RESPECT THEM!!

A strange incidence happened today- which made me ponder upon the blindfold we have put on, to see only what is important or may turn to be of any use in some point of our lives.In this mad race, we tend to ignore so many people, relations, emotions and the beauty of life that is something to cherish.

Daily when i walk down to my bus stop in the morning, there are same faces , at same places i see regularly.But since morning time is always a hassled one, so i hardly acknowledged anyone.

In our apartment , there is an aged gentleman, around 70 years of age, who daily sits under a tree on the same bench in the morning, and silently watches the people passing by.I had never noticed him until one day he asked me- " young lady, what is the time?"

I was impressed by his mannerisms and his confident voice ( not expected of people from his generation). anyways, i told him the time and moved ahead, for a split second I wondered what could be the value of time for him when all he did was to sit and think.

Anyways, from the next day onwards, whenever i crossed him , he used to smile at me, and i reciprocated the gesture- no words ever exchanged. This "smile bond" had been a relationship with him since that day of developing an acquaintance. with him

This morning, i was not in the best of my moods, had a rough weekend and was homesick, still life moves on- so i tried my best possible to attune to the hectic week that laid ahead.Dressed formally, the same smile, same walk, same time- no one could figure out the mood i was in. I wore my mask of professionalism.

Following his tradition, the gentleman saw me, smiled and i smiled back. I realized i had smiled after 2 days, it was a good feeling, though a fake smile , yet it helped. i moved ahead. But the gentleman called me from behind- " excuse me miss! "

I halted and turned to face him, looking at my watch, thinking he needed to know the time again.

But this time it was something else.

" how are you? " he asked.

I was surprised, he had never exchanged any word or pleasantries with me, but his concern made me feel happy.

I smiled back, and lied that i was fine.There was no reason to tell this stranger about the bad mood, or the large pool of problems that ailed me.

He smiled back, and what he said was a bigger surprise for me- " no , you are not fine lady. Today your smile is a fake one. Whatever your problem is- it will be solved soon. Have faith ! A new week ensures a new beginning. Have a great week ahead."

He was silent now, and so was i.

Today i understood that he did not waste his time sitting there , each morning, but he noticed the people around, studied them and their moods and this was his way of connecting to the world.

When everyone is busy in their own problems and entanglements, there is this handful of people, having years of experience in the journey called life- they are people who need nothing in return for the love and compassion they shower. They are the elderly people, who need just a little care and affection, and they shower all their blessings and support.

Respect them! Love them!

Today is not any major day for thinking about old people, or to pledge to go to any old-age homes and do social services-- Yet, i feel like doing something for them..and even if you don't wish to go an extra mile, atleast acknowledge them and their presence.

Just Like That :)

Early morning- bright sun- heavy traffic- a brain running faster than a super fast train and the body functioning at a pace that may even compete with jet plane—not an ideal environment to write, but circumstances cant’ hold barriers for a thinkers mind ..
Trust me, to see elderly people dressed up in suits and formals- one can visualize them in official meetings –but I daily see them sleeping (with their mouths open :P) in the offise bus, with latest gadgets jeering at their monotony and headsets singing the same collection of songs daily into their ears, same time-same stern expressions—same Economic times headlines .Same routine- wake up at 6, travel- work-travel-reach home-sleep-wake up and it follows till weekend. It makes me ponder upon the kind of life we are leading, is it what we really want? It reminds me of my favourite poem “leisure” by WH Davies—What is this life if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare..
In the computer world, there are machines, in the IT world-we are called resources. In a few days one realizes that sharks look very handsome in crisp suits and not everyone who smiles at you is your friend. The urge for being independent , the ambition to prove oneself- the high spirit to change the world and make some difference, the firm self belief that we will make a stand in this world.. all fades gradually. We tend to get lost in the big bad world. Its sad- but we have to accept this inevitable part of life- to compete, to struggle , to work hard and to attune to this fast paced life—there is no turning back or alternate.
But despite one’s best efforts to dutifully perform in this mad race, sometimes in a moment of solitude even the impeccably suited-booted CEO reminiscences about the direction of life- how things have changed- how definitions have altered—how he has evolved from a kid to grown up..
At some stage, each one of us wants to relive those lollipop days. When missing the school bus gave an opportunity to miss school and play at home. when staying awake till 10 at night meant sleeping late, when good food meant eating at restaurant, when being busy meant reducing play time by a few minutes, when not talking to a friend meant a few minutes of anger, when “tu” was used to address everyone, when even 2 month long summer break appeared not enough, when there were no responsibilities, when anger or frustration over small things could be let out by shouting or crying- when we always had friends to support us, when the only concern was yearly exams, when promotion meant getting new books, new class teacher and friends, when performance meant exam results. When going to school appeared tiring, when goodbye meant a bye till next day, when people wore masks only during games. When toys were used to pass time, when newspaper reading meant cartoon column …

Today reading any quote or message about the childhood ,or even the college days pops up a smile on our face and atleast for one second each one of us wishes to relive those lovely phase of time—but that’s not an option—so I, just like all other grown ups, brush aside the thoughts and try to make the most of the “present” ..
Cherishing the smile that those beautiful memories of innocence brought up on the face..
Will post soon. Keep smiling till then!!:)