IS LIFE REALLY BEAUTIFUL?






















“Life is Beautiful!”


Is it?


Yes, I do say, “Life is Beautiful,” very often… But, do I believe in what I say? Is Life really beautiful?


The expression – ‘Life is Beautiful’ – had first come to me when the famous movie, by the same title, was released. It was a movie about the horrendous torture in gas chambers by  Hitler’s Nazi… the Holocaust… the brutality at its worst. Still, amidst this hopelessness, a beautiful story of a man and his little son was told… When we watched this movie, we had cried and we had smiled… 


We had cried… unable to withstand the harshness of the dark side of Life…


We had smiled… being able to still find meaning and hope amidst the insanity of mankind…


Ever since watching this movie, the expression – ‘Life is Beautiful’ – has easily come to my heart… But, I do wonder, at times: “Is it really so?”…  “Do I really mean it?”


This morning, I had somebody along with me in my auto. He was the first person I was interacting with, outside my house, this morning… And, he was describing to me, with gory details, ‘how bad things were’ at his workplace!



His job is still there…

His salary is still coming…

His wife is still working…

He has a house,  free of mortgage…

He has two children studying in good schools…

He has a good personality… has good health… and speaks in fluent English…


But, something is wrong at workplace is a ‘fact’ for him. And, because of this, Life, to him, is not beautiful… It is horrible!


I did not want this sad story to make me gloomy as well… I began to talk about some good things around… and, before he knew, I was talking about those ‘facts’, which, he had coolly skipped before he had loosely declared: “Life is horrible!”:


The job was still there…

The salary was still coming…

The wife was still working…

The house was free of mortgage…

The children were in fine schools…

The personality, health and English were good, very good…





Oh yes! Oh yes! 


The glass was half full… 


not half empty!





“Life is beautiful, my friend,” I shook hand… as we parted our ways. 


Yes, once again, today, I said, "Life is Beautiful!"




GERALD D’CUNHA

Pics.:Raj Dhage Wai

Comments

MANOJ KUMAR said…
Yes sir, the glass is half full to me!

Nice article. Keep it up.

Manoj
May 9, 2012 at 3:08 PM
Anonymous said…
Loved the way you have put the idea that Life is beautiful. Thanks. Nirmal
May 9, 2012 at 3:09 PM
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