Ah...Woodchuck Gods...

Often I've sat and wondered why the Woodchuck Gods suddenly awoke to realize they wanted to take over the world. I mean, sure the world is in a pretty chaotic condition right now, and they sure haven't been worshiped by any carbon-based life forms that I know of, but why realize these facts after existing and evolving over millions of years? Yet I'm very sure the source of my worries is of absolutely no importance whatsoever, at least not at this precise moment.

The Woodchuck Gods never quite approved the exchange of tiny green pieces of paper for goods of real value. They always found it odd how humans tend to rely so much on these little sheets of paper that there was such a high percentage of them worrying about this trade. Some Homo sapiens even murdered or committed suicide over these tiny pieces of green paper. Now that the world was plunge into what was called an Economic Crisis, the Woodchuck Gods were left dumbstruck at the condition these so-called intelligent life forms brought upon themselves. So many people lost their jobs (what humans hate doing but must do to get these little green pieces of paper), and at such times finding this source of income was very difficult indeed.

The Woodchuck Gods often wondered why some carbon-based life forms had huge concrete/wood structures to sleep in, while others lived under a tin roof, or sometimes not even that. The Woodchuck Gods had always seen that their fellow Woodchucks were well off, and if ever one was in need of anything, many Woodchuck Gods were ready to lend a helping hand. Yet this world of humans was almost cruel. Tattered and torn younglings would go up to these men in suits, holding breifcases, and ask for a tiny share of those green pieces of paper, enough to buy them a meal, but they would always be turned down. Yet these humans in suits would gladly give a portion of their little green sheets of paper to fat men who transported them from one end of a road to another in yellow steel frames that had wheels. Oh the irony...

What struck them as even odder was the fact that most Homo sapiens had the time to hate other Homo sapiens on the basis of creed, class, color, religion, or even sexual orientation! The Woodchuck Gods never cared much if their fellow Woodchucks were dark furred or light furred, or whether they were the types who liked members of the same sex, or if one Woodchuck believed in UFOs and the other did not. The Woodchuck Gods always felt that there were more important ways to judge other Woodchucks, ways that didn't reek of prejudice. Woodchuck Gods believed in the equality of all Woodchucks. Yet humans killed each other because of these differences, they killed each other for no fault, for no reason, for no purpose other than hatred.

"Why do humans give so much importance to the unborn of their species when they happily kill animals capable of feeling?" wondered one of the Woodchuck Gods as he heard about protests against abortion. The Woodchuck Gods always believed that it was one's choice to agree with abortion or not, but protesting against it was a absolute stupidity, let the person in question decide whether it's wrong according to them or not. This went for so many other things, like banning stem cell research. Why stop the scientific progress of the world only because your views differ from someone elses? They say we have freedom of thought, freedom of speech, but the Woodchuck Gods realized that they were just silly phrases to cover up the fact that such things did not exist.

The human world is a complex place, full of contradictions everywhere. Unnecessary complexities add to the already burdensome life that these humans live. The Woodchuck Gods watched the birds fly, and they knew what freedom really is. That eagle soaring up in the sky symbolizes the freedom of thought, that nightingale singing its song in the night symbolizes the freedom of speech, and inbetween is nothing but true bliss. If ever the Woodchuck Gods wanted to take over the earth, it was because they wanted to see every living entity get the most out of this life they had been given, rather than wasting it away in sorrows and burdens with just an insignificant hint of what life really is.

Alas, will the world ever be free?

Another Dose of Poverty...

The woman was a sad sight, she was not exactly old but was bending, clad in an old sari. Her eyes seemed to be two pools of darkness, yet through the infinite depths of darkness you could still see a tiny sparkle. The man was in an even worse condition, quite old, toothless, he could hardly walk, and I noticed his hands were shaking. It seemed as if every movement he made was a form of suffering for him.

I went to the bank today with my friend. We had to withdraw some money, and my friend had lost his ATM card ages ago. I gave him my ATM card while I filled out the cash withdrawal slip for him. When he came back, I asked him the amount, and as I finished filling out the slip, a lady I recognized as one of the maids in my hostel, came to us and asked me to fill out the slip for her. She seemed so helpless and unsure about whether we would help her or not. She gave us a booklet which had her details and told us she has to withdraw a thousand rupees. I passed it on to my friend, as I was never very fluent with Hindi, and I did not want to make a mistake. Then she had to sign, so she went and got an ink pad and put her thumb print as her signature on three different spots. She was illiterate.

