As I sped past the church, I saw some rags lying on the middle of the road. I was going in a hurry and did not have much time to react. It did look different though. But then life is so fast. I flew past the pile of rags lying there.
After my work is done, I returned back and I could see the rags again, this time from quiet a distance away. As I came closer I could see a face emerging out of the filth and the mess, the pile was. It was a man lying in the middle of the road covered in a brown sack. As I went past him again, I managed to see him beg with the corner of my eye. I sped past him, but my eyes kept returning to that man. What if somebody hits him? He is sitting in the middle of the road. The inner man in me started asking the difficult questions. After a few minutes of tussle within I decided to turn back.
I decided to try and put him back to the sidewalk of the road and went up to him. He saw me coming and started asking for some money. Taking pity on him, I took out a few rupees and gave it to him. He thanked me. I turned back. But could not go. You are here to take him and put him in the side walk. Not to tip him some money. The inner man's voice again. This time a little louder. But, he was dirty and shady and ragged and naked. How do I do this? I kept questioning my wisdom to come back to him.
Gathering some courage, I went and finally told him, "Sir, can you please come to the side of the road, somebody might hit you"; He said okay and continued to sit there. I waited for a few minutes and repeated the same again. He thanked me this time and continued his begging in the same place. May be he could not move, I thought. May be his leg is stuck somewhere. The inner chaos was becoming louder. But how do I touch and lift him? Or do I ask him one more time? May be he did not understand. I gathered more courage and went to him the third time. "Sir, can you please come and sit on the sidewalks and beg. Somebody might hit you".
There was a quiet; a small pause. He turned back slowly and said, "I know it sir, but nobody gives me any money if I sit in the side walks. People look at me only if I sit in the middle of the road. Why anybody, even you saw me only coz I was sitting here ", he stung back.
What does it take for me to look at the hurt and the suffering in the sidewalks of life? Sadly, I needed them to be sitting in the middle of my life to even consider them humans.
Reminding myself that the story of Christmas was the story of the peripherals. Those on the sidewalks of life.
Merry Christmas!
After my work is done, I returned back and I could see the rags again, this time from quiet a distance away. As I came closer I could see a face emerging out of the filth and the mess, the pile was. It was a man lying in the middle of the road covered in a brown sack. As I went past him again, I managed to see him beg with the corner of my eye. I sped past him, but my eyes kept returning to that man. What if somebody hits him? He is sitting in the middle of the road. The inner man in me started asking the difficult questions. After a few minutes of tussle within I decided to turn back.
I decided to try and put him back to the sidewalk of the road and went up to him. He saw me coming and started asking for some money. Taking pity on him, I took out a few rupees and gave it to him. He thanked me. I turned back. But could not go. You are here to take him and put him in the side walk. Not to tip him some money. The inner man's voice again. This time a little louder. But, he was dirty and shady and ragged and naked. How do I do this? I kept questioning my wisdom to come back to him.
Gathering some courage, I went and finally told him, "Sir, can you please come to the side of the road, somebody might hit you"; He said okay and continued to sit there. I waited for a few minutes and repeated the same again. He thanked me this time and continued his begging in the same place. May be he could not move, I thought. May be his leg is stuck somewhere. The inner chaos was becoming louder. But how do I touch and lift him? Or do I ask him one more time? May be he did not understand. I gathered more courage and went to him the third time. "Sir, can you please come and sit on the sidewalks and beg. Somebody might hit you".
There was a quiet; a small pause. He turned back slowly and said, "I know it sir, but nobody gives me any money if I sit in the side walks. People look at me only if I sit in the middle of the road. Why anybody, even you saw me only coz I was sitting here ", he stung back.
What does it take for me to look at the hurt and the suffering in the sidewalks of life? Sadly, I needed them to be sitting in the middle of my life to even consider them humans.
Reminding myself that the story of Christmas was the story of the peripherals. Those on the sidewalks of life.
Merry Christmas!
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