ROMM - Making a Difference !

The withdrawl of high speed cable services for 2 hours in our neighbourhood by Adelphia left me totally crippled, and cursing their lack of infrastructure and technology. I couldnt imagine myself living without internet for 2 hours - what good is a Laptop if it ain't connected to broadband network ! As I sat there staring at the 14" LCD and ranting, and desperately trying to connect to a network which had ceased to exist, I realised the futility of the entire exercise and flinged the laptop away.

And then as I sat there with nothing to do, my memory jogged back 6 months, to the time when I was in the city of Madurai doing a project visit for the Association for India's Development ( AID - a non-profit charity organisation). The project involved developing an alternate livelihood for 10 out of trade sex workers - out of trade cause they were affected by sexual problems, and could no longer carry on with their profession. These women, earning less than 1$ a day were grappling with problems like severe health problems, raising a kid on a pittance, exploitation by people around, and an alcohol abusing husband. At work they were pitted against corrupt government officials, disrespectful community members etc. Their efforts to start their new enterprise away from the flesh trade, were being thwarted by absence of water supply, intermittent power and lack of work space. Admidst all these hardships they still managed a big smile and seemed to be really hopeful about the improvement in their life that their new endeavours would beget.

In the light of these memories, my complaint for absence of a broadband network for 2 hours seemed totally unreasonable. Instead of appreciating the good fortune of being endowed with things which more than 80% in the world do not possess, I was sitting here and complaining about trivial matters. As I thought harder I found some of my complaints like a low mileage car ( 16 mpg) or not possessing a girl friend seemed totally baseless in the larger scheme of things in this world. Had I been so immersed in propogating my own good, that I had taken all the things that I possess for granted ? A small mistake and I could have so easily been the kid born in the slum neighbourhood surrounding Madurai eating out of garbage cans or for that matter fighting for a morsel of a bread in some war torn middle eastern nation as landmines blew up behind me

As I reflected back on this and many other such things in life, I began to feel happy and contended for my current state of life - but at the same time a deep sense of helplesness overcame by me. A sudden urge to make a difference to the world gripped me. I realised that it might be as small as feeding a hungry dog at the corner of the street or it might be something monumental like the works of St. Theresa. It need not be necessarily be charity and need not directly involve people. Thomas Edison, Bill Gates, Sachin Tendulkar all have made difference to this world. Probably their aim was just to become rich and famous, but in the final run they have significantly contributed to people around them and served as a source of motivation and inspiration.

I neither have the heart nor the talent to dream as big as any of these inspirational people. But 50 years from now, if I can look back at my life and proudly say that I made a difference to the life of atleast 1 person in this world, then that would be the day that I would be ready to die happily. But until that happens I am ready to wait........how about you ?

(.......fortunately Adelphia restored its services soon which allowed me to post this blog)