On Running after One's hat

On Running After One’s Hat Summary of the Essay-The London Flood- The writer felt surprised on hearing that London had been flooded in his absence. He was happy that his own most beautiful locality, Battersea, too under water. It looked a lovely romantic town under water. The meat boat would have sailed smoothly in the lanes of flowing water. The greengrocer would have enjoyed the trip in the boat. A district under flood, according to the writer, would have looked a group of beautiful islands with a beautiful natural scene.

Romantic Views of Flood-The writer says that some persons regard such romantic views of flood, or fire wanting in reality. He says that a true optimist should see an opportunity for enjoyment in such things. The writer fully supports such happy and hopeful view. Toothache, or the case of being burnt at Smith field, inspite of real pain, may be rarely enjoyed. He calls all these cries of men, or women only sentimental, or imaginative inconveniences. Many persons complain of the late arrival of trains at a station which, like a young boy, is a source of pleasure and enjoyment for the writer. Quoting John Milton he says, “They also serve who only stand and wait.” He again says, “Many of the most purple hours of my life have been passed at Clapham junction, which is now, I suppose, under water.’

The Running after One’s Hat—Some people think it funny to run after one’s hat. He does not call it a proper thing. The same people run much faster in games and sports. It is wrong to call such running comic. It is certainly comic but man is also a very comic creature. Most comic things are most worth doing such as making love. A man running after a hat is not half so funny as a man running after a wife.

That Hat-hunting as the Jolliest Sport–The running after one’s hat is the jolliest sport. The writer says that hat-hunting shall be the sport of the upper classes in future. It shall be at a high place where gentiemen and ladies shall meet together in the morning. It shall be the sport with the maximum pleasure and recreation for all present there. The writer saw an oldman running after his hat in the Hyde Park where both the people and he himself were enjoying the sport with maximum pleasure and recreation.

The Struggle is Exciting-The same principle can be applied to any other domestic worry. For example, fishermen sit by dark pools enjoying patiently their fish-catching. In the same way, some people of very modern views make use of theological terms to lessen their distress. The struggle is exciting to those who face it with courage and pleasure.

The Need of the Spirit of Adventure-The writer asserts that with the same ideas in view even the floods of London could be enjoyed. Such an inconvenience may be regarded as the accidental aspect of an exciting situ- ation. An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly understood. The flood water in the great city of London should have been taken in that light. A Roman Catholic once said, “Wine is good with everything except water, and on the similar principle, water is good with everything except wine.”