A lesson in Gratitude

As its eyelids started drooping, the day’s garish eye was beginning to mellow. I had just stepped out, my camera in tow, for my date with the evening. The sky’s royal hue was inviting and the breeze was starting to rustle the leaves slightly. My feet picked up pace and I was approaching the near 90-degrees bend in the street. The tea vendor’s stall on wheels stood at the corner surrounded with its usual, not so well-off crowd.

As I was just nearing the strong aromas of crushed tea leaves in bubbling liquid, my eyes came upon a middle-aged man in tattered clothes and a filthy hat covering a matt of unwashed, dusty hair.  Slow, non-deliberate movements and an eery sense of detachment from the immediate, surrounded him. I saw his hand reach into his pocket and suddenly out spilt his clutch of money. Coins ran and settled in spots across the road and two or three currency notes fell down, with a pace tad slower. I picked up whatever I saw and gave it to him. He gave me a sweet smile in return and softly thanked me.

Meanwhile, a bunch of 3 teenage boys found the whole thing quite amusing and started joking and laughing at the man’s expense. The man towards ‘em and what he did next stunned me. He went to them, smiled broadly and said, in broken English, something to this effect – “Thank you…thank you. At least someone noticed me. I am a forgotten person. No one sees or hears. I’m happy you see me. Thank you!” The boys went quiet; an uneasy guilt lurked in their eyes. The import of his words hit me too and i just stood looking at the man as he gave em one last smile, joined his hands and started to leave.

I had so much, yet had so little. I had so little, yet it never seemed to end.

The tea vendor said something in Kannada and offered a cup of tea to the man. He accepted it graciously, said another thank you and melted into the growing darkness. The forgotten person I’ll never forget…

The song for today is a one i've heard recently and something about the ticky, slow music makes me wanna go back to it over and over - "House of cards" by Radiohead... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nTFjVm9sTQ