The Celebration called LIFE

Two very humble and interesting brothers of my race who left me thinking deep have been occupying considerable space on my think tank for the last couple of days.  

 

I was in Jaipur for some personal work last weekend when I happened to stop by at this tea vendor. I had heard a lot about his tea and early morning around 7 I decide to shake my slumber off with this acclaimed cup. I walk up to him to see a huge que of beggers and other similar beings. As I wait for my cup someone tells me it is going to take long since my tea man will serve it to his beloved people first. On seeing my baffled reaction he goes on to explain that this is his daily ritual, no matter how long the line he ensures he serves tea free of cost to each of them. WOW!!, was my instant reaction.

 

The second guy was more of a brush through. I was driving to hotel this morning when stuck in a traffic jam I notice this rugged looking man on his cycle. He had a handsfree bluetooth kind of device pluged in his ear. What caught my attention was the crutch balanced on cycle's handle through the back seat. It took me a deeper concentration to understand his so called bluetooth was a hearing aid. Wow!!, was my only reaction.

 

Since then my thoughts have been drifting to these people. However much I have tried to shoo them away they have been jostling inside me. They have been contrasting and contradicting my thought processes, my ideologies. I remember snubbing beggers and street urchins away by saying I have done my share of giving a paise to one of you. For I have always believed my money is MY MONEY. I understand charity (done mainly for tax rebate) but other then that don't see any benefit in squandering it away on people who exist a dime a dozen.

Life for me is more of a horse view (with blinders on) which has no place and time for people like the cycle man. How deeply was I irritated when he took 5 seconds extra to get moving on the signal as if the road belonged to me.

 

It's over my usual sleeping time tonight and I do not see myself falling prey to this nightly ritual today. There is too much anxiety and restlessness within me. All I can think of is the endless volley of questions to self. Am I thanking God enough for what he has given to me! Am I grateful to share it with the less fortunate! Am I actually enjoying the journey or just running to success, the parametres of which keep on changing even before I savour the last one!! Am I actually celebrating the gift of LIFE. Time for me to feed my thoughts while you out there bid a Good Night.