water and even underwater but all possess wheels in some form or other.

Wheels do come to our aid when our movement gets hampered for health reasons, in the form of wheelchairs. and gurneys. Just as we were wheeled into the world we may be wheeled out too, the final journey being in a hearse.

I can’t seem to think of any other invention that’s such an integral part of our life in it’s different stages probably because it’s not just movement that involves wheels, most of the machines use wheels in different forms.

No wonder life is often compared to a wheel, and as the adage goes, sometimes we are up and at other times we will be down but we need to keep moving and learn to enjoy the ride.

Annie Mathew is an educator and writer based in Dubai