The year of the unseen!

Finally, finally, we have come to the end. End of what is the most difficult year the world has faced in almost a century. All of us had had bad years, individually! But as a collective, the world would have been a much better place if 2020 not happened. 

There was a non-human living thing which brought the earth to its knees. Strangely, the thing was invisible. It was everywhere. We all caught it. A few, it killed too! Yet it was not seen. 

I realized this year was the year of the unseen. 

Our eyes had never seen the scores of migrants living around us. I had never seen, people who had jobs one day, going to bed without food the very next day.  The world never saw and knew the insanely complex problems a pandemic can bring to the world, And truly we never saw a world stopping on its path! 

As I reflected on the last year, I realized I had never seen my privilege as clearly as 2020 showed me. The privilege of having food on the table, the privilege of having a job through it all, the privilege of living with families, and even the privilege of social distancing. 

I look forward to a new year. New resolutions, new beginnings, newer friends and a lot of new learnings. Things that I like and see and enjoy. Yet, I also want to learn to look at the unseen now. To widen my horizon and see through the prisms of life I had never done before. To look at the innate quality of life in every human being, to learn and understand their pain, things unseen! 

I'm dropping the last year into the unseen limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect and unclear, and thank god that it can go! Goodbye, 2020! Hope to never see-through anything like it. 

To 2021 and to learn to look at the unseen. To a safer and more peaceful and a more clear world. A world where we can not only see the seen but also learn to see through the unseen. 

Happy, happy, new year!

What if she had said no?

I love counterfactuals! The 'What ifs' of life. 

In the 19th century Thomas Carlyle, the great Scottish historian spoke of the Great man theory of history. According to him, history can be largely explained by the impact of great people who are highly influential. I had often asked myself this question; Is attributing historical decisions to individuals the right thing? Or are people just products of social environment? 

Okay, I will declutter the cobwebs. According to Thomas Carlyle's theory if there had not been a Hitler there would not have been a world war 2. Had there not been a Gandhi, India might have not taken the route of non-violence to independence. Had Martin Luther not fought reformation might not have happened. If Dhoni had not been the captain, India might not have won the 2011 world cup. Are these statements you go with? Or even if Hitler had not been there, there would have someone else in his place who would have started the world war 2? If Gandhi had not been there, another 'X' would have led India on the path of Non-violence. You get the drift right? What is your opinion? 

Yesterday is the 150th birthday of my hero. Aunt Ida, the founder of CMC Vellore. I was quietly listening to the virtual celebrations happening, reminiscing on my stint in the hallowed lanes of the college, when the wicked brain threw up this question. What if Aunt Ida had said 'No', on that fateful night? 

Aunt Ida saw three young women die during childbirth for want of women doctors and went onto become one. She came back from the US to build a small dispensary which had gone onto become this magnificent monument now. So, what if Aunt Ida did not answer the call to come back that night in the affirmative? What if she had just stayed back in the US and had just practised medicine there? Would there be a CMC now? Where would I be, since my grandmother is from that place? What would have happened to all the women who were empowered by her single-handedly? 

Of course, counterfactuals are just lies. Aunt Ida responded to the needs of my nation positively, and truly grateful that she did. But counterfactual helped me understand perspectives. For one nod of the head in the opposite direction by one random lady many thousand miles from my place, could have just prevented me from entering the world. Life!