THE TEST OF OUR GOODNESS
Pic.: Swati Gangurde T he man next to me is not – and he can not be - like me. If I am polite and gentle, he may not be. If I am very patient, he may not be. If I like to be dependable, he may not be... If I am good-mannered, he may not be... That’s world... The imperfect world we live in! Sometimes, I ask: Why should I be patient with my neighbor when he is not? Why should I show courtesy when he doesn’t? Why should I greet his reactive behavior with my proactive one? Yes, why can’t I treat him with his own medicine - Tit-for-tat... An- eye-for-an-eye? But, the more I ask these questions to myself, the more silent I become... I reason out: our goodness can be tested only in an imperfect world... The nastiness of others can be handled more effectively by our assertive gentleness... That, I need not stoop to someone’s level to bring peace within my soul... My anger is my reaction to my own inefficiencies... When I constantly react to other people, ...