THE RUBBER BAND

Elasticity, as it is referred to in Physics and Economics or Adaptability as used in Philosophy and other fields, has to do with bouncing back and retaining shape. The theory behind the concept alone is fascinating especially the way my Physics teacher explained it using the common rubber band. He held the band and said it was a magical ring and later went on to stretch and apply stress/strain on it for some time, which of course came with all the explanation about elastic limit, linear and finite elasticity and break point, also known as elastic limit. That single explanation with something that common made understanding the concept very easy because of the practical application shown, I wish most of our teachers adopted this method because each time I see a rubber band, be it on a lady's head knotting her hair, the socks of an athlete, the hands of kids gambling by throwing it against a wall, or on cash wads (my favorite), I get a flash back to my SS1 Physics class.

What has that got to do with life right? Have you ever been in situations where you just feel like you are going to end up there and then? Those stressful and strenuous moments when you feel like God is on vacation on your case? If you have and you are reading this, then you are a rubber band because you've been stretched and you "somehow managed" to get back on your feet without breaking. It is generally believed that man can survive in any situation, thus when the only option for survival is to survive, man is bound to do the most amazing things to survive (evolving included but not in the Darwinist sense). What I am yet to grasp is the fact that the rubber band serves more purposes than imagined because just when I thought I've seen it used for the oddest things like for binding chewing sticks, stock fish, nylon/ polybags, I saw someone binding the frame of his glasses with it. How epic right? I am pretty sure when Stephen Perry patented this product, he did not foresee all these uses but that is the beauty of the rubber band, it is not only elastic, multi purpose and efficient, it remains the way it was originally after the stress, strain and tension is gone. What more can I add to that? Learn to be a rubber band, useful, durable, efficient and always remaining original.

By the way, the Law of Elasticity also known as Hooke's Law (as theorized by Robert Hooke in 1660) states that "the expansion or deformation of any material is directly proportional to the force/load applied in the process and that the material will always come back to its original size and shape as long as these laws are in place". This strikes me as a though Robert Hooke paraphrased a verse in the Holy Bible (1 Cor. 10:13) where it says that God will not let you be tempted more than you can handle. If that be the case, or not, I will like to use Hooke's law to tell you that you are a rubber band and whatever it is, you can handle and come back to the same size and shape as you were, as a matter of fact, you will come back stronger, experienced and wiser. So let the force/load come, just expand and bounce back because it is in you to do so. I am no gambler but I can wager on the rubber band that you are.
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