Tick Tock Tick Tock.
Time is moving slowly
Tick Tock Tick Tock.
Time is sailing further away
Tick… I am Bored
Tock…. I am still bored.
Birds, weather, landing gear crappy..who know?
But for some reason… my flight at ‘Tick’,
Doesn’t even come for ‘Tock’
Tick… I open my book
Tock….I don’t wanna read it.
Tick…. A plane lands.
Tock…..Not my flight.
Tick…… I look at my watch
Tock……Only a minute gone
I can’t count ticks and tocks in 40 minutes
But I realize there are 2400 of them.
Tick … I see a pretty girl
Tock…..I see her beefy boy friend
Tick…. I order coffee.
Tock…..I order another.
Tick ….. I get an SMS
Tock……I get another bloody one.
The time kept ticking away
Till all seemed rather surreal.
Then the fight landed!
Monday, March 9, 2009
I HELPED!
Most of us have really pumped up opinions of ourselves. We have images and notions in our end about how we would act in face of certain situations. We imagine ourselves fighting off a mugger, intimidating an eve teaser, saving some one from a fire or some other danger. I dream and have notions of myself about such stuff. I assume most of us do. Most of us pass our lives never getting an opportunity to test it out. But a recent experience made me wonder. Is it that we don’t get chances or that we do but we fail to meet the expectations of our notions or worse we decide to not recognize such opportunity due to the inconvenience it causes us. I fear it is the last.
I believe people do the latter cos they are sure if they do recognize they will end up proving their notions wrong. So rather than face such truths, people rather act as if particular situations don’t meet their specifics. They console themselves that a particular situation can be ignored as it doesn’t rate the magnanimity of their time. Maybe I am being too harsh but the harshness is needed cos that is what probably will jolt people out of their false reality.
The incident which resulted in such reflection was simple. I was passing by the road to go to the laundry, where upon I cam across this female sprawled on the road. This road wasn’t deserted. For those who are familiar with the area, it was directly in front of a restaurant near lokandwala circle in kandivili. People are not gathering around her. They stand at what they believe safe distance and observe her. People like me pass by, see her, make a wide arc around her avoiding what I believe was some aura she was emitting. To summarize what was happening, it was walk, stare, avoid, stare some more and walk away.
Sadly to say, this is what I did initially, I saw her, walked by her, stopped and stared and walked away. All this while I was convincing myself like all the others who passed by with excuses. “It is the police or municipalities job”, “probably a drunk”, “some one must have called the police already”, “maybe she is dead already, shouldn’t get involved”. Telling myself these seemingly valid excuses, I continued down to the laundry. But due to a nagging conscience, I tried to pass the buck. I told the laundry guy that there is some woman sprawled on the road, she might need help. He took this news as I expected him to and answered as I expected “it is the municipalities’ job”. Then my mind started negating all excuses. If it’s the municipalities’ job, how do they know some is sprawled? How do I know for sure it is a drunk and if she is ok? How can I be so sure that some one might have called?
All these thoughts was churning on my return trip. I saw that the lady was still lying there. Then I decided to do something, I found the police emergency no and called it. Gave the description of situation and where she can be found. I waited in the general area until the police van came. They attended to her. I decided I should approach the cops and identify myself as the caller. They took down and my name and address. I wondered what the need of that is. There was a worry it would trouble me. But the biggest kicker of all in this situation was that the female was indeed drunk. My battle with my conscience was for some drunk.
But in the end I was happy. Even though late in reacting I did stand for something of what my notion of myself demanded. Of course I should have reacted faster and immediately. I am still ashamed that I had to convince myself into acting. But I least I am glad I acted.
I now wonder did the others who passed lost the same battle, or consoled themselves in the way I initially did or didn’t even bother to face such a battle and pushed it out of their minds
I ask those were not present there, what would you have done?
I believe people do the latter cos they are sure if they do recognize they will end up proving their notions wrong. So rather than face such truths, people rather act as if particular situations don’t meet their specifics. They console themselves that a particular situation can be ignored as it doesn’t rate the magnanimity of their time. Maybe I am being too harsh but the harshness is needed cos that is what probably will jolt people out of their false reality.
The incident which resulted in such reflection was simple. I was passing by the road to go to the laundry, where upon I cam across this female sprawled on the road. This road wasn’t deserted. For those who are familiar with the area, it was directly in front of a restaurant near lokandwala circle in kandivili. People are not gathering around her. They stand at what they believe safe distance and observe her. People like me pass by, see her, make a wide arc around her avoiding what I believe was some aura she was emitting. To summarize what was happening, it was walk, stare, avoid, stare some more and walk away.
Sadly to say, this is what I did initially, I saw her, walked by her, stopped and stared and walked away. All this while I was convincing myself like all the others who passed by with excuses. “It is the police or municipalities job”, “probably a drunk”, “some one must have called the police already”, “maybe she is dead already, shouldn’t get involved”. Telling myself these seemingly valid excuses, I continued down to the laundry. But due to a nagging conscience, I tried to pass the buck. I told the laundry guy that there is some woman sprawled on the road, she might need help. He took this news as I expected him to and answered as I expected “it is the municipalities’ job”. Then my mind started negating all excuses. If it’s the municipalities’ job, how do they know some is sprawled? How do I know for sure it is a drunk and if she is ok? How can I be so sure that some one might have called?
All these thoughts was churning on my return trip. I saw that the lady was still lying there. Then I decided to do something, I found the police emergency no and called it. Gave the description of situation and where she can be found. I waited in the general area until the police van came. They attended to her. I decided I should approach the cops and identify myself as the caller. They took down and my name and address. I wondered what the need of that is. There was a worry it would trouble me. But the biggest kicker of all in this situation was that the female was indeed drunk. My battle with my conscience was for some drunk.
But in the end I was happy. Even though late in reacting I did stand for something of what my notion of myself demanded. Of course I should have reacted faster and immediately. I am still ashamed that I had to convince myself into acting. But I least I am glad I acted.
I now wonder did the others who passed lost the same battle, or consoled themselves in the way I initially did or didn’t even bother to face such a battle and pushed it out of their minds
I ask those were not present there, what would you have done?
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