Random Musings

Most times, it is easy to imagine what motivates a person, why do you see someone working so hard, why is he going the extra mile. Often it can be the lure of money, or of recognition, of growth in an organisation, etc. And then you see sometimes, persons acting in a way that makes you wonder. What is it that is driving them? You come across such persons often, in every day life. When you notice them and realise suddenly, that they are doing what they are for seemingly no personal motive, it staggers you. What is it that makes them do this? And most times, the question remains unanswered.

Let me share with you two persons of this kind that I saw in recent days. Both have left an impact on me.

The first one was while we were on holiday to a South India hill station, Coorg. We were taken for a walk of the plantations and amongst other things, we were shown some really huge trees, that would fetch a price of around Rs. 25,000 for the wood they deliver, but which take nearly 20-25 years to come to that level.
This we saw and learnt from the guide.
And as we walked around, sometime later, we came across the nursery, where the plants were being readied for new plantings. And here I saw a man, who must have been around 75 years of age at least. Sitting on his hunches and painstakingly, and very meticulously, getting the mix ready, putting it into plastic bags, for getting the plants ready to be planted. He was completely involved in his work, not bothering to look back at us, visitors. There were several ready bags that he had made and kept, and he had his task cut out for him as we could see a pile of the mix ready, to be put into the plastic bags. And he was going about that task so very diligently.

It was later that we were told that it was the same plant, that would take 20-25 years to blossom into a tree that would have some value attached to it, thereafter.

And here was a man, 75+ years old, who will never see his work take any kind of final shape, never see the baby mature to a full grown animal, and yet, nursing it with so much passion! Thinking about it now, still gives me the goosebumps. Here we all are, always thinking before taking up any task, as to how its going to benefit us, and when would we see such a benefit! Did he care?

What made him do it? Beats me.. !

Then there was another person that touched me thus.
As a Rotary Club, we have this project, where we work closely with the All Indian Institute of Physical Medicine and Research, and carry on activities to benefit the physically challenged and typically lower income category persons.
At one of the on-site meetings, for this project, we saw a few cases who had benefited from our club’s efforts. These were very young children coming from poor families. What came out of that visit, of course, is that our project has immensely benefited people, to the extent of changing their lives completely, for the better.

But beyond that, what also came out, was the dedicated efforts of the physiotherapists employed by us, and who worked with these patients. In a society where we see medical practitioners turn into business persons (not all, but many) and work with money as a motive, this was such a refreshing change. The therapists had to clearly go way beyond their scope of work, to work the miracles in the lives of these kids. And they had done so, with a smile, with tremendous dedication, with passion and with love. What for?
It was a job, at best. They were serving poor people who were unlikely to offer them anything more, except for their blessings and love. And yet, they put that effort. And changed the lives of the poor souls. These were not some retired persons with tons of savings stacked up, and who were working for the sake of fun. These were young doctors, at an early stage of their careers, still to make any decent kitty of savings for themselves.

What excellent work. In this materialistic age, such persons exist.

There is still hope for mankind… !