Irony of Life
On this beautiful Sunday morning, with the hope that the monsoon is just at our doorsteps, I drove off to the nearby nursery to buy some indoor plants. “Sir, this one will grow well even in your air conditioned living room”, said the vendor. After getting a few tips about planting and watering the plants I put the plants that I had bought in the rear seat of my car and headed back home.
As I looked at the plants that I had just purchased from the rear-view mirror of my car, a thought flashed my mind that how lucky these plants are. They are getting a ride in a (reasonably) posh car that I drive. Now they will reach home and get planted in one of the pots in my living room or bedroom and enjoy the air conditioned environment throughout their life. Everyone at home would want to take care of them, water them, caress them and take pride in they being in our house.
I thought to myself that the trees and plants that make our living possible by giving us food and clean oxygenated air have to stand in the open, bearing the brunt of scorching heat of the sun and weather the storm and the rains. No one perhaps even acknowledge their existence. The trees that give us the wood for our shelter are even worse-hit as they give away their life to build our air-conditioned houses without even getting any recognition or reward for it.
If we look back in the real life such instances are many. The ox that ploughs the field to grow the crop or carry the grain to the farmer’s warehouse or the marketplace bears the hunter on his back and the pussy cat or a pedigree dog rests in our couch. Who contributes more to our life, the ox or the cat and the dog on our couch? Did we ever say thanks to that bull that does so much for us?
Ever remember haggling for 2 rupees with the vegetable vendor around the corner of the street who sweats out for the whole day to make his livelihood and even may have cultivated the vegetable that he sells in his own farm. Did you ever even think of bargaining when you buy the same vegetable in the posh super-market?
Ever wondered while ordering the pizza that the farmer who grew the wheat for this pizza may be starving while the big pizza brands make hay.
Perhaps this is called the irony of life. In Marathi there is a saying – “Jaya Angi Mothepan Taya Yatana Kathin”. Pardon my translation abilities but in English probably it would mean, the one with great virtues has to suffer a lot. That seems to be the rule of the nature.
While we may not be able to change it and it may be part of each one’s destiny to play the role given to it by the God when sent on the earth, the least that we can do is to be mindful and grateful for their contribution to our lives.
So next time when I would buy an indoor plant I would thank the rice-crop, the wheat-crop, the mango tree, the banana plant, the banyan tree, the ox, the farmer and all those who make my living on this earth possible and pleasurable.
