The world is enchanting too

 

 

 

WE ALWAYS complain about bad people, their evil deeds, grim experiences, and incidents. Usually, we go on cursing endlessly at the negativity around us. But is this world really full of discordant people and ungracious incidents? If we just cast a curious glance around, we can notice so many pleasant things too. During my morning walk, one morning walker from the crowd always attracted my attention. He may be in his seventies, I guessed. His body was in perfect shape. Not an ounce extra or an ounce less. Dressed neatly with dark pants and a clean white t-shirt. His eyes reflected his immense thoughtfulness. Face glowing with brilliance and utter calm within. He strolled alone with a baton in his hand. Never seen chatting with any individual or a group. The most remarkable thing that made me his fan was one of his actions on this ground. Many times, he was seen uprooting the congress grass around the beautiful walking track, all alone. The result was that the entire patch around the track of about 2 km was free from this unwanted, unhealthy weed. I was always tempted to interact with him. But my shyness prevented me from doing this. However, as a mark of respect to this elderly person, I too started following his mission to eradicate harmful weeds. Normally, your selfless and intense desires are always fulfilled. Just by chance, a friend introduced me to him. He was not an ordinary person. He was a retired Colonel of the Army in his late nineties! Post retirement, he had been the director of some reputed educational institutions. Above all, he was a thorough gentleman and very humble.

 

He conversed very politely. When I asked him about his morning initiative, he replied that, being a soldier, it’s his duty to protect his country from everything that invades her. I was very happy that day. Do we really take cognizance of such good Samaritans around us? Doesn’t it add to our positivity and boost our happiness without incurring any cost? Similarly, I came across one awfully inspiring person. While at Kolhapur, I used to go trekking on the hills of Jotiba. Have a darshan of Jotiba, one of the presiding deities of western Maharashtra, and return home. It used to be a very pleasant Sunday experience of roaming in nature with clean air. During the rainy season, I noticed this remarkable, frail-looking person clad in half pants and a green tee shirt. He was planting, nurturing the saplings on the hills at various places, all alone. I have also seen him picking up the litter, recklessly thrown by irresponsible devotees of Jotiba, on the temple premises. Sometimes, humbly requesting them not to do such filthy acts. Occasionally, he used to yell at such dirty people, which I felt justified. Many people took him for a crazy man with no other work to do. On one Sunday morning, I was pleasantly shocked to see a small pond on a small stream on these hills.

 

It was constructed with the stones and mud lying around. My friends updated me that the “same man with a cleanliness mission” was behind this feat. This happened when I was out of town for a brief vacation. He organised a group of young people to execute this water conservation project at no cost except a tea party on the ‘tapari’ (kiosk) near the temple. On this Sunday, the group was planting trees around this nice water pond. Our group also joined them happily. One of our friends knew him. He introduced all of us. Surprisingly, the ‘crazy man’ was a practising CA with a lucrative practise. Perhaps Mahatma Gandhi too would have been happy to see these unique examples of “body labour.” We come across many such people, blissful happenings, and experiences but seldom discuss them, leave apart their replication.