Then the old man came, looking even more unsure of himself, and meekly asked us if we would fill his too. I had seen him earlier while waiting for my friend, the man was having difficulty tearing out a slip from the stack, and when he got it, he walked out the bank (probably in search of someone who could help him fill it). He had to withdraw two hundred rupees. He kept telling us his details, unsure about whether my friend filled it our properly or not. He could not speak very properly. When it came to signing his signature, he took the slip and walked out the bank again. By then I was feeling really depressed, and to make it worse my friend turned to me and said, "It's really sad. I've lent that man a hundred rupees before, I think he drinks a lot though."

My friend got up to withdraw his money, and I sat there watching everyone in the bank, especially the woman and the old man. I felt like crying.

When I got back to my room, I did cry (I do not mean to be dramatic or anything, but these things make me really sad).

I understand we have come here to study, we are here to get a job or go for higher studies, earn a lot of money, get a few cars, buy a house, support our family, but is that really all that life is about? There's so much poverty, so much illiteracy in this world, in our own college, yet I hardly ever see anyone giving a damn about it. I am not even a good person, but still I notice these people around us, living in animal-like conditions. All you good people out there, what has happened to you? Why do you miss these things when you go places? Why do you miss seeing the kids working in our mess? Why do you not notice those kids at the crossing who do not go to school? Why is it that you see the old working and care not for their heavy burden? Why is it that no one thinks that everyone deserves an equal opportunity to live? Have you ever given candy to a poor child and seen their face light up?

There's more to life than just success, money, and fame. As the literate lucky of this society, I think we should take it up as a responsibility to look after the less fortunate. Everyone deserves a chance to live life.

How I Know the World is Going to the Dogs...or Worse

A lot of things have happened lately, or I have gotten to know about, that makes me stop and wonder what is wrong with people? It's actually sad that the future of this country, heck this whole world, lies in the hands of some of the people I've come across in the last three years. (Do note that I'm not saying I'm a good person and everyone else is bad, I know what kind of a person I am, and I'm not proud of it, but at least I do have that basic sense of humanity.)

I know this girl who was very good friends with a couple of other girls, and one day she just told them that she cannot be friends with them because they don't study well enough and that she cannot just waste away her future for people like that. I never knew that grades were a criteria on the basis of which one became friends with someone, and if this is a new trend, I'm not going to be a part of it because I think it's very wrong to judge people in such a manner when making friends. It's almost like saying you're making friends to use them and nothing more. (Again I do say I'm no saint, I've had my share of prejudices against certain people, but I have realized that you should never judge anyone without getting to know them first, and I have learned from it as well.)

This is an issue I have no right to comment about, but still will, because it actually scares me sometimes. The other day I saw some guy advertising "Rape Porn Downloaded" on DC++ (college LAN). I have no issues with what guys do, it's their life, if that's what they like to do, then so be it. I just cannot swallow the fact that some guys can watch a girl get raped and not feel sympathy for the girl and disgust for the people who are doing it. The guys who watch stuff like this are the ones that will go out into the real world with good jobs, find themselves a nice girl, and settle down with her. It may not even affect their lives in any way, but if people can watch a girl get raped and enjoy it then I'm sorry but I can never think of them as good no matter how educated they are, no matter how smart they are.

Remember that story about the goose that would lay one golden egg everyday, and how the greedy man who owned the egg killed the goose and cut open its stomach thinking he'd find many golden eggs? I've seen it happen in real life, though not out of greed, maybe jealousy, maybe pure fun? I won't go into details here though for at least with respect to my class it's understood.

I made the mistake of thinking that everyone one will be as good as my friends back in school and listen to you when you're sad and really be there for you in the middle of a crisis. I made the mistake of thinking that I could do that with people here, and I got nothing in return. People don't even take the time out to listen to someone who is distressed. When I came home and I met one of my school friends, I realized how much she was there for me when I needed to just talk. She just listened to what I had to say, and that's all I wanted from people around me in college. I was seriously a fool to think everyone cares, because frankly speaking very few do.

