Be Thankful
How many of us take the time to throw a glance around on what’s happening around us? Sometimes, a look at the things around could teach you a valuable life lesson. Well, let me share an incident that happened to me.
One sunny afternoon, after doing some shopping in town, I was heading towards the station to take the bus back home. The hot afternoon sun was blazing in the sky, heating the whole atmosphere as if it had some kind of vengeance on the world. I could feel my shirt soak with perspiration as the sun heated up my body. My throat was dry and craving for a drink. I swallowed, hoping to get some moisture to my throat, but in vain. I was anxious to get away from this scorching heat that was burning me up. I walked on as fast as I could, cursing the scorching heat in my mind.
I reached the bus station soon, and luckily, my bus was there. As I walked towards it, my dry throat which was parched with thirst reminded me that it needed a drink. I headed towards the nearest bakery, hoping to get a cool drink to quench my thirst. I stepped inside the shop, relieved to be out of the burning sun. My eyes scanned the place for a refrigerator, and luckily, they had one. There was a guy standing behind the counter. With great expectation, I said “Chetta, ORU THANUTHA LEMON SODA”, (Brother, give me a cool lemon soda).
The shopkeeper analyzed me for a moment. After looking at my sweaty shirt and tired face, he must’ve realized that I was another victim of the heat. Then, with an apologetic smile on his face, he replied, “MONE, CURRENT ILLA”, (NO ELECTRICITY), THANUKKAATHATHE ULLU, (ONLY NORMAL SODA). Needless to say, I was stunned. The imaginary lemon soda in my mind which I had been hoping to get in a minute, vanished away in smoke. My throat burned as if on fire. The shopkeeper continued, “Raavile poyatha, ithuvare vannittilla” (There’s no current since morning). I stood there for a moment, cursing the damn electricity board and all the employees for not doing their job properly. Realizing that I had no option but to settle for what he had to offer, I said “Enkil ulla thanuppinoru lemon soda tharu” (Gimme what there is).
He obliged me, and in 2 minutes, prepared a lemon soda for me. I looked at the overflowing glass thirstily, and started sipping it. Needless to say, without any cooling, it wasn’t doing any good to quench my thirst. I remembered the cool refreshing lemonade that my mother would make for us on a hot summer day, and my throat craved for something like that. But I knew that I had to be content with this. After all, there are many in this world who didn’t have a drop of water to meet their daily needs, what right did I have to complain? I quickly finished my drink, paid the man and stepped out of the shop. Feeling the burning sun on my back, I walked towards my bus, hoping to get shelter from it.
I boarded the bus, expecting it to be cool. But to my dismay, the interiors were almost as hot as outside. The only relief was that the sun wasn’t shining on me directly. I took a window seat & pulled up the shutter, hoping that a breeze would blow to offer me some comfort. But none came. L
Again, I started cursing the bus owners and their negligence towards the traveller’s comfort. Why couldn’t they install air conditioners or tinted glasses like in foreign countries so that people could travel in comfort? Why couldn’t they change these hard seats and put new ones with better upholstery or something? People can’t even get a cool drink in this summer because the damn electricity board won’t do their job properly.
Then, a sensible voice inside my head said, “DUDE, THIS IS INDIA. THINGS ARE GONNA BE LIKE THIS FOR A LONG WHILE. IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT, YOU GOTTA STEP UP AND FIGHT FOR IT. BUT I GUESS YOU’RE TOO LAZY TO DO ALL THAT, RIGHT??”
RIGHT, like any other commoner, I too was lazy to step up and make a change. All we could do is curse and blame others for how bad things are, or how worse the situation is. It was the typical MALLU attitude, blame others, but don’t lift a finger to make a change. With some sense coming into my mind, I composed myself slowly. With these thoughts in my mind, I slowly glanced out of the window.
There, sitting on the ground, I saw a little kid of about 9-10years old. His eyes full of innocence, face covered with dust and his lips were all dry. He was begging for alms, sitting out in the burning sun. Looking at each person who passed him, his eyes filled with the hope that they would show mercy to him in the form of a 2 or 5 rupee coin. It was a heart touching sight. A kid of such young age, unhindered by the scorching heat, begging for his survival, the sight broke my heart. I told myself, when people like this suffer so much without complaining, WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE TO COMPLAIN?
Some time passed as I kept on contemplating on such worldly issues such as poverty, hunger etc. After a while, I saw a group of people in khaki uniform walking towards an electric post in the bus station. They had a huge ladder with them. They put it up against the post and one of them climbed it. He reached the top of the post, sat up there. Sweltering in the hot sun, he started repairing the post or whatever complaint it had.
He was so up high, surrounded by electric wires (most probably there was no current in them, but still the risk of falling was there) carefully doing his work. One wrong move could mean getting electrocuted or falling down. I wondered who would take care of his family if something happened to him. We have already witnessed and read about enough accidents that included KSEB workers in the past.
Here was a man, working for a monthly pay of less than 6000 rupees, risking his life for the comfort of others, because it was his job. The same voice from earlier inside my head spoke, “At least now you can see that there are some people who are dedicated and sincere about what they do.”
I thought, “YES, MAYBE THERE’S STILL HOPE FOR THIS COUNTRY”.
Many of us are like this; we nag and complain about a lot of things. We curse the nature when it rains too much and blame the same nature when it is too hot. We complain about the bed we sleep in because it’s too lumpy and hard, but we don’t think about the thousands who sleep on the bare ground because they have no home.
We nag our parents because the clothes they buy us is not expensive or trendy enough. But how many kids in this world remain unclothed, just because they don’t have parents to buy them clothes. We complain to our mom if the food she prepares for us is too hot, do you think for one moment how much effort she has taken to cook it for you? How many are out there in hunger, deprived of food for days? Who will they complain to?
We complain that there’s too much to study, that our jobs are hectic, that we are underpaid, and that we don’t get promoted. Well, have you ever thought about the unemployed and those who never got a chance to get educated, just because their circumstances didn’t allow it?
Despite all the gifts we have, some of us don’t see how lucky we are. It takes those unlucky few to remind us how much we have, and how much god has blessed us. Be thankful for it. Be thankful to your parents, to the farmer working hard out there who cultivates the food you eat, the people who make the clothes you wear, people who built the house you live in and be thankful for every comfort that you are enjoying. And the next time you think that you are having a rough time, remember this, and tell yourself; – “BE THANKFUL”.
By,
Alan V Mathews
PS. If you like the story, please do share it. It may change the perspective of somebody who is looking at the world in the wrong way. If you didn’t like it, well, thanks for reading, and just move on like you don’t care. I did my part, and now it’s up to you to share it. Thanks again.
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