Archive for July, 2009

Dignity – Revisited

// July 27th, 2009 // Comments // Musings

Had been to a function where my cricket team was awarded a trophy. After receiving the award, we went upstairs where tea and snacks were served. The person who served us was very polite and courteous and treated us as if we were guests in his home. After chit chatting around for about 45 minutes, I noticed that he was actually physically challenged. Polio attack. I immediately thought to myself that I should give him 10 bucks when I leave as a token of appreciation for his willlingness to work for himself despite his limitations. The Magnonimous me! When we were about to leave, he was carrying the tea cans one in each hand when I approached him with my offering. He simply said, “panam ellam venam na…. idha konjam keezha varaikum thookitu vandhu kodunga (I don’t need money bro, can you help me carry the can downstairs?)” and gave me a can to lift, which was a tad heavy. I silently carried the can downstairs and returned it to him.

Whatever makes me think all people need is money! And whatever makes me think I can make people’s lives better just because am fortunate enough to have a better standard of living than them? Is it a subconscious sense of superiority that is veiling itself as helping tendency? Perhaps, its time I learn to treat people the way they need to be treated – with dignity!

Different Shades

// July 19th, 2009 // Comments // Musings

Just watched a debate on “Is Love true and worthwile” in Vijay TV. People in relationship on one side and people who have broken up on the other. The first side going on about how their faces light up when they see the loved ones and how supportive they are for each other and how it has helped them grow in life… The other side finding everything emotional and stupid. Typical.

But what affected me the most was one girl on the second side who explained how she took care of the guy she loved and how she even paid for all his expenses starting from family expenses to his daily cigarettes. And how difficult it is for her now to accept the reality that he has dumped her and moved on. It felt bad when she said she could not trust anyone now and how difficult it is for her to love someone the way she loved him. When asked if she would accept him again, she said, “I wont marry him. But I still love him”. And her face and voice when she said those things communicated what she was going through. Misplaced love. Poor thing. Hope she finds happiness again.
And there was this mid 30’s mother of 2 who lamented how her mama loved her and how her parents forced her to marry someone else and her mama is still unmarried with her memories…. Although she has a happy family and an understanding husband, she was still crying when she spoke about her mama…. Failed love. Still going strong. Poor thing.
The things love does to ppl…. how strong an emotion…. n how different the shades….