This one is going to be a little deep and a bit philosophical.
As I lead my mundane life of waking up early morning, waiting at the bus stop and later at the train station, I observe many people eagerly waiting for their bus or their train to arrive. At the same time I see differently abled people patiently waiting for their ride. I see how hard it must be for the differently abled to cross the road to catch a bus or a taxi or to even walk in the city.
It makes me feel guilty when I am unable to help a blind, an elderly person cross the road only because I am in a hurry and helping and walking with them would slower my pace making me late. How inhuman and shameless have we become, engaged in our own world, not bothered to help anyone.
So where are we heading towards? What is up with the world !
Every time I see a differently abled person it reminds me of the time when I participated in an annual festival, "Antarchakshu" (the inner eye) organised by the blind students of St. Xaviers College, Mumbai. The games organised by the blind students were really simple. There was football, there was dart, cross the road, distinguish between the coins, the grains etc. and all of this blindfolded! So if you wish to participate in these games, you got to be blindfolded. As I played these games, my scoreboard (a volunteer who accompanied me) told me I failed miserably at each one of them. I couldn't hit a goal, nor could I hit the bulls eye, nor could I distinguish between a 5 Rupee and a 2 Rupee. I couldn't enjoy the simple things in life like, playing dart or distinguishing between food based on its smell or touch.
It was at that point I realised, how we all take it for granted; our eyes, our senses, our life.
It makes me feel guilty when I am unable to help a blind, an elderly person cross the road only because I am in a hurry and helping and walking with them would slower my pace making me late. How inhuman and shameless have we become, engaged in our own world, not bothered to help anyone.
So where are we heading towards? What is up with the world !
Every time I see a differently abled person it reminds me of the time when I participated in an annual festival, "Antarchakshu" (the inner eye) organised by the blind students of St. Xaviers College, Mumbai. The games organised by the blind students were really simple. There was football, there was dart, cross the road, distinguish between the coins, the grains etc. and all of this blindfolded! So if you wish to participate in these games, you got to be blindfolded. As I played these games, my scoreboard (a volunteer who accompanied me) told me I failed miserably at each one of them. I couldn't hit a goal, nor could I hit the bulls eye, nor could I distinguish between a 5 Rupee and a 2 Rupee. I couldn't enjoy the simple things in life like, playing dart or distinguishing between food based on its smell or touch.
It was at that point I realised, how we all take it for granted; our eyes, our senses, our life.
Everyday when I head to work, I always think of this old, differently abled cobbler who sits opposite my office gate. I have been observing him everyday for the past 8 years now, quietly doing his job of repairing shoes. He doesn't own a shop, he sits under a tree on three pieces of marble tiles. If you are on time, you will be lucky enough to whiff that beautiful fragrance of those incense sticks he lights up every morning at his corner side workplace. I see no worries, no inquietude in his eyes. It is just an elderly man peacefully doing his job, having to run nowhere, making me realize that life could be lead this way too. Late afternoon, I see him happily sipping his evening cup of tea. As for me, I am running to go back home. Frankly, I sometimes envy him. Even though he doesn't possess big luxuries in life, he looks really content.
What is the rat race about? Where is it taking us? Do we know our destination yet? Does everything boil down to money and power?
If a man with no roof can work painstakingly, a child with no eyes can lead a life with so much pride then what are we "normal" beings rattling about?
I read a beautiful post yesterday of an experienced man, who has lived as a bank manager for over 23 years. He says, "Leave this mobile phone of yours on the side for sometime-just do nothing- sit near the sea just be...just breathe" . - Humans of Bombay
We must understand that life is so much more beautiful than possessing materialistic things.
Just imagine of "How beautiful is it that the same God who created mountains and oceans and galaxies looked at you and thought the world needed one of you too." -Anonymous
What is the rat race about? Where is it taking us? Do we know our destination yet? Does everything boil down to money and power?
If a man with no roof can work painstakingly, a child with no eyes can lead a life with so much pride then what are we "normal" beings rattling about?
I read a beautiful post yesterday of an experienced man, who has lived as a bank manager for over 23 years. He says, "Leave this mobile phone of yours on the side for sometime-just do nothing- sit near the sea just be...just breathe" . - Humans of Bombay
We must understand that life is so much more beautiful than possessing materialistic things.
Just imagine of "How beautiful is it that the same God who created mountains and oceans and galaxies looked at you and thought the world needed one of you too." -Anonymous
Oh captain, my captain.
ReplyDeleteLoved the article. A big step up in the way content was
described. Of all the articles, this one had that silent flow which keeps you hooked regardless of it being a deep article. The words somehow made me stay longer.
Its a gateway to think on a lot more things like time, money, want, patience, honesty, etc from the eyes of the differntly abled vs the "normal" human beings.
Some loopholes in it but one thing which I believe to be with the differently abled ones is to live their life on their own terms. We hardly get to do that. The working people I mean.
"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today
To-morrow will be dying."
Seize the day. Carpe Diem. Make our lives extraordinary.....
Thanks but what were the loopholes?
DeleteI like the way you connect with the readers with your writing which has its way of talking in itself. But this time, I feel that if you were righting something deep, you should have let it unfold as we read it instead of starting it with "This one is going to be a little deep and a bit philosophical." It keeps the suspense in it for more time as the title was interesting to begin with.
DeleteAlso, your thinking about "where are we heading?" and terms synonymous to that was right but the fact that you mentioned about travelling in trains/buses earlier somehow got related to it as we head towards the end of the article.
Trust me, even I observe all that almost every other day when I travel but tbh we cant help but just observe that as we are under a timeline and that our workplace is far away at the other end of the city whereas one of the reasons they are so calm and relaxed is may be because they stay there and arent under a timeline like us. You had the right idea but execution could have been better.
You would also know that even if we are rushing, everyone has their own stories to say once they enter inside the train.
To be frank, I remember reading your updates on FB or Insta about the activities you do or your thoughts or the way you express the small things which not many of us look for in the world. They are reflected in your writing too. Its a good thing but hey, dont write us off yet, we do look around in our busy lives :)
Instead of including us in the rat race, it should have been more about observing and looking what happens around. Basically what Robin Williams has to say in Dead Poets Society and the linking it with your topic.
Pardon me if I said more than I should have. Hard time conveying what the exact loophole was. It got fairly long tbh. May be I got excited as it was such an interesting read. Anyway, wont take up more of your time. Thanks for reading!
^It was just my thinking. No offence. I might be totally wrong too.
Delete