I have personally experienced a lot of unkindness. Like the auto driver who asks for 60 rs for a 20 rs ride. The women who pushed me aside from a queue to get to the ATM machine before me and smiles at her achievement. The guy who almost made me drop my phone by hitting on my hand while I was speaking on the phone. The guy who gets in front of me in a queue in supermarket because hey, he is the one and only person in this world who is in a hurry. And you can't even argue with these people. They have this disregard for all the other people and that is what their kids will inherit from them. Not to mention the people who throw plastic water bottles on the road from their Mercedes or BMW s. Is this how civilized people are supposed to act ?
You see the neighbors who get up early in the morning to dump their house waste on the road and go to work in big MNC s later in the day. In this category I even include the people who give money to beggars. Those able bodied beggars who can easily earn a living but prefer to beg, because hey, the roads are filled with people who want to feel good about themselves by giving the beggar 5 rs. To be kind in this world filled with so much of unkindness and people who always jeopardize you on their way to make their lives easier is really an achievement.
But, don't forget the good people out there. Yes, there are a few. There are people who are on TV and the news papers and there are the few whom you encounter everyday. Let me make you a list of some of them from personal experience.
1) I had some work in office and I left late. I was stranded in an unknown bus stop with very few people. I took the next bus out of there and came to an even deserted bus stop where there was not even a single soul. I switched on GPS and decided that I was supposed to wait on the other side of the road. I crossed and came to a stop where I was the only girl and the time was 8.45 pm. I decided to take an auto but none of the auto drivers were ready to take me to my destination. That is when a middle aged man came to my rescue. He started asking me to which stop I wanted to go. He stopped a few autos and asked them on my behalf and even gave a few directions. But still no one was willing to go. He also, asked another person in the bus stop about how to get to my stop and which bus to take and told me to wait for the bus on the other side of the road. I crossed the road again and got the bus in 10 minutes.
2) I wanted to take a auto to the bus station and I had these 2 hefty bags. One auto driver stopped and asked where I wanted to go. I told him the place and he told me that his home was in the other direction and he could not go. I was finding it difficult, with two hefty bags, to hail autos and run to them, only to get answered in no and a firm negative shake of the head. This guy, who was still waiting for a passenger saw my problem and he stopped a lot of autos and finally got me an auto by convincing the fellow auto driver. I thanked him and got on the auto.
3) When I went to pick up my friend from the bus stop near my house. I saw this beggar with no legs. A guy bought idlis from a nearby hotel and gave those to the beggar instead of money. The hotel being one of those costly ones. I was filled with admiration for this person.
4) A lady vegetable vendor told me that she will return my 3 rs when I buy something there the next time. I realized this was a tactic to make me pay more and on asking for the amount next time would be a waste of time because she wont remember it. So, as soon as I reached home I forgot about it. After a few days I went there again and the lady took 3 rs less. When I pointed it out to her, she told that she had to give 3 rs the other day.
5) When my sister came to meet me in my rented house, it had slipped my mind to tell them that parking a car is difficult near the house. After they arrived, I went to my house owner and asked her to suggest a place nearby to park their car. She offered her own garage which already had a car. As it was very big. But the road was small and maneuvering the car to the garage was getting a tad bit difficult with all the bikes parked on the street. My house owner went and asked everyone to kindly place their bike a little away and some three people came out, removed their bikes and helped my brother-in-law park the car inside the garage by telling when to stop and when to move.
It need not be a big thing. You need not start being kind and civilized by joining a charity or giving away loads of money. By helping a single person or helping make the world a better place to live by keeping your own neighborhood clean also helps. You show a person that you have some good in you and that person will try to show it to someone else. Be a good and civilized person and try to be on someone else's list like this. I know I am trying. :) :)
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