Relativity...

Yesterday my morning started on a bad note. Oh the usual first-world problems, nothing particular. I thought, 'and there goes my day! why dear God, why it's always me?'. Typical no! So I came to the office in a foul mood and even the smooth taxi ride didn't cheer me up. I didn't want to be grumpy the whole day, but was difficult! And then it was time for the field visit for office work. 

It took us almost an hour to cover a distance of mere 5 km. I was sulking in the back seat of the car with some sad songs playing in my ear (haha!), cribbing in my mind about the horrible traffic, the cold and wasn't even able to enjoy the sea that was spread all along the road. Finally, we reached the destination. We were in a hospital where I was supposed to take  photos of a young Palestinian boy who recently had a liver transplant. The photos were necessary to show to the donor who had paid for half of the operation fees which amounted to some thousands of dollars. The moment I entered the hospital, all my so called chagrins disappeared. Not because I was happy to see a hospital but because I could see with my open eyes people who actually had problems. Some couldn't walk, didn't have enough clothes to protect themselves from the nasty cold winds and some were begging on the street... It was an eye-opener, a slap in my face. It was a signal to see the bigger picture and think bigger.  I was sad about something that wasn't even a real problem!  And here were these people with a smile on their faces even though they were suffering from the worst diseases possible. When I entered the room to see the patient with another colleague from office, I saw an extremely thin guy lying in the bed with his mom sitting at his head and watching TV. That sight shouted at me saying "see, even this guy who fought with death is smiling and what is wrong with you!". I pulled myself back, took the routine pictures and went back to the office with much needed positive vibes in my heart! 

Since I am here in Beirut working for the Palestinian refugees, my attitude towards life is getting more  realistic and I am more appreciative of the things around. I can't say that it's reassuring that there are people with worse problems than mine, but it gives me the energy to forget my petty worries. This power of relating is my new tool! At times, I write in the cover letters that 'coming from India I know the problems of a developing country and this can be an added asset' and (crap) things like that. Now come to think of it, I didn't quite know about that problem. When we visit the camps, schools and get to see some social life of these Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon, I understand that what I claimed I knew was just theory and the reality is way different and frightening. Comparing my problems like no electricity for three hours or no matching shoes etc. with the problems of Refugees must the most stupid comparison in the world, but it definitely gives me the will to continue and eventually a motivation to do something concrete for all these people so that one day will see a real bright day.

But eventually it's all about relativity and we can't forget that everybody's problems have their own place and importance!

I asked myself, "come on!! you have seen poor people in India, you never felt this intensely about the whole situation then?" Maybe I was too young to really understand the gravity of the problem and now that I am away from home, in a foreign land my observational skills are at their best. Maybe after living for three years in France, I have certain expectations from a 'foreign country' and Beirut terribly fails on those, that now I am seeing the same problems with a better and matured insight. However, there is a tinge of sadness in my heart that to understand the gravity of such problems I had to come so far away and couldn't really do much for my fellow citizens. But oh well like they say, it's better late than never!

And so, inshallah I'll be back in India soon!