My journey from office to home, It was around 6pm, sky was gray with the thick cover of clouds, little drizzle was pouring, light traffic on the road, it was a mystic evening. As I was approaching a cross roads (stop light) I saw a sign Hungry in the hands of a old pale male. I looked at him from behind the running wipers. He was pale, cold, and direct under the drizzling rain.
It was long stop light, I took out my wallet to find so I can give him something, amazingly it was hard decision to pick between a dollar or five dollars, a battle inside me, a dollar won’t buy him food but five dollars are too much to give in these economic times, I always believed whatever you give out you get 100 fold back, (reason for me being open to offer), it might not be true but I believe and it makes me feel good, not necessary that I need feel good feelings but………………., it is combination of several things, humility on part of the person who is asking for food as he helps me to apply the attribute of generosity.
Times have changed and so is our way of thinking, previously I would not have battle of materialism and my inner conscious, but it seems materialism may be gaining edge over me, though I was able to give him six dollars as I noticed that all the food chains have increased their meal prices.
It is not often you find a person begging on the roadside here, after all we are the richest nation in the world, but things are changing with the poor economic situations, nothing like this I have seen in my life, a time when almost every one around is suffering, a global melt down contributed to the greed of corporate world, a situation which was let out of the hand as every one involved in the process was making money and every one wanted to jump on the fast moving wagon of wealth created by the hype of artificially inflated housing values or unrealistic projections of the business houses, every one was in hurry to get the ten folds on their investments, not their fault, I would do the same as I want the best of the world for my son, so do others, even though I always thought I was detached to the earthly possessions but the fact and realty is it is not true, we all are attached to the materialism to great extent.
I do see the signs of worry and pain on the faces of my friends and people I know, which have lost 70% of their savings and are looking to a bleak future and uncertain times, retirements are gone and some of them in their seventies have started hunting for jobs which are hard to find.
Impact is not regional but global, beggars in Delhi were used to five or ten bucks are lucky if they get a buck, Global recession has its impact to all those who went beyond their means and borrowed huge some of money based on their jobs, now these companies are gone so are the Jobs and earnings but left is a huge debt and no solution in sight. Youth who were flying in the high colors of success and progress are left jobless and broke, they bought expensive homes and cars all on the borrowed money, which was not a norm in Indian society, and for that matter older American generation also bought things which were in their means.
Corporate greed and unthinkable pay packages and bonuses were a nail in the coffin of recession. Now it is the general public which has the carry the dead carcass and find an appropriate grave to burry all the corporate greed. The fear in those eyes are reflected clear who have lost all their earnings to corporate jets and CEO salaries and are forced to a life of uncertainty and poverty for none of their faults and the Irony is that people responsible for the melt down are scot-free. They have their millions in off shore accounts and will bounce back when time is right and will live a life full of luxury.
I could see desire for a worm meal in the eyes of this old man but he had no fear of his future investments, I guess all he has was in his pocket, all he was concerned about a meal and a warm place to sleep.
It makes me think of those nomadic I used to work with, they will move from plains to hills with the season change along with the herd looking for the green pastures, they never had a permanent home or address, no bank balances, no cars, no luggage, no belongings of great value, they were always happy with whatever little they had, not too much attached to material things of the world but they were attached to their sheep and goats. I had a chance to learn a great deal from them, I was there to aware them about the importance of girl child education but they taught me to be selfless and detached. I was not able to give them anything but got a good deal of values from their culture. The best of the lesson was to put yourself in others shoe and then decide, I did the same when I saw this elderly man with the sign in hand hungry…. I was holding a Sign “Hungry Please Help” I was able to justify myself after seeing myself in those shoes.
