JULY 2019 | GLIMPSE | 73existence, the feelings of hurt got
diluted in the whirlwind of life and the
unanswered question, “how could they
not help?” was soon buried underneath
other questions that life posed. Like a
seed that seems forgotten but is slowly
germinating underneath, I came face
to face with this question again, totally
unexpectedly. I was staring into the
face of eighty year old Akina, tired
from the twenty year old battle with
cancer and her helpless grandchild's
appeal for help. Something stirred or
didn’t? Frankly, I wasn't sure how I felt.
A closer scrutiny of the picture by my
'more technology savvy' brother bought
something new to light. “It's a shame!
This image is morphed. It's a money
making racket!” explained my brother
highlighting how the image did not fit
in.
And that's when I answered my own
question. I did not help out because I
was not sure about the authenticity of
the situation and I did not want to be a
victim of fleecing.
Which brings me to the core of this
piece; when certain sections go against
the very basics of ethical living, the
brunt is borne by everyone alike. So just
when people begin to pose their faith
in the goodness and open their hearts
to giving, along comes and incident
that shows the darker side of human
existence and in we go! Into our shells
of 'non giving' comfort zone.
Scroll through your Facebook and
you come across at least two posts every
day. A child laid up in a hospital bed,
with just two months to live. A fragile
ninety year old who has no money for
medicine or food. A helpless mother,
who awaits financial help to undergo
a lifesaving heart surgery. Some facts,
some fiction but everything diluted,
everything a blur, all love lost.
Can we draw the line anywhere? Is
there somewhere where we will stop?
Do the heart wrenching pictures posted
to move our hearts not make the fingers
posting them shiver with guilt? Treat
this piece as an appeal to stop garnering
money by posting untrue stories and
images to let the genuine ones get a true
shot at life...
But as an evolved mind today, I pose
the question inwards. For how long will
I scan the images and wait to discover
the authenticity of the cries for help.
For how long will I mull over every post
and spend the next three days dangling
between possible guilt and retaliatory
defensive arguments questioning the
authenticity of these “help requests”? As
I discovered, I'm the one losing out in
the bargain between the head and the
heart and I'm sure I'm not alone facing
this tussle!
I can either go out and be the
unaware fool and keep stressing over it
for the next three months. Or I can be
the defensive one, scared to shell out a
dime and let guilt take over till the head
reasons its out.
Stretching the limitless mind, I've
decided to take the mid path. I've
chosen to go with my gut, my inner
instinct. There are posts that I respond
to, there are posts that I choose to
ignore. Sometimes I reach out to every
appeal, sometimes I turn a blind eye
to every want for help. There are some
hits and some misses. While I'm very
sure my help has reached someone in
genuine need, I'm equally sure someone
is laughing his way to the bank at the
cost of my 'feelings of empathy'.But I'm at peace today. I know
somewhere, someone has benefitted.
And for the ones inclined to “want” to
know, I need to tell them I know the
universe is not judging me. It's notjudging me on the basis of where my
help lands, it's judging me on the basis
of where my help originates from. The
help MAY land in unscrupulous hands,
but it definitely originates in a pure
heart. And help extended from purity
of thoughts, will ultimately find the
intended recipient. Let Karma chart its
own course, let not the unscrupulous
posts deter us from our actions. Let
them not curb our desire to reach out.
Let not the head rule, nor the heart.
Let guidance guide you and do your
bit and sit back and relax, knowing that
those who need help, will find it this
New Year, bring in the Power of Giving.
You'll feel good you did it!GLIMPSE EYEGText :Shibani Verma