Waiting At The Traffic Signal

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Tiya Singh
Jan 18, 2019   •  12 views

Red.
Yellow.
Green.
With each passing signal, my life's colours also change. I stand with my tattered shawls and my rattled bowl while the cold wind makes me shiver in silence. As the signal turns red, I knock on your window, in search for some alms. My stomach is growling, I have not eaten in three days. I might be nameless and homeless- but never hopeless. With every passing signal, I hope the colours of my life also change.

We come across such people every day. When they knock on the windows of our cars we either hand them some change, or convince ourselves that there is nothing much we can do about their plight. Both our actions are equally wrong. India is largely still a poor country, with the money still in the hand of a select few. It remains our duty and responsiblity to take care of the less privileged sections, and to not allow for them to get sidelined and marginalised. Educate and empower- simply step by step. Help contribute to provide them with shelter, clothing and other supplies instead of becoming their crutches by simply giving them money. It is ourselves that we truly help, once we start helping others. For that feeling is genuine and irreplaceable.

Do not ask yourself questions like- Will what I am doing, help at all? Or-How can I possibly help allievate the problems of so many? Change is the process that always starts with the self. There is no other rush comparable to bringing a smile to someone else's face. Think of yourself as the drop which slowly fills the ocean of change.