Learning a lesson in humility
You know how..we go through life always being told to count our blessings, seeing bare-footed people when our own shoes are torn, peering deeper into the character of people and appreciating their goodness rather than criticising their bad points..yada yada..I've been through it. Honestly..some of these moral science lessons used to get to me. Why can't I just do what I want? Openly smack people in the face, shout at them, scream and give 'em a piece of my mind? Afterall, I've also been taught that honesty is the best policy. If I haven't liked the behaviour of a certain someone..can't I just let them know..instead of cursing them under my breath..what good lies in pretending, yeah?!

But it was a few years from now that I had one of the most profound lessons in humility, on this count...it dates back to our times in Mumbai...

Now...the thing about living in a condo is that whether you like it or not..you always find yourself with neighbours..and in India neighbours are usually nosy sorry..sociable...and there's a mutual give and take. So we were kinda used to it..but there was this lady in the condo who dunno for what reason had a major thing against me. Her behaviour was most rude. In the begining, I tried being respectful (she was my mom's age) and greeting her in lifts and taking stuff for her on my mother's request. But everytime she gave me a very cold look and kinda turned away..as though I was harming/hurting her in some way. I hadn't encountered such behaviour before and my reaction wasn't the most mature either. Payback time aunty...

So I adamantly refused to have to do anything with that lady, gave her the total cold shoulder and made it more than pronounced that if you aren't gonna respect me..I ain't gonna respect you either..period. I think she got the hint. Went and asked my mother...whats with Meghaa...something I did didn't go down well with her? Ya right...using my mother's bait..conniving old lady.. Unfortunately it worked and mom decided to question me...that was like virtually unknown...what the hell...why was my mother listening to that lady. Nevertheless...I was told to apologise...so after procrastinating and thinking for days..I decided to go over and apologise and come back within minutes to switch on the TV and watch any crap to forget the shrug-replete moment.

Trust me..going over cleared a lot of dust. The lady didn't really harbour any dislike for me...just that I always reminded her of her son! Before you get thinking otherwise..actually..she had a son who was my age...but thanks to a developmental disorder at birth he did not grow much older and his mental and physical growth ended at 7 years...and now the guy was nearly going to die..even as I write I think he may just be....Life-cycles aren't the same for everyone...Indeed..one look and you could tell the pain she felt..the fella was 17..but his faculties were 7..He had a mature looking face but the rest of him was on a pram...his body was so fragile he couldn't really support himself. I just stared..and stared...and stared..in disbelief..After that day..I couldn't bring myself to say anything about that lady. Sometimes..we can't just touch upon the pain others feel.

I made friends with the chap..it was very wierd...coz it almost felt like playing with an adult-baby. Applied psychology used like never before....He liked to play with G.I Joes and toy cars. He also liked going out and his care-taker and I would take him out, he would hold both our hands and walk..step..by step.

Somewhere in the wierdness, I could feel her pain..and it humbled me to know however I was/am...God has atleast been kind enough in giving me what I have. Sometimes we take for granted the simplest of things and humility is nothing but appreciating just those.