It does not happen only in India. The apathy to civility among fellow human beings. I have seen this happening in the Middle East, to an extent in the Far East, and in the name of indifference in Europe. I am looking for someone to blame it on. My neighbour.. I dont know them.. my family.. . I know them too much... my friends.... they know me better. I think this time I will take the onus on myself. It is easier this way.. I dont have to explain why I blamed someone else... and I dont have to enlighten others about the naunces of civility too.
I am too lazy to get up and refer a dictionary for a definition of this word. I am also lazy to open up another window to browze for a definition. I will leave it at that. Let me define the way I know civility. For the weak hearted please close this window... for my definition of the word is a little harsh on oneself.
I remember reading a moslem philosopher... I forget his name... age coupled with inane dormancy stops me from scaning any part of my brain to remember him. He gave a wonderful example of what you should be in life. Hard .. but everything good is always found at the end of the unbeaten road. The example was of an apple tree created by God. The first man under the tree is a rich man on a camel. He plucks a fruit and he gets an apple. Simple eh..... OK. The second man under the tree is a lame scrounger. He plucks a fruit and he gets an apple. Again simple eh..... The third man is a dying, famished leper. He too gets an apple. When God does not differentiate between these three strata of society, why do we, humble creations of this God, differentiate when we deal with fellow human beings. Every one comes naked and goes naked. I wanted to put a note in in my mother's coffin before it was let down the grave, saying how much I would miss her and how much I love her. But where is she going to take it to. I am sure she knows my feelings better than myself.
The second philosophy which I keep attributing to a great philosopher, but purely is one of my own 'stupid philosophies'. This is absurd, but it helps in maitaining civility of my kind. Work as hard as possible without showing how anybody how harried you are, keeep everybody around happy, and when success is at hand, stand aside and let the man behind you take it. Difficult, but warms the cockles of your heart.
Most of the times I try and slow down to let someone cross the road. They look at me amused. It just shows how worn out our sensibilities are, that something as civil as giving way to a pedestrian looks funny and unreasonable.
A last rider. All this is too pretentious and blue-blooded. If you practice it you will be jeered at. But you can always try it sometimes.. and feel the exhilaration in your heart.
Love to all - John
