A Piece from my Childhood

Sitting at home for a month and listening to a lot of conversations on ‘future’ and ‘life’ from every possible person around, I got to thinking – how much does it take to be happy? Will following our own will work? Or do we just keep doing things for people around us? Or do we strike a balance between the two? Now if that’s the case, can everyone actually get the balance right? 

When I was a little girl and came to Kerala for annual vacations, there were many characters that caught my attention. But with time, I saw them seldom and I thought I had forgotten them over time. That’s when, 2 days back; “sayvu” (that’s what they all call the man who came to sell fish early in the morning) came to my doorstep. I remember my mother telling me how she has seen him since her childhood and so when I saw him after all these years, I was startled that he’s still into business. So I got to talking.

So this is how his days have been since 40 years or so. Get up at 2am and be off to the fishing place and collect enough for his day. Then walk 16kms with the ‘kavu’ on his shoulders (the long bamboo stem with the 2 baskets on either side). He walks around the whole place and sells his fish and gets home by noon. Today, his family has settled and children earn enough to keep them going but he still hasn't stopped his business. Intrigued, I asked him why. He said - “this is my source of happiness and I wouldn't stop it just because the money I get from this is no longer that necessary. Money was an added benefit during a period but now, my happiness and satisfaction has been the constant.” He said this, took his ‘kavu’, looked at me and told – “your smile is the same like when you were a child and may God keep it always”.

When I met ‘sayvu’ and spoke to him for just 5 minutes, the kind of happiness or positive spirit I felt was amazing. Partly what we do as human beings is to take care of others and contribute to others. This makes life meaningful but it does not necessarily make us happy. He was just a ‘piece from my childhood’ but now he seems to have earned much more value.

Most of us feel more like our lives have meaning when we think more about the past and future, whereas happiness pertains to the present. So yes when we get ourselves to do little things, the bigger things come as a part of it –

You see a vacancy you think you like, just go ahead as it might turn out the best for your career, take you to your favorite city as part of work or even give you a chance to meet a client who might want to hire you for a better pay.

Your crush asks you out on a date then say yes without the ‘what if’ as he or she might be the ‘one’ or you might realize that his best friend could be the ‘one’ or maybe you will get better at kissing! 

Keep Smiling!