This is for Safia who wanted me to write. She is one of the finest ladies I have ever seen. Wish she was the President of Somalia, her beloved country. She would make it a heaven to live in. I was disappointed about many things .. so went slow on blogging, till Safia put a note on my page to write.
I just read that Mother Theresa battled with herself about her faith in God for nearly 40 years, which was nearly till she died. Yet she is destined to be a saint. It was a battle within herself. If all the poverty and misery around her was real, how was God the creator also real. I, a mortal father would not want any harm come the way of my children. If so, how did God the creator of all, our heavenly Father, permit such inequality, penury and agony.
There was a disturbing news item on the television this evening. Three sisters lived in a not so wealthy neighbourhood of the Indian capital, New Delhi. The doors of their house was shut most of the times. Neighbours were more busy earning their own money, and looking after their own interests. Why should we be bothered about others. For the past two days there was stink emanating in the area. Nobody bothered much, as Delhi stinks any way, till the stink became strong enough to make people do something. We always 'do' something only when it is too late, or when it 'stinks'. They found that the stink was coming from the general area of the house where the sisters lived. One man even said there were flies swarming the house. So they called the police, broke open the door, and found two of the sisters sitting with the dead body of their last sister. The girl had died of STARVATION. The other two living sisters were frail like dried autumn leaves who pounced on food when it was offered. Where is God's will in this. And where is the inner concience of every person living around these sisters.
I dont know where I got these feelings and emotions that I have right inside the innermost chambers of my heart. I think it was my grandfather in Mysore who embedded them inside me strongly. Either you are perfect or you are a failure. I dont want to eulogize my ideals and principals, but that is what is. A few things which I believe :
ALWAYS put yourself in the other person shoes. Be empathetic.
We are always better than the man below us. We are better than most of the people around us. We are better than the starving sisters in Delhi.
Smile and happiness are better than grudge, animosity and one-upmanship.
Life is too short. Live it. Dont sleep it and dont waste it with silly predicaments.
Tomorrow you could die, and sho why waste today in controversies.
Money definitely does not bring in happiness. It brings in only greed. You have it.. and so you want more.. and so you need to safeguard what you have.. and so you are hurting people around doing all this. You hide things that you own, because you dont want others to see them and want them.
All that you own does not belong to you for you leave this world with just one set of clothes you wear, when you are lowered into your grave.
All this is good on paper. Good to write about. Knowledgeable stuff. Glorifying etc. But I believe in this a little too strongly. I have lost friends and relationships due to this. But I dont mind the loss as long as what I believe is correct. But a time comes when you grow old and weak, and you need people around you. You need to choose between your ideals one one side, and those who will be a support factor to you on the other side... even if they are completely against your ideals. Does this mean you sacrifice your ideals you believe in so strongly for so many years. You nurture, value and stand for your principles for fifty years, and give them up because you need to survive. Is this evolution ??????
I lived in a failed Utopia... and I will die in it.
Someone has rightly said that Utopia is the ultimate in human folly or human hope -- vain dreams of perfection in a Never-Never Land or rational efforts to remake man's environment and his institutions and even his own erring nature, so as to enrich the possibilities of the common life. Sir Thomas More, the coiner of this word, was aware of both implications
Can I have your comments please after reading this. It helps me have a bigger perception of life.
Love to all - John
