A little smile and your hand

I remember my times at the NCC (National Cadet Corp.) at school, when we girls used to be full of pride wearing that prestigious uniform. When doing ‘One Good Deed a Day’ was the essential way of life for us, and we used to leave our beds every morning, full of an extraordinary verve and courage to meet the daily target of Selfless Service.

The cadets at NCC are trained to acquire qualities of character, discipline, comradeship, secular outlook and apart from sportsmanship and spirit of adventure, the NCC also focused on Community service, Selflessness and Concern for fellow beings.

Reaching out to another human being, serving them in the best possible way, and bringing comfort and assurance to them were the biggest reward for the cadets.

How far have I come away from that sense of accomplishment today?

Now I am lost in a series of demands, desires, competition and acquisitions. I leave the bed often with a sense of trepidation, and think of my choc-a bloc day ahead with a resolve to finish all the tasks related to my business before sundown, and if I manage to complete at least 80% of my tasks then I feel satisfied with my self.

I have stopped thinking about my contribution to another human being in the form of my time, affection and empathy. Barring few sporadic visits here and there at an NGO, I don’t even think of such deeds now, as to bring smile to a stranger’s face, or help someone ride through the hard times by just being there. I have lost the patience to do so. Lost the inclination to do so. I don’t have time now. I am too self-indulgent, to give my time to others. I have even become slightly derisive of, what I call ‘The Good Samaritan’s Work’ and have started thinking in the terms of relegating it to some distant period when I will be freer, when I will have settled more securely in life, and have build a fortune for myself financially.

I am a sophisticated adult now, unashamedly hedonistic; far removed from that full of zip schoolgirl in NCC uniform, and very proudly say that I have no time even for myself!

This is the way of life for most of us now. We are always rushing somewhere, and often nowhere, but we feel immense satisfaction in projecting ourselves as busy. This word ‘Busy’ has become a prestige symbol now; a sort of decree on our persona to make us appear significant, as we feel that being not busy is akin to being losers.

We have ample time to get into unending squabble with a person who just touched the fender of our car while reversing his own, but have no time to drop in and say hallo to an old friend who might be feeling lonely.

We spend hours in a Shopping Mall, looking for the perfect shade of lipstick, or a pair of stylish shoes, but would never think of buying a bunch of flowers for an ailing woman in an Old People’s Home.

We eat the best food in the choicest restaurant, but the thought of visiting an orphanage with a small gift of chocolates doesn’t cross our minds.

We are polishing our lives to perfection with the best of comfort and luxury for our body, and we are scraping our souls by... Not Giving...just a little smile, and a hand of help... Sometimes...!!