Of viciousness and virtuosity on our roads

While on the road I get jittery over the thoughtlessness of drivers. They violate road safety rules without any fear of law. As for two-wheeler owners, they are a law unto themselves, not afraid to ride their scooters and motorcycles on pavements without any thought for the safety of the poor pedestrians.

I feel agitated, irate and saddened by their apathetic attitude. That’s why I feel overwhelmed by random acts of kindness, when people show consideration for others. Though the days of chivalry do not exist anymore, at times I happen to get rare glimpses of it, proving that a few good souls are still left to give credence to the old values. Such instances are heartening to witness and strengthen my belief in the goodness of humanity.

Recently, I had to visit my family doctor for a checkup. As he finished examining me he offered to arrange for conveyance to drop me back. Deeply moved by his concern I assured him that I would go on my own. “Are you sure?” he asked. “Yes”, I replied.

In this brutal world of ruthlessness and savagery, indifference to others is the order of the day. Virtues of civility and social etiquette are rare to find. People have also forgotten to be considerate to children, the elderly or their peers.

The other day, I witnessed a frail old man trying to cross a very busy road. Even as the signal for pedestrians turned green, allowing him to walk, cars and other vehicles started moving towards him. The poor man kept standing, looking baffled, till a young girl rushed to him, took his hand and with the other signalled to the traffic to halt, helping him cross.

God knows what would have happened had she not arrived on the scene. He would have probably just stood there, frozen there till eternity.

I also remember seeing a lady laden with parcels outside a shop, struggling to hold on to them. A boy on a scooter screeched to a halt and had a word with her. Both stood talking for some time and appeared to be arguing. Eventually, the lady relented. The boy got down from his scooter, kept her parcels in the basket in front and dropped her in front of her house close by. His gesture was really heartwarming, as are the many small acts of kindness we get to see daily: a boy helping a fruit seller lift his heavy basket on his head; a young girl giving up her seat in the train to another woman strap-hanging with a baby at her hip.

As long as such people exist, we will always have hope for a better and beautiful world.

I FEEL OVERWHELMED BY RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS, WHEN PEOPLE SHOW CONSIDERATION FOR OTHERS