'APPRECIATE' ONLY MEANS 'APPRECIATE'... WHY PAINT IT WITH DARK SHADES?












Pic.: Alwyn Mathias


“Gd mng sir. Can you please sms to me * Punit’s number? Appreciate.”

I used a nice smiley at the end of my message. I wanted Punit’s number very urgently and knew, that my architect friend had it. But, I, also, knew, that he generally did not respond to any phone calls or messages during those hours. So, I was aware of my limits… I was aware of the meaning, value and depth of that one last word I had used at the end of my message – ‘Appreciate.’

The very next minute, my architect friend had sent me both - the cell and landline – the numbers of Punit.

“Thank-you so much sir. Really appreciate,” I replied quickly.

“My pleasure sir. My duty,” came back the response with a bright smiley.

My heart swelled with simple joy… A very simple and sincere request and a very simple and sincere response…  That’s all… Nothing beyond it…

Till this thing happened….

There was a person (who was known to my architect friend) sitting next to me in my office. I spontaneously expressed before him my joy over a simple episode like that… “How uncomplicated happiness can be,” I exclaimed…

Apparently, the man had a dislike towards my architect friend. “He is a sweet talker… Very shrewd, very selfish,” he commented.

I could, immediately, sense a strange sensation in my body… “Why did you have to comment like that… even if you hate my friend?” I was thinking aloud, “Why did you have to contaminate my simple joy?”

Well, I did not tell this man what I was feeling… I did not wish to further pollute my mind… Instead, I said quietly in my mind, “May your poison be with you. May peace be with me.”

For many, innocence is being naive. Unfortunately, being naive – childlike – is the only way to experience the simple joy of life. When we try to read between every line… judge the neighbor and study his motive… try to take every word of the neighbor with the proverbial pinch of salt… yes, if we keep doing it, everywhere, every time, I think, we are only ‘childish’ – ignorant. There is no way we can experience, ever, that uncomplicated and uncontaminated state of mind called ‘peace’…

‘Appreciate’ only means ‘Appreciate’... Why paint it with dark shades?

*Name changed

GERALD D’CUNHA

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