Is It Worth it????

"There is some good in this world.......and its worth fighting for!!!"

This is one of the closing dialogues in one of my favourite movies: The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers, spoken by Sam Gamgee to Frodo Baggins. And it never fails to touch me, however many times I hear it.

In today's world, everyday one hears mostly about terrorist acts in some place on the globe. There are everyday acts of crime taking place in broad daylight. Administration is going to the dogs. Politics is supposed to be one of the most corrupt professions in the country. And corruption has not spared any other professions too, be it sport, medicine, industry, cinema etc. Most of our cities wallow in filth, bad roads, bad infrastructure; you name it and you will find it. Rural India and in some cases urban as well is still rife with instances of dowry burnings, female infanticide, child marriages. In our metros, youngsters are going the way of rave parties, drugs, underage sex and every such vice which is considered "hip" and "cool". Citizens complain of lack of basic amenities, crowded roads & public transport, of how the government is not doing anything at all to better the situation. In short, its chaos everywhere you look.

In the midst of such times, it is so very easy to get disillusioned. Its very easy to get cynical and go with the flow. The feeling of "does it really matter what I think, what difference does it make anyway" supercedes everything else. And one more brain, one more heart falls into the trap of so-called civilization as we know it.

And even then you find a few people who do not take things at face value. People who are affected by the same issues as the rest but who have chosen to handle them differently. Are these individuals made of a different mettle than most? Do they have some special powers that help them think differently?

The answer is NO. They are the same as all of us. They are no different in any possible way you can think of. Its only that they believe in the fact that there is still a chance to make a difference, to bring about a positive change in the system. That small things go on to contribute to the larger whole. That we are still not beyond redemption. Which is where the line I started with comes in.

This is the line I get reminded of when:

1. I see a baby's toothless grin

2. A completely unknown person gives me a hand to pull me into a running train

3. Destitute children burning the midnight lamp (literally) to study after a day long job

4. A brash collegian driving a vehicle at 90 kmph stopping to allow a old lady to cross the street

5. Seeing a little girl sell flowers or some such thing at a traffic signal & still have a dazzling smile reminiscent of a Bollywood beauty.

6. The way Mumbaikar's reached out to help stranded people during the recent and not so recent catastrophes like the July 26th floods and the Mumbai serial blasts.

7. How one can always find 2-3 helping hands ready to help you push your stranded vehicle.

8. The motive for the umpteen number of individuals who have devoted their lives solely to make this world a better place to live in.

All these and many more splashes of bright colours in an otherwise drab and flawed world make it worth the effort! Because every little deed contributes to the larger good.

Let us also make an attempt to add some colour in whatever way possible. While on its own, it may not be something significant enough to be noticed by the whole world, at least within our own self we would know that it was all worth it and someplace someone would have a smile on their face! :-)