The above photographs taken during a visit to a holiday home, a random collection of sights, provisions and events, tell us about the way a holiday place is conditioned by the planners, to give people an experience of relaxation and change from the routine! As I walked around the ten acre property, I came across a worker who was diligent in doing what was entrusted to him.
During the COVID-19 season he returned from Dubai, having lost his job. From being a technician in a factory overseeing machine maintenance, he ended up in this holiday home doing the job of maintaining the water bodies in the resort, Most of his time was spent in keeping the swimming pools well and ready for use. He is trying to get a job overseas and is waiting for his visa.
While he was here his father died and his mother was not coping with that loss even after two years. His house is in a shabby situation needing repair. He has no one to take care of this mother.
During this conversation, he choked a few times and recomposed himself. He is yet to be married and is postponing it till he can attend to the domestic compulsions.
What made this conversation difficult for me to endure, was his confession of the travails and woes of few other workers, who take care of the facility. All of them are indebted to the banks, from where they took loans to study or build houses. The cost of living has gone up. Most of them are single earning members in their families. Some of them drown their sorrow and grief with pegs of alcohol in the evenings!
I was in a holiday home where the workers provide opportunity for the guests to feel at home and relax. The story of those who work in this place was one of stress, strain and storm in their lives.
This is the paradox of our social setting. The social and welfare climate in India (India will be known as Bharath according to the recent uprising in some quarters in the ruling party) is favouring those who have to acquire more. Those who live in the margins are still at the subsistence level. From being a socialistic democratic country, the drift is towards becoming a capitalistic autocracy.
The statements of Jesus of Nazareth, 'You are the salt of the earth' and 'you are the light of the world' come to me with an inner resonance. I feel disturbed and withdraw, not knowing how to feel the pain of people around us, as the little one can do is not enough to make a difference. To be able to see that, small acts of kindness is the starting point towards a train of events of change in someone's life needs trust and hope.
The act of kindness of a boy, who gave his meal packet of five loaves and two fish to Jesus of Nazareth, when about five thousand people were hungry, got multiplied to feed all of them with surplus left over, after Jesus blessed the gift of the boy (John6: 1-14).
I realised that we can reach out only with small acts of kindness towards those who are in need!
Sometimes one feels that 'small is not large enough' and stop doing the small acts of kindness, which is in our scope.
Listening to the person in the resort on three occasions was all that I could do on that occasion. His farewell to me was, 'Thank you for listening to me. It is the first time I was able to tell something about my life, since I came to work here for two years ago'! That too was a surprise to me!
We live among people who are longing to be heard!
That is where one can begin to show forth mindfulness! I confess that listening to him happened incidentally! I had not planned it to happen. So I too remain surprised at this encounter experience!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
No comments:
Post a Comment