Care Enough to Help

It is my recent train journey from Kerala to Bangalore that has inspired me to jot this post - the realization that people are changing with time. Our travel was scheduled from Kottayam to Bangalore in the Bangalore-Kanyakumari express. We had sleeper class tickets only from Palakkad and had to take general reservation tickets from Kottayam (from where we boarded) to Palakkad. However, we decided to board in the same compartment "S6" and thought of occupying the same seat number for which we have sleeper reservation. Unfortunately, we found out that a family of four had occupied it completely and what got on my nerve is that they did not even bother to give space for me, considering that I was carrying my 3yr old son. The oldest among the family had occupied the lower berth, the other woman among the four had occupied the other lower berth and had her suitcases and other luggage on the seat. The thought that their luggage was more important to them than a human standing with a child irritated me to the core. To add to all this, they had their clothes hanging all around the place to make the small place more suffocated. After a while, my husband got into an argument with them asking them to give space, reasoning that we have taken reservation; but they too continued with their reasoning that they also have reservation. Then came my savior, a senior citizen, who boarded the train from the next station from where we boarded. She asked them to give space for others and informed them that S6 compartment was usually considered for the employed people who travels to and fro for work and that sleeper reservation in S6 is given only from Palakkad.

What annoyed me is the thought that we have reached a period where people have forgotten to consider other fellow beings. Isn't it inborn in us to consider others or help others in need, at least when we do not have to go out of our way to do so? Can we behave as if "all is well" when we know that it is just the smallest of deeds required from us to help someone? Isn't the mantra for being a nice human as simple as being open to the fact that the world is not just Us-our family but we have others around us who need to be considered and respected? Let's work towards making this place a better place to live in by just doing the smallest of deeds we can and spreading a smile on others:-)

Copyright © 2008, Jaini Joseph.