What is this life if full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare...
Beautiful words penned down by W.H. Davies. Sadly the privilege of the time that the poet refers to isn't enjoyed by many in today's times. Those of us who do enjoy it, I'm sure have witnessed 'those little things' that render us changed personalities; remotely if not noticeably.
Abraham Maslow tells us that satisfaction of physiological needs - food, shelter and clothing - before any other need is an innate human behaviour. It's overwhelming to see a fellow being's inability to meet this need while we are busy dealing with our anxiety stemming from our struggle to meet higher needs.
Some packs of food remained in the trolley after the event got over and as we were about to return them to the shop owner she contorted her face in an attempt to questioningly signal to me if she could have a packet for herself and her partner. Paralysed with emotion I chose to duck the request. As I tried to look elsewhere her gaze caught mine again; her face almost pleading if she could have two packets of food. I picked up two of the snack packs and dumped them in her hands.
Life resembles a jigsaw puzzle on so many occasions. We try hard to put the pieces together but fail to spot and understand the bigger schemes hidden to us at that point but to be revealed in due time. Unanswered questions keep swarming our minds; why is there suffering, why is there injustice, why is there inequality, why do the rich get richer and the poor get poorer...none of these questions have definite answers. We may never be able to find answers to them. Nevertheless we can try to understand our role in tackling these questions if not from society at least from our minds. The only way of doing this is to make a difference. Bringing about a difference even in the smallest way possible is a big thing.
I've always been perturbed by the fact that many of us feel sorry and sympathetic towards the less fortunate and underprivileged but few of us get down to doing something about that 'sorry feeling'. It's not easy finding where we fit into the action plan; I too have lost myself trying to find myself. But that's not reason enough to give up is it?
We have no time to stand and stare...
Beautiful words penned down by W.H. Davies. Sadly the privilege of the time that the poet refers to isn't enjoyed by many in today's times. Those of us who do enjoy it, I'm sure have witnessed 'those little things' that render us changed personalities; remotely if not noticeably.
Abraham Maslow tells us that satisfaction of physiological needs - food, shelter and clothing - before any other need is an innate human behaviour. It's overwhelming to see a fellow being's inability to meet this need while we are busy dealing with our anxiety stemming from our struggle to meet higher needs.
Some packs of food remained in the trolley after the event got over and as we were about to return them to the shop owner she contorted her face in an attempt to questioningly signal to me if she could have a packet for herself and her partner. Paralysed with emotion I chose to duck the request. As I tried to look elsewhere her gaze caught mine again; her face almost pleading if she could have two packets of food. I picked up two of the snack packs and dumped them in her hands.
Life resembles a jigsaw puzzle on so many occasions. We try hard to put the pieces together but fail to spot and understand the bigger schemes hidden to us at that point but to be revealed in due time. Unanswered questions keep swarming our minds; why is there suffering, why is there injustice, why is there inequality, why do the rich get richer and the poor get poorer...none of these questions have definite answers. We may never be able to find answers to them. Nevertheless we can try to understand our role in tackling these questions if not from society at least from our minds. The only way of doing this is to make a difference. Bringing about a difference even in the smallest way possible is a big thing.
I've always been perturbed by the fact that many of us feel sorry and sympathetic towards the less fortunate and underprivileged but few of us get down to doing something about that 'sorry feeling'. It's not easy finding where we fit into the action plan; I too have lost myself trying to find myself. But that's not reason enough to give up is it?
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