In the End there is Only Kindness

These days the media is full of stories of how people get cheated, people ill treated, people being treated mercilessly and people treating others cruelly. Even parents aren't spared. I was told of a story in Kerala where a couple off-loaded their rather sick Mother (mother in law) at a temple and left her there. Temple authorities were told of this. They are used to this by now. There are more than a hundred such abandoned old folks who the temple authorities are now looking after.

I am saddened by the number of stories that are coming up these days of human insensitivity. Harsh words are being said in haste. In a mindless state we function and therefore what we say isn't exactly what we feel - but we have blurted it out in that moment. Perhaps only to regret it a little later.

Harsh seems to be in vogue. Hurt seems to be the new by product. Fragile is what is around us. Nothing is permanent. What is the matter with us? Why are we so hell bent on destruction? Why are we keen to stamp out a smile? Why are we in such an intense hurry to forget everything that we were once upon a time? We were courteous. We were kind. We were considerate. We were affectionate. We were helpful. We were polite. We were a nice lot.

Oh don't mistake me. I am not painting a black picture of a despondent human race. I am talking of what is prevalent. There are still those silver lining stories of kindness, of human compassion, of chivalry, of strangers going out of the way when there were none to help. I am saying that the good stuff is slowly trickling to a random statement. It is not often heard. Kindness isn't an everyday event. Decency is not heard about. A dropped wallet returned is headlines today. A needy person being looked after is a heroic act today.

We as a human race are making tremendous progress. I am sure. We are all extensions of a computer. The mobile phone owns us. I remember my father pointing out a rather strange phenomenon once long ago - there was a man taking a dog for a walk. My father looked at it and said - Is the dog taking the man for a walk or vice versa. You see, the dog was straining at his leash so hard it actually looked like the dog was pulling the man along for a walk. It did not seem that the man was in control of the dog and was walking the dog. Similarly today our computers and mobile phones control us. We are programmed devices, if we haven't already been programmed. In that process we are being systematically stripped of our human qualities.

Being unkind is not human. Being cruel isn't either. That's why we are different from the other species of this planet. There is a new wave sweeping aside everything that was. A new order seems to be coming in. It is overtaking everything. In an ancient civilization like India where our culture has stood several tests of time, we may have lost out many of our culture, our traditions - but there is still a lot that is left. At our core is an essence that is truly beautiful. I have seen that beauty even in the poorest of the poor. I have seen that in a smile. I have seen it in the taste of food prepared with love. Anything created with less than love isn't called tasty. You wonder about that? Anything given with love and affection is received with a smile. Even if you did not mention the word love. Did you think about that?

Finally I think we have the power to impact our world. Our surroundings. One kind word. One kind action. One caring gesture. One hug. One smile. Or surprise a hungry person with a meal?

I realize this - Its upto me to do that. No matter what the change that is coming there will be around me an island of goodwill, good intent, good ambience and good nature - I will be that goodness to which I attract those that seek that goodness.

Just like you are.