WARMED BY THE SAME SUMMER

Two days ago, I had posted an article – ‘The Sky Is Falling’. I had narrated an incident, where I had led a delegation of about twenty respected-members of our Society to the local Police station. I was the Society Chairman, and, that night, I had passionately argued our case before that biased and unfair Police Officer. I had used my raw emotions - all charged-up – and, it had carried the desired effect. We had come back with justice done to us. 

But then, I had lost my sleep, that night. The emotional turmoil within had taken its toll. So, in that article, I had spoken about our senior-member Mr. Harwadekar’s concern about me; his loving advice – “Gerry, even if the sky falls on you, you should not panic… you should remain calm… You should not let emotions take the better off you.”

 I had humbly taken this advice. And yes, I had confessed it in that post, the next morning. 

No baggage left in my soul… I was healed, completely!

That very morning, I received a very honest comment from  Kumar, a regular reader of my Posts.  He had written: 

Dear Gerry,

How it is that every article you write has a relation in my own life some way or the other? One of my friends always tells me, “You create anger during an argument but don't get angry".  But, I find it extremely difficult to separate the two!

Thanks for the fantastic article.

God bless you.

N.Kumar

I got back to Kumar, immediately:

 "Kumar, is there a  separation between you and me?...
We are connected in deed, Kumar.

Jesus Christ is an epitome of Love. But, The Bible gives enough instances of his anger, even of the God Almighty Himself. The Hindu scriptures tell us about God's anger...

You mean well for the other... Then, your emotions - whether anger, fear, or jealousy - they don't matter. Just mean well. That's holistic anger!

Let's be human, the real ones!

Love,

GERRY


I haven’t met Kumar in my life. Only my Blog has connected us. He thinks, my writings help him… He can relate each one of them to his own life… Which means: Like me, he loses his head many times a day… feels scared when his wife, Yashoda, still not home till mid-night…  sulks, like me, when someone decries him  for no reason… and yes, turns green, jealous, when his neighbor, Pillai, wins a five-crore jackpot!

Well, what I really want to say is: We all are humans. Have the same red blood… same pumping heart… and the same wet eyes. Shakespere so beautifully conveyed this message through his character, Shylock, in his immortal play – ‘Merchan Of Venice’.

Shylock:

I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands,

organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions;

fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases,

heal'd by the same means, warm'd and cool'd by the same winter

and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If

you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die?

And if you wrong us, do we not revenge? If we are like you in the

rest, we will resemble you in that.

Why do I write, every day… and on matters which seem so mundane? 

Someone – a ‘Maharati’ – told me, last evening: “I don’t become angry.”

"What about fear?” I asked, “Don’t you feel afraid?”

“No, I don’t,” he replied.

“And jealousy?” I enquired.

“Why should I become jealous?” he quipped.

I felt like running away from this alien! Even Jesus Christ showed rage, felt frightened - even insecure - when he came down to live on this Earth. And, this man – the Superman -  was telling me that he did not get angry, afraid or jealous in his life!

Even if I say, “God bless you,” I know, God won’t!

I do get angry.

I do get afraid.

I do get jealous.

And, I do want to know: 

“What is wrong with that?”

If something is wrong, then alright: Let me write about it… as it is… not hiding anything, not justifying, not blaming or accusing… not feeling guilty or victimized. Yes, let me write about it honestly, fully… beautifully.

And, there they  go – my anger, my fear, my envy -  like a ghost out of my body…

Leaving me feeling not just good, but Great. Yes, Great!

Probably, that was what made Kumar ask me in his comment, “Dear Gerry, How it is that every article you write has a relation in my own life, in some way or the other?”

And, I also hope, that was what made me reply when I said, “ Kumar, is there is a 'separation' between you and me?... We are connected, in deed, Kumar!!”


Yes Sir, we are cooled by the same winter… and warmed by the same summer…
And, yes, yes… If they poison us, we do die!


I wouldn’t have written my Blog posts, if that was not so!

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

THANKS:
The image used in this Post is by Ashok Ahuja. He is a professional Photographer and a very dear friend of mine. He is also one of the founder members of The Dawn Club, and, along with his gifted-artist wife, Sudha, has been helping me, and the Club, right from its inception.