All my life, almost, I cribbed mostly about situations and conditions around, I was unhappy with my surroundings, with the opportunities, with my failures etc. etc....and when I look back, it was definitely not bad, in fact even good...one learns to appreciate one's life a lot when one realises what others haven't got...
We visited Rajkiya Bal Griha, an orphanage where mostly juvenile kids stay and it was a reality check, at least for me....we have lived in such comfort all our lives that we fail to appreciate our fortunes, the people around us...
It was raining cats and dogs on 15th August....and the situation was as bad inside the rooms at Rajkiya Bal Griha as outside...it was difficult to find a place where you could hide from dripping water from the roofs...the kids there sleep on wooden planks...most of them don't even know where they are from...many of them retarded mentally...with no one to accept them...wearing torn clothes...it was difficult not to get overwhelmed with emotions....
And they were happy...to see us...to find people who at least for one day in their lives cared for them...brought them good food, toys to play and most importantly time to spend...many of them cried when we were leaving.....
I wonder why we went there...probably most of us would forget the day...when we did some CSR...to put it in b-school terms...a CV point maybe..or a story to tell...but I hope that we will find some reason to reach out to them...not for just one day....
I don't pity them...honestly...because I found them with smiles on their faces, with a lot of enthusiasm....I rather pity myself and people like me around...who choose to forget them, and crib because their pay packages are only 15 lakhs per annum and not 20...who are not able to appreciate simple gifts in life...which are luxury to many...
It's important to be grateful...and love life...
Hah! You bloody hypocrite.....why do all the people who achieve something (a seat in the IIT or the IIM or a secure admission in a foreign university) only then they realize all the things about being satisfied.....about poor people in their country......a sense of duty.....about appreciating life....I am but just trying to pick up a correlation here if any
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: Because it is here that you realize that you have the ability to make a difference...
ReplyDeleteand most of the times it is after coming here that you realize how worthless things can be..what you think from outside were glossy shiny and great...
I don't deny that IITs, IIMs and foreign universities bring a sense of security..at least financial one and that it is probably the most important...but many times we choose to ignore the simple things which can make us happy....like the company of family and friends...
also, the fact that we have achieved financial security and are stable in life should motivate us to give something back to the society...which most of us don't .....
a person who is struggling in life to meet his requirements would in all probability would think of himself first...and about the society later...financial security does give you that advantage...
I never visited such places earlier, I admit that I should have...but never too late to begin...
Another reason: such places give you a platform to do what you want...which makes doing such things easier...
and it's not that people don't feel the sense of duty or appreciate life otherwise...just that it gets highlighted because someone from IIT/IIM/foreign university says so...
@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteIt's because people first try to achieve in the life what they want. Their first motto is to secure their future and also It's a bitter truth that people listen and give example of them who has achieved great height in his life. examples are arvind kajediwal(IRS), kiran bedi(IPS), Medpa patkar(MA from TISS).. Anonymous-2
I liked the post :)
ReplyDelete@Anonymous2: Thanks a lot for supporting :)
ReplyDelete@Chetna: tu hi hai meri sachchi dost :)
Good to see you evolving....but the point is, dont pity yourself, just stop cribbing, that's enough..bcz you still have almost 3/4ths of your life to live and love...hope to see you getting more reality checks like this...
ReplyDeletethis is what society is all about..about realizing about knowing oneself..and evolving..but most of us just post things like this and forget..evolution is when u not only realize ur duties but take concrete steps to improve the conditions..
ReplyDelete