These lyrics from UB40 run in my mind every now and keep reinforcing the fire within me to keep learning.
Recently, I boarded a train from Mumbai to Gujarat immediately after a long day at work. The plan was to crash in as soon as we were settled but at Borivli station, 6 people boarded the bogey claiming they had the same seat as us. The hunt for the ticket collector began and the truth was shocking. An agent illegally bought over 1000 tickets under his name and his license was seized. The tickets booked under him were cancelled and the passengers weren't notified, thus the people who boarded at Borivli had actually no tickets. The only choice given by the ticket collector was they had was to buy tickets with fine and still go without seats. They did so because it was impossible for them to get down at Palghar station with 3 aged people, young mother and child. This was the time to be humane which most of us did and the group was taken care off but it left me with a question.
Why is it easier for most people to be more helpful to a stranger?
The next day we arrived at our native place to greet 400 people visiting our Derasar [temple]. They were part of a 27 day religious trip wherein they walked from Ahmedabad to Junagadh on foot and covered all Derasars on the route. They were around 400 participants and more than 600 staff to take care of them w.r.t tents, food, amenities. Every place they passed, the sponsor of the trip ensured the entire village was treated to a feast. I was intrigued with the preparations and the level of expense which ran in crores. I met the sponsor of the trip, a successful doctor from US and asked him how long had he been planning and he said 4 months. My next question as every working individual was, 'How are you able to take so many days off?'. He just looked at me and said he was fortunate to really visit so many villages and serving them mattered.
My next question is: What drives people to be so magnanimous?
We reached Junagadh in the evening and the next day at 5 am I began my climb to the temple at Girnar mountain at a height of 3800 steps. There were so many people with me, each with their own purpose of meeting the divine. Along the way, the crowd thinned with each person having different levels of stamina and speed. About midway, I was extremely exhausted. Few people along the way said I still had a long way to go and most said, "Go ahead, it is not too far away". I continued climbing and at the end, I had tears because the journey had been tough but the destination was beautiful.
My next question: Why is it easier to motivate an outsider but not an in house person?
All these questions have left me thinking deeper. Truly, every journey, short or long leaves you grasping for more. Learning need not be academic at all times, it is understanding human nature, respecting the virtuous and principled around you and be in gratitude of the love bestowed on you by nature. Life truly is beautiful.
Source of image: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/741264419891255084/
