Too Busy?

So here you are, reading this piece, on some screen. Most likely, you shall skim through it, absorb some thoughts (if of interest), close the screen and continue to go about doing whatever you were doing in the first place. Reason - you are a busy person. 

Let's face it. You are busy - like everyone else. You are busy - because you are employed, or running a business, or managing a family, or completing the task at hand so that you can have some quiet-time. With your family or friends or at best, with yourself.

You are busy, too busy. So busy that you have don't even have the time to think. Think about who you are, what you love to do, what drives you, where your passion lies, which area in your Life could be improved, etc. So busy that you turn a blind eye towards the society we live in, the people we live amongst, the urban poor. Too busy to look at their pitiable state. too busy for empathy.

Okay, before you start abusing me for ridiculing you, let us shift focus. Now that it's been proven beyond doubt that you are perennially busy, let us talk about you, as a person. If I assume correctly, you are a literate, educated, well-mannered, decent, sober (well, most of the time), kind-hearted, helpful and social person. You are nice to kids, kind to the elderly, and help out your neighbours/relatives more often than not.

But this socially-popular behaviour of yours, is practiced only on a need-basis. When was the last time you went out of your way to really help someone? Someone unknown, but needy? Now, now, too busy, aren't we?

With a burgeoning population and due to an inefficient, callous government, there are countless of needy people, people within our reach who could definitely use a helping hand, could positively benefit from whatever service you have to offer. It need not be money, it could be anything you have the heart to part with. Old clothes (it's a cold winter), bars of soap, bottles of potable water, an old pair of shoes, plates and cups, a cardboard box for them to keep their belongings, even a kind word or a reassuring pat-on-the-back.

We, the proverbial well-heeled, were plain lucky to be born into middle-class families. Face it, dude, none of us had to see a single day when we went to bed on a hungry stomach. We could have been anyone, one of the innumerable faceless poor, whose daily challenge is - survival. But, as fate would have it, we were not. 

So let us thank our lucky stars and not forget that we can and should take meaningful and substantial steps towards the betterment, by whatever minuscule degree possible, of the not-so-fortunate. Let us make a genuine and continual attempt to alleviate their pain and suffering. Let us, the supposedly learn-ed ones, learn. To give.

Peace to all.