Inspiration

Very recently I was travelling to Kolkata, and the condition of trains there is not hidden from anyone. So I was just trying to take a nap in the sub continental heat of almost a half century. Here came this kid with one leg, begging for alms. With all due respect to everyone’s thinking I don’t actually believe in this practice of begging and donation. So I shushed the kid, thinking what would happen to this kid. There are millions like him, who either beg or choose the wrong professions. Most go unnoticed. I too knew I’ll be one of those people who’ll just cry over their pain for some time, but won’t do a thing. The train came to a half at the next station, where I could see that the kid jumped from the train, and crossed the tracks, limping, in one hand was the bag filled with pennies he could collect, and with the other hand, e balanced himself. Like every other lame kid in this great nation, He too might have got injured in his childhood, and lost his leg, or some brutal men who wanted easy money brought him this pathetic condition. He was trying to get up to the platform, with one leg. I wondered if a train was coming on that track, or if he fell down, none was interested in seeing him. I keenly watched him, if he could succeed. My train started slowly. I was worried if he could get him into a safe position. What I saw in the next few minutes changed my life forever.
He wasn’t interested in getting out of the tracks so early, he played with the rocks, tried to hit a target he had fixed. He was throwing the stones. Meanwhile, I screamed in my mind for him to get to a safe place. I was glued to the windows. Deeply prayed for him to get going, while the chap was all relaxed, he hit his target and started getting up. A hawker who saw me watching the kid so intently told me he’ll be fine. He said something which totally sums up the kid and his types’ conditions. He said “they are habituated”. Normally people won’t put me in an emotional category, but those words seemed to shatter me. What I saw next was something more intensely emotional. I saw the kid started running along with the train. He was actually competing with the train, limping on one leg. He was sweaty, one could count his ribs, and he was that malnourished. I was sure he would fall soon after, but prayed inside for no such thing to happen. He limped, took long steps, and could even beat the bogey. Then there was this guy, whom he perhaps knew, who stopped him, and I guess, as kids’ thing goes, he soon forgot the train. He could successfully cross the train and I was even sure he could beat the train. He was filled with that raw energy, determination and zeal, which inspired me. That energy in him energized me. Where in our daily office aces work places we get frustrated over petty issues, one could learn how to gave challenges from that kid; he was challenged by life in every single phase. That's what we call a walking source of virtual glucose.
Daily, millions of kids living in the slums struggle for their basic needs. I won’t urge anyone to help them with alms, as begging is not a solution. But we could do our bit with full humanitarianism. It could really change the surroundings. At least trying won’t harm. Any wrong thing happenings should be reported, water shouldn’t be wasted, and food shouldn’t be, either. Taxes should be paid correctly, and rest? Have faith in humanity, have faith on yourself.