There was a lone man going alone on a winding rural road along the sea. He was walking in a pensive mood with a loose bag hung on his shoulder. He had been walking for a long time and there was no place to rest in sight. The bag was heavy and heat was tolerable, but it was too warm. The man was thinking how he may eat some food and drink some water and take rest under some shed. He had set out to sell sea shells with special identities, but there has been not many buyers lately. The money from the last good sale couple of days back was running thin to buy today's food. Children and joggers who were the regular customers have dwindled due to holidays, they had gone to bigger and more beautiful beaches.
The man had recently read in some old piece of newspaper about lateral thinking. He started thinking whether it was the right thing that he had set out to;
sell the sea shells, may be some other goods might have been better..
sell the shells in this part of country , may be some other place would be better..
sell the shells and not to dive and find the shells where locals use to pay some money to divers to find the shells,
sell the shells at appropriate time, some other time of day would be better,
The man was getting restless and his thinking had started turning towards the self pity, thinking about the others who had set out together with him couple of years back were selling better products, like sea food, prawns, crabs, etc, there were others who had started repairing boats and were owning few boats now. Suddenly the man realised that like usual self pity is not coming up over his stomach to his heart and thru his spine over to his head and then wetting of eyes...the stomach is just hungry, the mind is not in frenzy, it is just not thinking, the eyes are also as dry as they were ever.
Then he thought that self pity has stopped to pity on him. He was very neutral knowing the fact that he is just here where he is walking. The man smiled and was slightly amused to discover the new fact about himself.
Two big car approached and some young girls and boys came out. They were the kind of happy go lucky people who had found this place just while driving and thought of stopping by. The Man thought that they would not be the usual customers who may buy shells. But he thought of trying, the boys shrugged when he asked if they would like to see shells, the girls showed some interest, but then they thought where to hold and keep these shells and finally where to display, there own rooms were so shabby that shells will add to more unused items. They also scorned this man who was a bit out of romantic situation, they turned around their back.
The Man walked by and continued on the road. The road had been watching this man for long and could not hold itself. It asked this man," Where do you think you are going? Are you sure about the way?" The man was not surprised, the nature had spoken to him before a few times and he replied, "I think I know, there is a Shack few hundred yards away and some rides are there, I may find some kids to sell these shells" The road told him," I know about that shack since I pass thru that shack, but it is deserted now, the owner shifted from there as there was not much business here, what would you do now?"
The Man was now in a fix, the last inhabitated place was miles away and this shack also is not there, he stopped still and started thinking, his strength was also falling, he asked the Road," Can you help?What do I do now?"
The road did not reply immediately, then it said" Do you remember last year when you got big sale of shells nearby on this beach,? You had lot of money for a few days." The man said,"yes I do"
Road: What did you do with that?
Man: I ate good food for man days, I built my wood house and I drank good wine in that.
Road: What else, you still had money left
Man: Yes, i went to good girls in village pub and had fun
Road: Still you had money
Man: Yes, I gave it to village grocer to keep it for me as saving
Road: But there was some more
Man : Yes, I loaned it to my friend who wanted to buy a better fishing net
Road: So you spent all ?
Man :Yes I could do what ever was justified to do with that money
Road: Did you find some hungry children on the beach when you had good money
Man: Yes they are always there and are ever hungry
Road: Were you approached by one man who was blind and could not find way to his son's house in another village
Man: Yes , I think someone helped him
Road: Did you meet one Dog which had broken its leg and kept continuosly growling in pain? Man: Yes, I shooed him away
Road: Did you meet one staranger who was in pain as he had lost his business and told you his story?
Man: Yes the losers always like strangers to tell their story ..( LOL)
Road: Did you meet one woman who wanted to buy medicine but could not for her father?
Man: Yeah, the pharmacy man would have helped her .
The Road said, " Look, God had given you many chances to improve your life but you lost all" Man was truly surprised," How come , God gave me the chances?"
Road told to Man," Look , the nature of which you are a part does not work on Ayn Rand's Obectivism. It neither works on Gandhi's socialism. Nature works on passion and empathy to your fellow humans, as all of you are derived from the same universal consiousness, when you miss out to see the pain of other person, the Universe misses out to see your pains also...If you earn 100 bucks always try to find how you can give 5 bucks out to a genuine needy person. Do not tell or think or recall or feel glorified after giving...you have helped and you have moved forward. This 5% good is what it comes back to you after reverberating into this nature and with bigger force and magnitude.
The Man could understand something...but it was too late...He thanked the Road and slept empty stomach for that night. But his mind was silent and there was not hunger, as he could understand...
