A friend once asked me very recently, why I gave so much of my time and energy volunteering, when there were no tangible benefits that would come my way. She said that volunteering is a good thing but I should focus more on what conventionally was of importance - career, settling into some form of a steady relationship, getting out and having more of a life because when I grow old I would have nothing to show for except how many people I have helped along the way.
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What she said made me think very carefully of what my priorities should be - my passion for giving back to society or if I should spend less time doing so, because I should ideally spend that time on the slightly more selfish things such as partying, or meeting up for coffee or maybe finally find myself a boyfriend. Although there is certainly nothing wrong with having personal goals in life - whatever they may be or taking time out to have fun, I smiled to myself, knowing that there were little rewards that only those that volunteer are privy to, that no amount of money could ever measure up to.
In April 2010, I was travelling through Faradibad in Northern India when the car we had rented stopped for gas. A little boy in blue rags, covered in the dry, arid dust of a 40 degree hot summer, clasping a metal bowl, which probably was his only belonging, came towards us. He was barefoot, hungry eyed and begging for just a rupee. The disparity between his lives and mine was compelling. The fact he had such little and I was spoilt for choice, that his existence was a struggle to just make it through the day and my potential was as limitless as I chose for it to be. I dare not say that it was that split second of seeing that boy that changed me, that jarred me into a reality that I didn’t know existed or was more to the point, ignorant of.
The people from all walks of life who are committed to helping others, people from many different backgrounds and situations, working together and are committed to helping those in need – these are who I learn so much from. It is also the people you help, the poor families who would share the little they have without hesitation, the orphaned kids who are happy because they have brand new school books and the old people, who are so grateful that someone came and spent time with them.
I could never live in a little bubble of a world, where it is okay to be ignorant of what is happening around you. These moments are not tangible but they truly are priceless and it is something that I could not miss out on experiencing. The lesson that I have been taught by the people that I have been privileged to meet along my journey is simple: we may all live under the same sky, but we don’t all have the same horizon, that every man I meet is my superior in some way and in that I learn from him.
This is what has been the catalyst for me to be who I am right now. And looking back, I would not do a single thing differently, even if it meant the value of my life was just about how many lives I had touched.
I hope that this is a good enough answer to her question.To find out how STITCH is helping to improve our future, or to find out how you can dedicate yourself, please visit our website at www.stitchmovement.com. (Anisha Niyas)
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