The worst is an incident I cannot directly talk about, but I'll tell you it's a very serious incident. Fine whatever happened couldn't be avoided, but just know this much, the girl who was at the center of this incident will be haunted by it for the rest of her life. Her best friend knew about what was happening, yet still didn't tell anyone about it. When it did come out, this best friend betrayed her, while two girls who had fought with this girl a couple of years ago were the ones who stood up for her and did something about it. When they asked for help, no one got up to help, everyone just laughed about it and left. When anyone is in trouble, you're supposed to help them out, not crack jokes about it, not leave them to deal with it on their own, especially if in desperation they've even asked for help. I'm convinced that even if someone lies dying in our college, no one would get up to help them, not one soul.

People don't know how to mind their own business, they have all the time in the world to sit and gossip and say bad things about others. People have all the time to sit and notice how a girl and a guy are sitting in the canteen (best part is they are a couple), they have all the time to make up stories about how a girl and a guy who study together are committed (they're just study partners), they have all the time in the world to talk nonsense about the rest of the world (they should take a look in the mirror), but when they are supposed to mind someone else's business, they aren't around. When someone needs help then people get up and leave, the same people who would show up first in someone's room to hear the latest news. Why do people have this kind of attitude? Ask these people for advice and all they'll say is they cannot help you. Why?

It's like people do not have any humanity left in them, they have no feelings for what happens around them. You can't even trust anyone enough to cry on their shoulders because even if with great difficulty they listen today, tomorrow they'll sit and laugh at all that you said. Everyone's become so apathetic, and all for what? What was the point of getting an education if you can't even help someone in need? What was the point of working hard for four long years if you can't even give advice to a friend in need? Then one of my friends pointed out to me that it's not education that makes a person good, it's character. People who don't even know how to read may be a person a million times better than someone who has two to three degrees. By educating someone you cannot give him or her a good heart, for a heart is something that comes from within.

The world is going to the dogs? It makes me laugh because even a dog is loyal and faithful, even a dog protects. The world is going to something a lot worse...

It's Called Poverty My Friend...

When taking a walk or driving through the city, often I silently and assiduously observe my surroundings. It gives me an odd pleasure, and sometimes I see things that no one else would notice, and it makes me happy that I get the chance to experience the world around me. None of these happenings are very significant in any way, in fact they're generally small things, like a half grown pup barking as if it's the leader of the pack, or a group of small kids dancing around a water pipe, or even just the absurd manner in which a black bird with a ridiculously long tail flies. Often I wish I could always carry a camera around with me, for there are so many moments I would love to capture forever. Yet along with the things that make me happy, I also come across moments that depress me, and one of the most common things that depress me happens to be poverty.

Just the other day, we were walking to class, and as we passed by the small brick houses, if you can call them houses, of the construction workers, I saw a small boy crying, and an old man holding the boy trying to quiet him down, and somehow I could tell the boy was hungry, and it made my heart ache as I heard his wails. Long after we passed the child, I could still hear his screams of agony, and I wondered why people are allowed to live in such conditions. The conditions they live in are inhuman, and it's really sad that not much is being done (or maybe even cannot be done) to help bring up their standard of living. It still haunts me sometimes, the cry of that hungry boy, and the sad look on the old man's face.

It's really easy to ignore the poverty around us while we live in nice houses and go to college and get a chance to make our lives, but what do these kids out on the streets have? Most of them land up being no better off than their parents, and for that matter of fact, probably worse off. Many may be capable of having a better life but never get the chance to pursue it, and it's almost shameful that there's no proper manner in which to inspire them or give them a chance at a better life. I know, it's really easy to blame the government, and I also know that maybe the government cannot do much, but certain rules should be passed to bring up the standard of public schools, and grant scholarships to students below the poverty line. Every child born deserves an equal chance to make their lives.

Sometimes I see workers and old men walking on the streets, and I feel so sorry for them. Then I say to myself that I shouldn't feel sorry for them, because at least they have a job, at least they earn something, even if it's not much. There are so many people in our country who aren't even able to do that much. It was a book, The City of Joy, which made me realize that just because these people are poor doesn't mean they aren't happy, nor does it mean that they deserve pity. Yes it makes me sad when I see so much poverty around me, but I have learned not to pity them, for they are probably stronger-willed than most of us, and strong will deserves no pity.

I do hope that someday I'll be able to make a difference, even if it only affects a few lives, for saving even one life is a really big thing. I really hope that over time this disease called poverty will be lessened, and more people get the chance to have more choices to the kind of life they want.