Man in the mirror
I have been a fan of Michael Jackson since my school days, he is definitely the king of pop. During the glory days of thriller and bad, I just used to sing along without much thought as to what was being sung. Years have passed and now recently when I happened to listen to MJ certain words of a song struck a chord in my heart, they go "I'm starting with the man in the mirror, I'm asking him to change his ways, and no message could have been any clearer, if you want to make the world a better place take a look at yourself and make that change..."
Very powerful words with a deep meaning, how often we have heard the world is bad etc etc. Not a day will pass until we hear some one complaining about the poor infrastructure, bad roads, cleanliness, pollution, corruption and many of the ills that plague the world around. I think its time to wave a red flag and say STOP right there! It is your right to express you opinion about something that concerns you, but what have you done about it the problem?
How many times have we seen well educated, well mannered people with high social standing complaining in public fora about the civic problems plaguing us and the next moment do not have the slightest remorse in throwing a recently used paper cup on the road. Just today we saw that the recently concluded local body elections having such ridiculously low voter turnout. The same middle class that will not hesitate to condone, criticize the politicians will just sit on their backsides , twiddling their thumbs watching a tear jerker soap on the tv on their day off and just ignore the future of the city. Then tell me what bloody right do these people have to complain?
Do these people know the consequence of their foolishness, booths including the one in which I voted were captured by anti- socials, bogus voting happened and as these idiots did not vote a criminal will occupy the seats of power. I am so angry, I don’t deserve this and I'm sure none of you either.
Now do you think the city will get any better? It won’t, because acts of commission pf ours like littering, encroaching, power thefts etc etc shake the foundations of society and the acts of omissions like not getting involved in social action, politics, elections etc destroy the last traces of goodness.
We are living in an insular world, "I care two hoots to the world, If I'm ok, its enough". We are so insensitive to the world around. We do so much damage to the world that we have borrowed from our descendants by our acts of commission and omission, and yet nobody wants to accept it. Its time we stopped blaming others for what we are equally liable. The accomplice to the crime is equally guilty. If we have abetted wrongs in our presence just by turning a blind eye to it or have been a party to it, pause for a moment and reflect if this is right. If we have a conscience let us make a difference.
The next time we see our friend dropping a coffee cup on the road, lets just pick it up and drop it in the bin. I know it is demeaning, but there is a price to be paid for goodness. Hey Christ died on the cross! You know the friend may feel the prick in his heart and he may not repeat it at least when we are around. The world is tired of sermons and preaching and small acts like these will make a world of difference.
Likewise vote in elections, stop incidents of bribery when you can. The price may be a little heavy but the rewards will eventually be worth it.
Skeptics may argue what difference one act can do, It only takes a spark to get a fire going and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing...... We can make a difference to our self, then to our inner circle of family and friends and gradually the circle widens till it becomes a movement. One man got thrown out of a train in Pietermaritzburg because of his colour he could have laid down but the rest they say is history, not with big deeds but a simple act like using a chakra, taking long marches, being nonviolent....
Think about it, you can change the world,, but it starts with the man in the mirror.....
Very powerful words with a deep meaning, how often we have heard the world is bad etc etc. Not a day will pass until we hear some one complaining about the poor infrastructure, bad roads, cleanliness, pollution, corruption and many of the ills that plague the world around. I think its time to wave a red flag and say STOP right there! It is your right to express you opinion about something that concerns you, but what have you done about it the problem?
How many times have we seen well educated, well mannered people with high social standing complaining in public fora about the civic problems plaguing us and the next moment do not have the slightest remorse in throwing a recently used paper cup on the road. Just today we saw that the recently concluded local body elections having such ridiculously low voter turnout. The same middle class that will not hesitate to condone, criticize the politicians will just sit on their backsides , twiddling their thumbs watching a tear jerker soap on the tv on their day off and just ignore the future of the city. Then tell me what bloody right do these people have to complain?
Do these people know the consequence of their foolishness, booths including the one in which I voted were captured by anti- socials, bogus voting happened and as these idiots did not vote a criminal will occupy the seats of power. I am so angry, I don’t deserve this and I'm sure none of you either.
Now do you think the city will get any better? It won’t, because acts of commission pf ours like littering, encroaching, power thefts etc etc shake the foundations of society and the acts of omissions like not getting involved in social action, politics, elections etc destroy the last traces of goodness.
We are living in an insular world, "I care two hoots to the world, If I'm ok, its enough". We are so insensitive to the world around. We do so much damage to the world that we have borrowed from our descendants by our acts of commission and omission, and yet nobody wants to accept it. Its time we stopped blaming others for what we are equally liable. The accomplice to the crime is equally guilty. If we have abetted wrongs in our presence just by turning a blind eye to it or have been a party to it, pause for a moment and reflect if this is right. If we have a conscience let us make a difference.
The next time we see our friend dropping a coffee cup on the road, lets just pick it up and drop it in the bin. I know it is demeaning, but there is a price to be paid for goodness. Hey Christ died on the cross! You know the friend may feel the prick in his heart and he may not repeat it at least when we are around. The world is tired of sermons and preaching and small acts like these will make a world of difference.
Likewise vote in elections, stop incidents of bribery when you can. The price may be a little heavy but the rewards will eventually be worth it.
Skeptics may argue what difference one act can do, It only takes a spark to get a fire going and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing...... We can make a difference to our self, then to our inner circle of family and friends and gradually the circle widens till it becomes a movement. One man got thrown out of a train in Pietermaritzburg because of his colour he could have laid down but the rest they say is history, not with big deeds but a simple act like using a chakra, taking long marches, being nonviolent....
Think about it, you can change the world,, but it starts with the man in the mirror.....
little drops of water makes a mighty ocean. be the one!
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