Life has so much to teach us that sometimes it becomes difficult to judge if there is anything else other than learning in life. Today I saw astounding qualities in supposedly the two lesser beings of our society, the poor humans and the poor animals.
The first picture shows a dog I met today on my morning walk. I had accidentally strolled farther than usual and saw this dog with three legs. The front one had been amputated. I felt pity for the poor soul who was sitting there as seen in the picture. So I started thinking of ways of giving him a better life in some way. While I was doing that thinking I saw his friend come over and surprise him from behind. The two started playing as if this disability was some sort of intentional game they had devised. They played like normal dogs and I watched their happiness.
After a few minutes a man came with his pet dog and both these dogs greeted their canine and human friend with more zeal and happiness than before. The four now started playing. Clearly this man had saved this dog and was taking care of him on the street where this dog seemed more happy than it would be in a house as a “rescued” pet, as most of the animal activists would put it proudly. A few minutes of witnessing these moments of life full of love and happiness, taught me that this dog was the last person who need a better life inside a home just because he had a lesser limb. May be I did.
He also taught me how any situation no matter how hopeless had its happiness hidden somewhere which could be exploited.
But the learning was not enough for me, for the day, it seems. I walked a little further and met my second teacher for the day, this security guard.
I noticed the three dogs he was playing with and went up to him. I asked where he worked and why were these street dogs wearing collars and leashes. He told me that he worked as a night guard in one of the residential complexes near where I stay. So he took these 3 dogs with him to his place of work in the night and got them back in the day. But the surprising part was that he stayed on the pavement during the day and slept in the park. He was well mannered and belonged to a village in M.P. and had come here for work. His cleanliness clearly spoke highly of his etiquette s and background. He could sense that I was going to offer him a job or a place to stay and before I could utter the words he kind of warned me and explained in simple words that he was pretty happy doing what he was doing and how he was doing it. He didn’t need any help. He was happy with these dogs and his roadie life. He even told me the people he knew at the place of his work who had at many times offered him lots of things and how well connected he was and how many resources were at his disposal. I knew one of the doctors he mentioned and so knew he was speaking the truth.
So the messages I got this morning were clear – Not everyone is unhappy despite their condition. Some people choose to live a challenging albeit a simple life, because life is not about reaching goals all the time. And while they do that they keep meeting other species they teach and learn from, apart from sharing abundant and endless love, which is very precious even to God. The larger objective of living the life as it came by the day on its own, with no help but from nature/ God, was the most important part of living.
For the second time in an hour I realized, I needed more help & learning than that disabled dog or this homeless man. I also learned that not everyone looking in need to you is actually so or vice-versa.
Cheers to their love, valor and faith.
