Questions & Quandries

In general, I tend to think a lot before making decisions. Nothing flashy about my decision making. There are some situations that make it even more difficult for me to act. Here are a few situations. I still have not figured out how to react under these situations.

SITUATION 1:

I see a child begging. My mind tells me not to give the child anything. It is like encouraging the child to beg. And, you never know whether the child will actually get the money. I’m sure you know what I mean. Watch ‘Naan Kadavul’ or ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ if you don’t.

However, me, being me, cannot bear to see a child begging. I cannot but drop a coin in his tiny palm. There is an urge to give, hoping that it might help the child.

But, between the heart and the mind, I’m more often than not, left stranded, and like most of us, do nothing.

SITUATION 2:

I see an old man/lady begging. I was brought up by my grandmother. I was pretty close to her and I was her favorite grandchild, among the 13 that she had. When I see an old person begging or struggling, I cannot but offer something. They always seem to find the softest corner of my heart.

But some of my friends tell me that there’s no point giving them anything. They’ve already lived their lives. Their argument is that the money or food that I offer them, may serve a starving child better. Hmmm.. Interesting! And I respond promptly. It doesn’t matter how they’ve lived their lives so far, with their end not far away, they deserve to live a decent life, however short it may be. Any being deserves that.

But the dilemma never ceases to leave my mind.

SITUATION 3:

I am looking for an auto rickshaw. There are none. There is a rickshaw waiting next to me – a pedal / human powered rickshaw. I know that he charges half the rate that an auto driver would charge me. I know that he probably gets less than half the customers that an auto driver would get. Maybe if I choose to ride with him, the trip would give him some hope or maybe support a better dinner for his family. I feel tempted.

However, I also know that it is quite inhuman to have a fellow human toil to move my bulky body from one place to another, while I rest and gaze at the stars.

What do I do? I have not managed to find an answer.

SITUATION 4:

This is a situation that I come across almost everyday. I eat at a place of my choice, which varies for almost every meal of the day. I give myself the luxury of sitting in an air conditioned restaurant and pay exorbitant cash for miniscule quantities of unhealthy junk food. I tip the waiter. I walk out with my stomach full and pockets empty.

When I get back on the road, I see a mother sitting under a tree with a baby tied to her body with a piece of cloth. She’s pleading for anything that could be offered to her. She has nothing to feed the baby. She stands there – bosoms parched and eyes drenched.

A chill runs down my spine. I’m overwhelmed by a feeling of insatiable guilt. I don’t think I need to explain what my dilemma is in this situation.

When I spend some time in solitude, searching for the purpose of my life, I feel lost. “What is the purpose of life?” – A question that a fellow student asked a big shot executive during an interaction with him during my college days. My friends and I used to have a great fun discussing how the question was put forth to a software executive who was talking about Six Thinking Hats. Now, here I stand, asking myself the same question. And still looking for an answer.

I believe that I would have taken a positive step towards the answer once I manage to find the solution to my moral, and seemingly immortal dilemmas..