Betterment.
I found her when I was lost in thoughts about solving the problems of the world.
What if we lived in a world where people genuinely did good deeds without expecting anything in return?
A man walks on the footpath. He sees another man treading in the opposite direction. He gives way, but he does it without expecting any sort of acknowledgement in return. He thinks it's simply a good gesture to make life easier. How beautiful and soulful would it be if everyone had the same attitude?
A man runs fast to catch a train during rush hour. He stops abruptly upon seeing a small pile of plastic litter on the path. He makes time to pick them voluntarily, chucks them in the trash-bin and ends up missing the train. However he doesn't curse or make a tantrum. Instead he patiently waits for the next train. He runs late the next day as well, to catch the same train but sees scattered rubbish at the same spot. And he voluntarily chucks it in the bin once again without complaining. What a beautiful world would it be if everyone had the same attitude!
Sometimes I sit in the chair with a hot coffee next to me and wonder if there is a quick fix to violence and hatred around the world. What if I found a way to change everyone's attitude towards life? What if I had the powers of God (pretending/presuming God exists), or at least a trace of God's power in my hands? I would travel around the world in a jiffy and change everyone's life with a single touch - a single touch that would change our attitude towards life. However on a second thought, there are needy people in various parts of the world, barely surviving with little to no food. Maybe, I'd offer them food at first and then worry about changing their attitude towards life.
With so much miseries surrounding us and keeping us occupied, how am I going to make this world a better place? Diseases, famine, natural disasters, accidents, pollution, poverty, murderers, trouble-makers, exploiters, fake-believers, blind-believers etc. The ever-growing list of miseries and its sources, only gets too long to comprehend.
However there is a four letter word that has the power to trigger a change, to start with, before getting into the fixing part. And the word is HOPE.
What's wrong in hoping to have a better life? What's wrong in hoping to make a better world? Hope needn't always be the driving force. However this one little seedling, when sowed in the right mind can change our future. Am I right? I'm open to being wrong as well. So please correct me if my theory is incorrect.
Just like every day I woke up on that day as well. The only difference was that it was Valentine's Day. Not bothered about February the 14th, I sat in the same chair, my usual idea-corner, with a mug filled with hot coffee next to me, and started brainstorming about solutions for world peace. Two hours passed without a single light bulb moment. Tired of it I parked my thoughts on worldly sorrows and decided to go for a walk.
A long walk that was. And by the end of it I was exhausted and decided to take refuge under the thicket of an oak tree next to an empty meadow. The COVID-19 restrictions allowed me to go for outdoor walks but didn't give me the luxury to relax or sleep on the grass outside. I did it anyway - one of the best decisions in my life.
I was lying on the ground and suddenly I heard a cracker of a snigger. I panicked at first but soon realized it was a girl. She was secretly having a small picnic with her niece, sitting behind the not-so-easily-noticeable shrubs. "Do you wanna join us?", she asked me. I didn't hesitate. I went with the flow and said yes, with a big embarrassing grin on my face. She was an absolute delight. Her jokes were silly but she made me laugh the whole time. The warmth of her friendliness, not to mention her stunning beauty melted me. I was gawking at her the whole time.
Two days later, we met once again at the same hidden spot, but only the two of us. She cleverly skipped on her niece. I bought her a fine bottle of Merlot after learning about her fondness for wine. And later that evening we kissed.
Sometimes we can't change the world. And that's okay. Sometimes we have to accept the world as it is. It's alright to forget about the sorrows of the world. Everything changes when one falls in love.
We had the best time together. In the blink of an eye twenty years passed. My affection for her never fell short even after all those years together. And then, on one unfortunate morning she died in a car crash.
Now I'm sitting in the same chair next to the window. Sitting next to me on the side-table is a glass of Merlot. It reminds me of her.
I can't fix all the problems around me but I'm hoping that things will change someday. I'm hoping that someone, somewhere, will soon find a solution to the worldly sufferings.
In the meantime, I'm grateful to all the love I've received in my life. And I'll make sure to pass my love and respect to everyone around me, with no holding back. THAT, is something that I can do for the betterment of humanity.
About the Creator
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