Our evenings are usually quite busy and the last one was nothing new. Over the years spent in multi-tasking, now I realize; it only makes you sick instead of any better. But having said that, I still have to apply my mind on couple of things at the same time and use my motor skills to perform poles apart tasks in one go.
I was physically in the kitchen, preparing dinner with my ear glued to the phone; I was checking on my papa’s health. And in the background my son was continuously questioning regarding his Hindi assignment! Not because of choice but out of necessity many a times we have to multi- task, especially when ‘being on time’ is in our DNA.
If that’s not enough on hands; the landline rang. “Go, answer the call, must be your friend” I asked my son.
I was right. After a very brief chat he got back to his work.
“Who was that?”
“Oh, nothing, my friend was absent today and now he wants me to whatsapp todays class work to him”.
“Okay, send the work through my phone”.
“No, I need not to”.
“Why!”
“Because, when I asked him to share the classwork two days back, he didn’t. Why should I share?”
Fair enough, isn’t it? We must behave the way the other does!
Most of us apply this formula in life to equate the equation. If you help me then only I’ll help you, you ignore me I’ll also ignore you. We do this to keep our self- respect intact; self-respect or EGO? A fine line that often merges. Tit for tat; we follow this phrase literary.
While passing through the office lobby, my colleague simply ignored the eye contact and passed by me without exchanging pleasantries and my super self-respect warned me to never ever wish this arrogant colleague. I lost a part of my cheerful and friendly personality.
It was raining badly and I was not able to get a cab to go back home and my so called friend drove pass in his car without bothering to offer me a lift. Few days later his car broke down but I did not care to stop by for help. I lost a part of my helpful nature.
Last week I met with an accident and lost a lot of blood; my cousin refused to donate blood on the pretext of feeling weak. Now, when his son needs platelets to fight dengue; why should I aid? I lost a part of my compassionate self.
In the course of equating the equations, every time we are actually losing a bit of ourselves and finally becoming a negative version of our positive character.
If each one of us holds goodness firmly and discards the theory of tit for tat; how wonderful the world will become………may be a far-fetched dream.
“You better share today’s work with your friend else I’ll not help you with your Hindi assignment!”
© 2018 Charu Gupta and Potpourri of life.
Charu 