Strangers Paradise

Life's Lessons - Joseph Mattappally

Once I happened to hear a web joke. A middle aged man was searching ‘Google’ with these key words, `How to handle a wife?’ Soon came the search result, `Good day sir, Even we are searching`. Since long, I am in search of a solution to bring humans out from the culture of lie we live in. No search engines could figure out a link to a solution bank in this case. We are so double faced that we throw off a 100 Rupee bill to a hotel waiter, as if it is an insignificant figure in our life; but when it comes to a beggar, the same figure turns out to be a big amount to be disposed. This is not all; praying God for three minutes looks hard for us but never a three hours long, Hollywood movie. We do not offer a piece of bread to a hungry child, but will pay millions for a realistic painting of the same poor child. In every sphere of life we see this type of contradictions. If ever somebody is aware of this, the human style of solving problems is more or less like an addict giving up reading to avoid knowing about the damage liquors do.

There was a milkman who became very wealthy through dishonest means. He had to cross a river daily to reach the city where his customers lived. He mixed the water of the river generously with the milk that he sold for a good profit. One day he went around collecting the dues in order to celebrate the wedding of his son. With the large amount thus collected, he purchased plenty of rich clothes and glittering gold ornaments. But while crossing the river, the boat capsized and all his costly purchases were swallowed by the river. The milk vendor was speechless with grief. At that time he heard a voice that came from the river, “Do not weep. What you have lost is only the illicit gains you earned through cheating your customers.” This story reminds me that all ‘strangers’ in this strange world are destined to reap the fruits of the masks they wear every moment. People refuse to live ‘real’; that is the great tragedy of the times. If ever somebody does what he says and says what he thinks, he only deserves to be called a man; truly, it is such people who hold the universe and not the other way round. 

For more articles from Life's Lessons, kindly visit Indian Thoughts