BLOG: Love is our only hope!
Los Angeles : One fine day I hopped on a metro for a long ride and took a sigh of relief after finding a corner seat, but suddenly a foul smell struck me. Then I noticed there was another passenger sitting near me, who was sick and had these ‘big feet’; probably he was suffering from a leg disorder or some ailment but what caught my attention and hurt me was the manner in which the fellow passengers were treating him. Almost one side of the coach was empty, but that is OK and acceptable, but what is not is the manner they treated him, made faces at him and hurled abuses at him. I apparently was the one sitting closest but it churned my heart to see his condition. Once again I met him during my return journey and found the same demeanor of fellow passengers leaving one lady who chose to put a cloth on her face but had sympathy in her eyes.
I live in North Hollywood and see such incidents happening daily. People today have lost their touch of sympathy. I understand we all are busy in our daily lives and nobody expects one to go out of length and breadth of their characters but one simple show of concern can do wonders, and as humans, one can at least expect sympathy if not pity.
But, humanity seems to be a lost cause today. We talk about gender discrimination, women’s show of strength and solidarity, racist happenings but do we remember charity begins at home. If we cannot have a sad expression or tears in our heart, when we see somebody in pain, how can we talk about worldly issues with passion and fervor or is everything limited to social media nowadays- ‘Tweet politics and retweet anger’, but fail to show that anger in our day to day lives when people are brutally treated on streets.
I am new to the United States and really admire how confidently people ask for their rights here and are courteous on roads but such incidents make me question about the shallowness of our hearts. If we can’t treat a suffering man with respect, our love for those who are capable and strong is really questionable. But is that really LOVE?
Have you ever wondered, what if one day you turn out to be in the same position and people treat you similarly, how will you adjust to that? Show of love and compassion is the basic right of a human being and nobody, I repeat nobody has the right to snatch that away. It is equally cruel, horrific and unjust.
We talk about change, propagate agendas against people who are obnoxious and treat others with disrespect, claim that the world is going upside down and people turning miserable because they have lost faith, hope, and mutual love. But we do forget that one sets a precedent only with the way he/she treats its neighbor or stranger.
Hailing from the land of Vedas (India), I strongly believe in the essence of Karma. ‘What goes around, comes around’ i.e. what you do to others, comes back in good or evil form to you. It is just how you reciprocate, it is just one small step that makes all the difference in the world. So take that step now, because love is our only hope in times of crisis.
Why restrict our love to only our near and dear ones when we can spread the wings of hope by loving all equally? Stay happy and blessed.
(The writer has been living in Los Angeles for the past 1 year and is a regular contributor to Newsheads.)
