Every incident in our life has some
message, if only we have the patience to
observe and imbibe! Recently, I was
travelling by a public transport bus.
At a stop, a bunch of blind people got
into the bus and one of them, a slim and
fair lady, aged about 30 years sat next
to me.
I felt curious and asked her, ‘Are you
all from some institution?’ with
hesitation, because we always imagine
blind people staying together in some
institution! ‘No, madam! We live in
Electronic City. That’s my husband and
those two boys are our children. The
other fat lady sitting on the left seat
is my friend, who too lives near our
house. That’s her husband and the other
two boys are her children. We came
visiting our friend who lives here in
Yelahanka, as today is a holiday’, said
the lady. Electronic City is situated
35 kms away from Yelahanka and I was
stunned to hear that four blind people
have travelled all the way with their
four naughty children by buses.
The lady caught the curiosity in my
voice and continued, ‘Our friend who
lives in Yelahanka and her husband too
are blind. We were all classmates in
Ramana Maharishi School for the
Blind.’.
‘Since both of you are blind, how do
you manage your home?’
‘We are like any of you Madam. I wake
up, cook food for my family, get ready
and set off to work along with my
husband to a garment factory’, said she
confidently.
‘Do you cook on a gas stove?’
‘My friend has a gas stove. I use a
kerosene stove’.
‘Is it not risky filling the tank and
using a kerosene stove?’
‘It is as risky for us as it is for you.
We have the extra-sensory power which
can tell us when the tank is full. I
then lift the stove and check the
weight. That’s it.’
With all senses in perfect order, we
make so many mistakes everyday like we
let the milk overflow, we forget to
switch off the water pump and let the
tank overflow, we burn our fingers while
cooking, we fall, we drop things, we
bang our heads, etc. Whereas, here is a
blind woman confidently telling me how
blind people lead normal lives like we
do (or rather more normal than we do!).
She said how her parents and parents-in-
law are very happy that they are well
settled and managing their lives
successfully.
So, what it is it that is required to
lead a successful life? That fillip is
missing in many normal people, who keep
complaining about so many things that
are preventing them from achieving their
goals!
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