~ Mai..Thank You..~

Is this  what old age she thought of in life when she was young and in her prime? I have no idea as i sometimes think when I bypass her whilst I jog in the park. She makes a frequent appearance nowadays but just does not speak and sits silently on the side of pavement raising her hand – a gesture kind enough to give her whatever you ought to – considering her ripe age and the fact she does odd jobs to sustain a living – when she does not earn her daily wage by collecting left over plastic bags and other miscellanies in the park and selling it to the local scrap dealer – the task is arduous for her as considering the phase of life she is in. 

In reality, she is clearing the mess of the 'educated' masses and is a miniscule contributor to the society!I don’t know her name, she comes quite a few times in the park, sometimes early morning and at times in the evening – she is nameless as nobody is interested in having a chitchat with her – people strolling the aisles of park call her ‘Mai” or “Mataji” out of reverence. Some give her their daily leftovers and some currency change, whatever is given she accepts with a smile and thanks by folding her hands showcasing gratitude towards life…

Mai is just like many grannies in our ménages who are just ignored for the simple reason that they have run out of time or that they have outlived their prime – a key essential here is the humungous experience they have enrich themselves of life – which many of us ignore. Mai is surely one such soul – though she didn’t do well in life as she sits on her haunches and is at mercy of passersby, people ignore her – but observing her white hair one can extol her on the basis of life’s richness she has lived – she might not be rich with money but surely has a sense of dignified living – as she carries a bag of collected plastic waste from the park – a shame which we bestow on public places and are not remorseful of it.

The old lady does what we don’t do as a habit of basic etiquette, though she makes a small income out of it or for that matter this is what she is best capable of doing it at this phase of her life. She never sits on any of the empty cement benches for the shame it might cause to people who think of living a high society life or for that matter many such ‘Sassy’ Citizens might get offended – considering her to be an untouchable and from a lower strata of society – education has had no meaningful presence in their living of course!

A soul or a life that she is – reminds me of old age many wont would like to have – lonely and without any support or pelf, the odds are against her- may be one day I shall talk to her about her past and write the kind of life she has lived – as the next round I jog towards, I see her getting up and walking away in silence of time – not speaking to anyone , she carefully picks her baggage – her find for the day , not knowing what good she has done to all of us in the park and towards our environment – the silent worker at this age has my heartiest Kudos – for what I did what I could… as I certainly believe in this idiom of life….” Do it silently… I did mine and she does her…. The philosophy of life appears similar….