A Welcome Distraction

This holiday season, while most are comfortably preoccupied enjoying themselves, with family and loved ones, outside on a curb across a popular shopping mall for the affluent, sit's a frail old man, huddled up in a worn out cape shawl.

Just the sight of him like that takes me back decades as a kid when a stray kitten was found on the varenda of our home, freezing, starving and all alone in this big wide world.

I remember my father making a make shift feeder at the time and giving it milk while cuddling it between his arms as us siblings stood around and watched.

That was a good day and the moment stuck in memory but looks like history has repeated itself - only this time instead of the kitten there's an old man on the curb waiting for that same affection and care.

And while still considering my options, one after the other, the who’s who of high society flamboyantly appear out of their shiny chauffeur driven cars, turn a blind eye at the bearded figure, and disappear behind the sliding front door of the shopping mall, oblivious to his presence as if he was invisible.

How could they have not noticed him?

For anyone who has ever consciously 'waited' for success, unbelievable wealth, social acceptance, visibility and any other thing that shines, it is easy to recognize 'waiting' and the painful process of bravely enduring 'waits', as by far the hardest thing in life.

For this old man, there's obviously no other choice but wait.

Like so many others in the world, he too is watching sliding doors open and close from a distance, other's walking in and out, smiling, happy and fulfilled while he suffers in silence waiting for a little contribution from somewhere to turn his bad times to good.

It is a sad sight indeed. That much i must admit.

On such occassions one cant help but be reminded of ????????? ?????? ?????????? ????????????

“Which, then, of your Lord’s blessings do you both deny?”

And today with 2023 knocking at the door so ever louder with each passing minute, there is no denying there is so much to be grateful for. The new year celebrations are not too distant, but it is clear that beyond the fireworks and the hub bub of the usual festivities, there is definitely a glaring opportunity for us to have a fresh start and play a more proactive role to make those around us feel good, happier and complete.

The celebrations are a welcome distraction to look forward to but not quite so for this old man on the curb still waiting for our care and affection, just like that kitten so many years ago. He still waits to be noticed and taken care of.

I hope the new year brings you an enduring sense of pleasantness and happiness.

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Kaleem Ullah Muhammad is a seasoned marketing and business development professional with expertise in micro credit strategy, demand generation and product management. Kaleem is a graduate of Malardalen University Sweden with over a decade of work experience with both commercial and non-profit institutions and is currently employed as Development Manager at National Rural Support Program the leading national entity with mandate to alleviate poverty by harnessing peoples potentials and undertaking development activities in Pakistan.?

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