Changing Our Stories
ServiceSpace
--Somik Raha
4 minute read
Jul 16, 2020

 

Last week's Awakin reading We Were Made for These Times invited us to reflect on the stories we want to amplify based on the world we want to live in. The comments in response were truly exquisite.

Ambika shared a remarkable story of a time she hired an autorickshaw whose driver was of a different religion than hers.

Let me share an incident that I participated in: It was a rainy day, very late iin to the night. Was standing at a bus stop waiting for some mode of transport. It is an auto stand too. Most of the drivers belonged to a particular minority religious community.They are looked at with suspicion by the large majority.

I went up to one of the auto's and asked if he would take me to my destination. It was evident that I did not belong to his religion by the looks of me. He asked me if I was not afraid to be ferried by him in such an inclement weather. I replied in the negative. He definitely looked impoverished as most of them did.

It was pouring cats and dogs and we chatted. I questioned him on his inquiry of his previous statement. He replied that it was how his community was looked at due to stray incidents reported by the media. We reached my destination. He charged me Rs 100. I handed the fare, thanked him and entered my home.

Little did I realize that in the dark I had handed him Rs 500. After a lapse of nearly ten days I happened to be at the same stop. This young chap, whom i had for gotten by then,walked up to me and introduced himself. Told me that on our previous ride I had paid him lots more by mistake . He handed the extra cash back to me.

Here was light amidst confusion, fear, suspicion, doubt and a myriad other base heavy emotions. I had made a choice to ride with him. He made his choice to return what did not right fully belong to him. There is only goodness every where. It is each of our lenses that requires constant cleaning. Choice of viewing the world with myopic vision or otherwise is a choice I have as much as we all do!
Sepli shared how he processed the devastating loss of his wife.
Sixteen years ago, my wife and the mother of our four children died. The children were 3, 8, 11 and 13. I was devastated and broken in so many ways that it is hard for me to remember this state of being. My brother sent me to the mountains to be alone while his family watched my children. I crossed the river, and climbed up the mountain in the middle of a creek with shorts and boots in freezing snowmelt water. I climbed straight up the mountain for a mile until my body collapsed in the gravel within a small pool of water near a small waterfall and in my mind I screamed at God, "I did not ask for this," and his echo reverberated back in the hinterland of my consciousness, "Yes you did."

When I returned to my children, I remembered what my mentor said: "It is impossible to feel sad, angry or depressed when we are truly thankful." So, I went to the seashore and began a "thank you" letter to my wife. "Thank you for knitting me this beautiful sweater." "Thank you for making us such healthy delicious food." "Thank you...." Fifteen pages later, my cup was overflowing with gratitude and thankfulness and I knew it that moment that I had been given a gift of such love for 17 years of my life that it was my OBLIGATION to give that back, even if I had to give it back to those others who were not the person who gave her love and life for me.
Jagdish shared how the choices we make shape our stories through the most difficult decision of his life:
One of the most difficult decisions I needed to make was about marrying someone whom I loved dearly. She came from a different caste, from an upper class, and from a different religion. I was the first person in my family to have an intercaste marriage. I followed the voice of my heart and faced whatever I had to face for making my choice. That was a big and bold step in my life. And that has laid a strong foundation for me for making right-wise- choices in my life.
There are several other comments too that are deeply insightful. It's another week of co-creating and amplifying wisdom thanks to our wonderful community of commenters.
 

Posted by Somik Raha on Jul 16, 2020