Cleaning to do....

-
Every other day a 12 to 13 year old boy walks in, mostly alone, but sometimes accompanied by his younger brother, who is about 7 -8, visiting many of the families in our campus, taking orders for chicken. He is our chicken supplier! He was walking in and my first reaction was – how can this boy, who is less than 14 be doing the work of an adult. My last few years of experience with “right based responses”, “advocacy” on “Child labour” and such related issues, which I had opportunity to be part of  was rekindled and I was asking around – how can we allow this to happen! How can we even allow this boy to come into the campus? We should put an end to this!

Till 2 days back when I took a walk outside the campus and saw his “shop”. His shop was – a trolley (Tela Gadi) on which a middle aged man was cleaning and cutting chicken. And he and his brother, was the home delivery system. Possibly the person who was cutting and cleaning was his father – I am yet to talk to him. And for him to leave his shop and go to do home promotion and delivery means, leaving his shop without any supervision. And leaving the shop to these young boys, in not a wise thing in a crowded road with a few other Tela Gadi’s doing the same business next to them! They also have to compete with others in the same business, the other vendors nearby. The only way to do this was, have a “promotion” and “home delivery “system. What is better than having their own family members as the promotion and home delivery agents? They will not run off with the produce, the money, or the business. You can trust your own kids to be supportive of the family business. But these kids come in, only in the morning hours and evenings. I am yet to ask them, what do they do during day time – I suppose they are in school, which is common here for many families. Children go off to school during day time, mornings and evenings they are part of the family business, working together as family to meet their daily living.

What did I learn from this incident?

Every person I see, has a background behind them. I need to see beyond what I see.

Every action which I observe, has a story behind it. I need to listen beyond what I hear.

Incarnation is what our master modelled – be in the world and engage with the world. I need to engage beyond my comfort zones.


See others world through their eyes, instead of my eyes and spectacles, which is dirtied by my preconceived notions and perceptions. 

Clean my eyes and spectacles daily….

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Waiting and Wasting

-
Image
As a young doctor, when I entered a rural mission hospital to work for a year or so, I was convinced that I was wasting my time. I was waiting to get into residency, and working there was not the optimal path to secure a residency of my choice. However, there was an inner compulsion pushing me to give it a try. On the other hand, I was certain that it would be a waste, and I expressed this to the senior doctor who had invited me to work for a year. He gently told me that a year of apparent waste might not be wasted if it helped me gain clarity about my life since I was not particularly clear at that time. I didn't believe him then, but I decided to go through with that one year of seemingly wasted time and life. In life, waiting is often viewed as a period of wasted years. However, a contemplative examination of stories from the Bible teaches us otherwise. Take Abraham, for example. He received a promise to become the father of many nations but spent his whole life wandering from p
Read more

Community our nation needs...

-
Image
It was early 70s. A batch of young boys grew up together over 6 years. A complex group of young boys who soon are together to be young men. People from various religion, life backgrounds, thought processes and desires and plan. Differences aside we grew together agreeing to disagree but agreeably. Moving away from each other in 1976, to pursue their dreams for life. The batch of 76.  47 years down the line, the batch still the remains the batch of 76. We have grown in girth and BMIs. More knowledgeable and probably wise too. Many have made it well in life. Some may not feel that about themselves but have contributed much to the society.  We remain the batch of 76, with many differences between us. Some frantically political, some apolitical, some deeply religious, others agnostic, some retired and enjoying retired like others still busy in their business of life. Some need spirits to keep the machines running, others prefer a spiritless life. Some with BP’s (Literally) others sweet in
Read more

Weary of doing good

-
Image
Can one become weary of doing good? Yes there are many times, personally I have felt weary and wanted to give up. I suppose this is not an uncommon feature for others too. Paul knew this and that is why he wrote to Galatians - “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9NIV Three common reasons why people (including me) feel weary of doing good, are considered here.  One, the drudgery of the mundane and routines. Though we want to feel passionate and engaged actively always, there will be times, when the routines of the day to day work and engagement seems to push us into weariness and wanting a rest from doing good for a period of time. Re-reading the book of Joshua it was interesting to observe that most of his life except for the initial years of war, would have been spend sorting out the allocation of land and settling the petty squabbles around those probably? How did he manage these mundane routines for
Read more