SOMEONE PLEASE TELL US WHAT'S IMPORTANT
“Someone
please tell us what is important,
because
we no longer know.”
Richard
Ford
A
friend of mine, who is well-read and articulate, had been sending me posts highly
critical of Mamta Banerjee and her TMC, Rahul Gandhi and his Congress and both
the Communist parties…
He being my friend, and
knowing how thick his skin was, I had only two ways to tell him, “Dost,
not interested.” One, block him immediately. Two, make an attempt to change his
ways…
The first would have saved my
time. But, I wanted to save our friendship. So, I told him this:
“Hi Mitesh*, hope, all is well
at your end… Jobs, studies, health are all safe. I went through the posts you have
been sharing. But, honestly, with whatever little politics I played in my life,
I had to lose a kidney to cancer… battle for each breath with Pulmonary
Embolism. There is this silent fear inside me, that with all these
co-morbidities, Covid can kill me anytime. God gave me a second chance, and, I
really don’t want to abuse it playing more politics, and being ungrateful. So,
let me spend whatever time left enjoying my every breath… Baaki maaro goli!”
“That’s very bad… You never ate well and drank like me. Look at me. I am fit as a fiddle!” I was expecting my friend to respond this way. As I said, we have been good friends. But, we see the world from two different lenses. His skin is very thick; mine is wafer-thin. He can argue and forget… I argue and sulk. So, when I know this reality, I think, what I said was right… Mamta, Modi, Rahul or Communists are not at all important to me… Each breath is… Each lease of life is!
My friend meant well for me.
Therefore, he added this:
“Stay off the social media…
Watch ‘The Crown’ on Netflix…Elizabeth will have a calming effect… A monarch who
can’t do anything, she goes through her duties with a great calmness and
propriety. It’s an award-winning serial . I try to practice her calmness in my office-interactions
and miserably fail!!!”
Two things confused me in my
friend’s well-meant advice: One, “Stay off the social media”… Two, “I try to
practice calmness in my office-interactions and miserably fail”!
And, what was my friend doing
while relentlessly sending those useless posts? And, why should I observe Elizabeth
on Netflix while I am already on that job – of enjoying my every single breath?
We should not only stop reacting
to things which are beyond our control, we should, also, learn to spend our
time and energy – yes, every precious breath – on what is really important to
us and our families…
Baaki maaro goli!
GERALD D’CUNHA
Pic’s: 1. www.sciencefocus.com
Video: Dare to do Motivation
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