OTHER PEOPLE'S GARDENS





“When admiring other people’s gardens,

don’t forget to tend to your own flowers.”

Sanober Khan

 

My wife had just returned home, late last evening, after making a presentation. One of her seniors, who she always admired, had done the major part of the presentation. “She is too good,” my wife said as she walked into the house, “I wish I could do presentations like her.”

I had just finished watching the following video from AGT (America’s Got Talent) … and I had watched it, back-to-back, thrice… 





The goose bumps were still there on my body… The spell hadn’t left me, yet… Inspired, I had, instantaneously, decided to create a blog around it…The quote had been already typed:


“When admiring other people’s gardens,

don’t forget to tend to your own flowers.”

Sanober Khan

 

“Come here,” I called my wife, “read this.”

You see, even in my wildest dreams, I will not be able to sing in my own house, leave alone like Putri Ariani, and leave alone on a gigantic stage like AGT’s. I am 65 and Putri Ariani is just 17. The video had already garnered more than fifty-million views, and God alone knows how many more millions, across the world, had watched the show when it was first aired, two months ago…

Putri Ariani was brilliant… Her blindness made her talent glow even brighter… Not due to any sympathy, but due to her brilliance. I only wished she could ‘see’ the reaction - the standing ovation, the golden buzzer, the tears of joy she had unleashed in that mega auditorium… and, yes, yes, the admiration she had evoked … Pure, unfiltered. As         AGT judge, Howie Mandel, said, “A lot of people don’t believe in angels, and, I think, one just landed on our stage, today.”





It is human to admire and feel inspired by achievers. In fact, it is the hunger of our soul… Goose bumps show how inspired our souls are!

We are the ardent admirers of Putri Ariani’s garden, even though we are nowhere related to her or her talent… But, we have our own little gardens, you see… we have our own flowers to mend.

“I wish I could do such presentations,” said my wife… “I wish the blind singer, Putri Ariani, could ‘see’ what a spell she had cast on millions and millions of people around the world,” I said…

Admiring other people’s gardens should help us tend to our own flowers…

Meanwhile, you see, in Life, there are two kinds of blindness… One of the eyes, the other of the soul…

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic’s: Pixabay 1. Hans 2.

Video: AGT

Comments

Rekha Bhartee said…
Such a poignant post !!
So much of depth and meaning in what you have written.
I hope we can all be inspired to tend to our own gardens and watch our flowers bloom !!
Sir you write so beautifully.
August 31, 2023 at 2:12 PM
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