It is slightly a long gap considering the recent spate of postings that I do in the blog. Was for once, totally occupied mind and body in activities that needed me. Started a few, left in between, just because I didn’t get the 15 minutes that I need to write or someone has something to ask me. Now lets make it up.
Last evening, I was in two school functions, both of them in contrast to the other. One was my daughter’s, which is an international school with children of many nationalities performing for an aptly thematic program called ‘Colors’. Another was my wife’s school, where she and many others have toiled to train ‘special children’ to perform on the stage.
I could not help but wonder about the divide between these two and also about the cruelty of God.
The first one is a pompous and rich show, so much so that we as parents had to pay 500 bucks to see our own kids performing. No photo’s, videos allowed as if it is a military secret, the real ugly reason behind it being, footage is a serious money making opportunity. Some of the patrons of the school would be potential BCCI office-bearers.
And it was also a stark reminder of how culture & civilization does not grow with money. Mine, a Chevrolet was the smallest car, then you could imagine how rich the parents are. But, they too behave like illiterates by blocking seats for someone else who will walk in late. Absolutely silly, after all any parent would be keen to see his/her child performs. Nonetheless, the show by itself was amazing, what with all the kids in myriad hues and various stages of reproducing the newly learnt art. When one sits, the other one will stand, when one looks at the right, the other will look at the left. But the imperfection in their performance was what so very appealing and on the whole, we had a gala time.
Next was my wife’s school day, where special children performed. These kids are either Autistic, mentally retarded or with some learning disability. Now, it is almost next to impossible to make them listen to you. I keep seeing it when my wife takes them for coaching at home. Very tough to make them reason out, follow logic or even get them interested in doing anything. But, music has a universal appeal and all of them somehow are interested in performing for music.
Considering their disabilities, it was a great show and the enthusiasm they showed was unparalleled. Some of them were even over enthusiastic and could not stop what they were doing.
It was a touching moment when all the teachers who made this a reality come up on the stage at the end for ‘Healing the World’.
It kind of made me feel very sad to look at the parents, who were confused between emotions of whether to enjoy their child’s performance or about why they had to suffer with these disabilities. It is at these moments I start questioning Faith. These people invariably go back to God asking for mercy and consideration. But should not they be equally angry with Him for having made them go through this unhappiness. Why were they chosen amongst the millions? Why should they even save their faith???
But, almost as if there is an unwritten answer given by God then and there, we see hundreds of people who had come forward sponsoring and helping the school and the kids. God has been greatly magnanimous in sprinkling kind-hearted people all over the place and almost in the right places too. This is some design!!!
I can always hear my mom let out a sigh of relief and cry a bit, whenever she talks about us. Being a big family, the last few of us were really unwanted. So, in the first trimester, our mom had tried her best home remedies to get rid of us, but we being we, stubborn even as an embryo, refused to be eliminated. And then, she says it was a very painful time for her for the next 6 months thinking whether we will be out as a full baby, physically and mentally. She was always scared that her misadventures would result in some handicap in us. Mercifully it was not to be.
Now I thank God, just for letting us live in this planet with no disabilities, leave alone money, fame and happiness.
Last evening, I was in two school functions, both of them in contrast to the other. One was my daughter’s, which is an international school with children of many nationalities performing for an aptly thematic program called ‘Colors’. Another was my wife’s school, where she and many others have toiled to train ‘special children’ to perform on the stage.
I could not help but wonder about the divide between these two and also about the cruelty of God.
The first one is a pompous and rich show, so much so that we as parents had to pay 500 bucks to see our own kids performing. No photo’s, videos allowed as if it is a military secret, the real ugly reason behind it being, footage is a serious money making opportunity. Some of the patrons of the school would be potential BCCI office-bearers.
And it was also a stark reminder of how culture & civilization does not grow with money. Mine, a Chevrolet was the smallest car, then you could imagine how rich the parents are. But, they too behave like illiterates by blocking seats for someone else who will walk in late. Absolutely silly, after all any parent would be keen to see his/her child performs. Nonetheless, the show by itself was amazing, what with all the kids in myriad hues and various stages of reproducing the newly learnt art. When one sits, the other one will stand, when one looks at the right, the other will look at the left. But the imperfection in their performance was what so very appealing and on the whole, we had a gala time.
Next was my wife’s school day, where special children performed. These kids are either Autistic, mentally retarded or with some learning disability. Now, it is almost next to impossible to make them listen to you. I keep seeing it when my wife takes them for coaching at home. Very tough to make them reason out, follow logic or even get them interested in doing anything. But, music has a universal appeal and all of them somehow are interested in performing for music.
Considering their disabilities, it was a great show and the enthusiasm they showed was unparalleled. Some of them were even over enthusiastic and could not stop what they were doing.
It was a touching moment when all the teachers who made this a reality come up on the stage at the end for ‘Healing the World’.
It kind of made me feel very sad to look at the parents, who were confused between emotions of whether to enjoy their child’s performance or about why they had to suffer with these disabilities. It is at these moments I start questioning Faith. These people invariably go back to God asking for mercy and consideration. But should not they be equally angry with Him for having made them go through this unhappiness. Why were they chosen amongst the millions? Why should they even save their faith???
But, almost as if there is an unwritten answer given by God then and there, we see hundreds of people who had come forward sponsoring and helping the school and the kids. God has been greatly magnanimous in sprinkling kind-hearted people all over the place and almost in the right places too. This is some design!!!
I can always hear my mom let out a sigh of relief and cry a bit, whenever she talks about us. Being a big family, the last few of us were really unwanted. So, in the first trimester, our mom had tried her best home remedies to get rid of us, but we being we, stubborn even as an embryo, refused to be eliminated. And then, she says it was a very painful time for her for the next 6 months thinking whether we will be out as a full baby, physically and mentally. She was always scared that her misadventures would result in some handicap in us. Mercifully it was not to be.
Now I thank God, just for letting us live in this planet with no disabilities, leave alone money, fame and happiness.
2 comments:
The influence of Paulo Coelho is distinctly evident...though not takinmg anything from the originality and heart-felt sentiments!!
I once had this practise of visiting Missionaries Of Charity Orphanage with a group of friends back in Bhubaneswar- we did it regularly twice a month. And the sheer delight and the smiles and laughter from those children when we played wth them still helps me save mine. I was probably too conscious of doing sumthing noble for it to be a noble act-- but looking back, its probably the best thing i ever did to myself!!!
You are right. Mostly we think we give, but on hindsight we will realise that we only get more than giving.
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