Perspectives

It really bothers me when I see old people on the streets. Something about the droop in their shoulders, the gait that seems like they've given up, but mostly their wrinkled skin. Pity is a terrible emotion I always think, but this is exactly what I feel for them. More often than not all that I do is scoop a few coins that I find in my bag, deposit it that weary old hand and walk away. As I walk away, with every step there is growing guilt. I walk away. I do nothing about it.

I know people who do not understand why I "encourage begging". Bottom line is, if he pretends to limp or actually is lame, he needs the money. Begging isn't necessarily anybody's lifestyle choice. An accident of birth and I could be the teenager with a drugged baby, tapping on car windows for pity.

This very interesting logic was put to me by an auto driver. I'm terrible at bargaining. Every time an auto driver demands exorbitant amount rather than going by the meter, I end up paying what he demands. On one such occasion, I was told "Meter mele twenty madam", meaning I'd to pay twenty rupees more than what the meter showed. I mildly remonstrated and his answer was this- When you don't mind spending so much on one cup of coffee in Barista, why not twenty rupees here?

Not everybody might have been impressed with this line of reasoning, but for some reason it stuck in my head. It puts things in perspective for me, a compulsive spender.

I got into the auto.