It was a hot afteroon in June when I was in US last year(it gets hotter after May) and we had been to the Grand Canyon. There was a pathway along the Canyon where one could walk and have a look at the massive rocks. After a greulling walk in the scorching heat, my cousin and I decided to sit down in the shade by the tree.
A group of senior citizens were also touring the Canyon around the same time and they came and stood near the tree where we were sitting. Everyone sat, but one, as there was no seat left. And Americans are way to polite to ask someone to get up so that they could sit! Guess people travelling in BEST buses should take cue!!! I saw the old man standing and just as a response to stimulus, I got up and offered my seat to the old man. It was the look in his eyes, the grateful, the thank-you look that brought a smile on my face. But what he said after that lit up by day!
He said, " Indian, aren't you"
I replied, "Yes, I am... How did you guess... maybe my features, my skin...."
He said, "No, your values."
Enough to get a 440 volt smile or rather a million rupee smile on any Indian's face! This was such mellifluous music to my ears after the 3 month cacophonous "India is in dumps" "India cannot be USA" "India's so polluted,populated and dirty" from my NRI relatives! India may be so...... but we do have some if not many good qualities....... I'm sure the old man agrees!!
A group of senior citizens were also touring the Canyon around the same time and they came and stood near the tree where we were sitting. Everyone sat, but one, as there was no seat left. And Americans are way to polite to ask someone to get up so that they could sit! Guess people travelling in BEST buses should take cue!!! I saw the old man standing and just as a response to stimulus, I got up and offered my seat to the old man. It was the look in his eyes, the grateful, the thank-you look that brought a smile on my face. But what he said after that lit up by day!
He said, " Indian, aren't you"
I replied, "Yes, I am... How did you guess... maybe my features, my skin...."
He said, "No, your values."
Enough to get a 440 volt smile or rather a million rupee smile on any Indian's face! This was such mellifluous music to my ears after the 3 month cacophonous "India is in dumps" "India cannot be USA" "India's so polluted,populated and dirty" from my NRI relatives! India may be so...... but we do have some if not many good qualities....... I'm sure the old man agrees!!
2 comments:
all indians have some great qualities, and every indian is proud to be one. India is definitely getting better in its infrastructures also
this post has made me more of an indian at heart!!!!
the kind of stuff dat'll make u ponder....
are we doin da right thing dumping our own mother n servin a stranger??!!!!
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