Ruskin Bond is one of India’s most beloved writers, whose stories and writings have shaped the values and life lessons of generations of readers.
Loved for his gentle storytelling, Bond’s quotes often celebrate nature, simple joys, love and the quiet wisdom found in solitude. His words constantly remind readers to slow down and appreciate the beauty of life through lived experiences rather than accomplishments.
Today’s quote highlights the importance of moving at your own pace, even when the world seems to be racing ahead.
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“I have never been a fast walker or one to conquer mountain peaks, but I can walk for miles. And that’s what I’ve been doing all my life – walking, singing my songs, telling my stories at my own leisure. I’ve lived life at my own slow pace, and if as a result I fail to reach the top of a mountain (or anything else), it doesn’t matter. The long walk has brought its sweet rewards – buttercups and more along the way Butterflies.”
Ruskin Bond’s ideas are deeply relevant and deeply human, resonating with anyone who has felt alienated by society’s constant pressure for speed and success.
The meaning behind Ruskin Bond’s quotes
In this quote, Bond reflects on his personal philosophy of life, emphasizing that he has never been driven by competition or a desire to “win” success as defined by society. Instead, he chooses to live and create at a slow, steady pace while staying true to himself. Even though this hasty journey has kept him from reaching traditional markers of success, he does not consider it a failure. For Bond, the true reward lies in the journey itself – the small, quiet joys and moments of beauty symbolized by “Buttercups and Butterflies”. Ultimately, the quote shows that satisfaction comes not from recognition or status, but from authenticity and conscious living.
Ruskin Bond’s early life
Ruskin Bond was born in Kasauli in the Punjab States Agency of British India. Her father, Aubrey Alexander Bond, was British and born in a military camp in Shahjahanpur, a small town in northern India, while her mother, Edith Clarke, was Anglo-Indian.
His father worked as an English teacher to the princesses of Jamnagar Palace, where Bond lived with his sister Ellen until the age of six. In 1939, his father joined the Royal Air Force, after which Bond moved with his mother and sister to his maternal family home in Dehradun. Soon after, he was sent to a boarding school in Mussoorie.
When Bond was eight years old, his mother separated from his father and later married a Punjabi Hindu man named Hari. Bond then moved to New Delhi to live with his father, a period he often described as one of the happiest times of his life. However, tragedy struck when Bond was only ten years old, when his father died of malaria in Calcutta.
Despite these early difficulties, Ruskin Bond built a literary legacy that has influenced millions, his writings continuing to provide comfort, wisdom, and a gentle reminder to find happiness in the ordinary.