A day is filled with so many tiny details, which we often choose to ignore or not give importance to.
Those small moments of joy, peace or serenity are often covered up by the layers of stress, worry and anxiety.
We must have heard it like a million times “BE IN THE PRESENT MOMENT “but how many of us really are?
Today is all about a quick recap: a small ignorable incident, that happened a long time ago and yet somehow managed to get stuck with me forever.
Something which I didn’t even notice at the time of its happening. Something so unnoticeable, which I know now, requires acknowledgment!
Did you know that our subconscious mind observes and stores more information than we can ever think of or interpret?
One such detail that was missed by me, at that moment. However, it was recorded subconsciously.
It is a story of one’s humble behaviour!
On 7th October 2021 around 10:30 in the morning, I stepped out of the hospital where my grandma was admitted for surgery.
Dad dropped mom and me, near a mall and went back to the hospital.
We were extremely hungry and the place was unbearably noisy and hot. I looked around for restaurants to eat but since the mall was right in front of us, it became the most convenient choice. However, it looked more like a place getting ready to get deserted by its inhabitants.
The surroundings and my hunger had made me a crappy and irritated human, who at that moment was really impatient.
So I stepped in with mom by my side, roamed around in what felt like a lonely but fancy space. Everything was on verge of shutting down, Domino’s centre was already closed.
Disappointedly we returned back to the road, still unsure of what we had just seen.
A famous place being in such a bizarre state.
Did it have to happen today, when I’m starving? I thought.
Not wanting to take a step further, I decided to ask the Guard standing in front of the gate about what was happening and most importantly when will the shops open.
He was standing alone on a sunny afternoon, with what felt like a super uncomfortable uniform for the weather.
Nothing seemed to bother him: the heat, the noise, impolite people, lavish life around him, and most importantly the pain of standing there all alone since morning.
I approached him without a second thought or these observations, the primary goal being the food inquiry.
I asked him about the situation, to which his answer was: “This mall is going to be shut down and an apartment will be constructed, therefore many of the shops are already closed and some will be shut soon.” He also apologized – something not being his fault at all and mentioned a few nearby places I could go to have that “breakfast”.
The thing which got stuck with me was that “tranquillity”, humility, and positive vibe which is truly unexplainable in words.
It was transcendental!
The way he greeted us, his simplistic humble behaviour, the grace, etiquettes, and approach towards an irritated customer which is hardly ever seen, even in professionals.
He didn’t have to do that but he chose to. He was losing his job by that very moment and yet remained so calm! Stood in the sun doing his job with such integrity and compassion! The skills he possesses are looked for around the globe and yet not found. I know there is nothing I could write here that would justify the conversation we had there.
In fact I never even noticed it when it was all happening, I was super frustrated and left without a polite end to that conversation.
Or maybe I thought it wasn’t important.
Whatever might be the reason, it wasn’t a fair one for sure!
I learned so much from this small incident:
1) We never live in the present! And it’s high time that we start. Reacting without thinking twice, only to realize that it was wrong later, is a big sign!
2) Our subconscious picks up, it picks up the smallest of cues in one’s tone, body language, behaviour, etc., and being in tune with it can help in the long run.
3) Even people not important to us can teach important lessons. Like in this case, that person might not even remember this incident and I don’t even know his name or anything for that matter, but he did teach me some important lessons.
One of them is never to be so proud or egoistic. And to remember how fortunate and privileged we are when compared. So let’s stop complaining, shall we?
4) Being polite never hurts, it can make someone’s day!
5) Everyone has problems, it’s just a matter of how one sees it! We never know what people might be going through, so maybe a little compassion can go a long way.
Let me know your thoughts… Thankyou for reading so far 🙂