In a recent Basic of Business English class i had to attend a couple of days ago , we were asked to write on the topic "Knowledge or Money - which holds more importance in today's world " . I had come up with something like ... Knowledge is a pushing force .... making us strive to better our individual selves while money has a pulling power...constantly attracting us with its universal appeal,charm and unnerving passion.
Obviously, both hold paramount importance in our daily lives.... and with the amount of great looking women around here (mysore Infy ) going around with ugly guys with diamond earrings and guys who are "technically stimulating"...... it would be hard to bet against it.
While,i agree with the above which is a fact of life and i don't hold it against anyone for trying to leverage their assets to the fullest.... I visited a place yesterday which made me realize there is something more important than either.
Karunya Maane ,on Bogado road , a 7 km drive from the campus , is a two storied orphanage. I admit, my intentions for visiting the place was both to have a new learning experience as well as to meet some good looking girls on the trip as well. As i lack on both of the above qualities of knowledge and money to impress the opposite sex.
Once there , i forgot about all the crap which usually goes through my head. As the spirited prayer song of about 50 orphaned kids filled the room i was humbled by their passion for life.I felt like crying for being so weak.... the way i crib and whine and pull/think shit all day long ,when , there are these kids having nothing and yet so brave... so brave.
It was a really wonderful experience to play with these kids ...and even though i couldn't understand a word that they were saying ,sometimes the universal language of fun and love is all one needs to connect with people.
There were these double bunk beds, and the kids wanted us to place them on the top bunkers . Some of them wanted to climb on my shoulders and witness the world from there. Some were just happy reciting poems and getting into a playful fight with this stranger. So there we were ... about 30-40 , 20 somethings having a ball in a small room with 50 kids for a couple of hours.It was beautiful,simple, innocent,fun and wonderful in a way "normal" life can't explain.
When we came out of the room and it was time to leave, the kids kept pulling us to the balcony to point to an open sky. There... across the green expanse of wet,open fields .. was stretched the most complete exotic rainbow i have ever seen.
It was a perfect end to a perfect day. No matter how important money or knowledge will ever be ...it can never replace the primary reason for our existence .... Love makes all the difference.
*****************************
p.s - cynics please excuse.