JOIN USThere are people who are kind. There are many who are generous. There are many more who are empathetic. And there are still others who are good. All of these exemplars, out of their ordinary lives cull out an extraordinary living. These people give much of themselves; their money, abundant gifts, a hearty smile, a warm hug, a caring word, an encouraging compliment, a sincere wish and lot more.
Outside of these altruists, I’ve always admired another set of equally, if not more, noble individuals. They are in the business of others, never minding their own business. They are referred to as OEs – Over Enthusiasts. I would like to call them people who are full of thoughtfulness. People, who are forever thinking, not intellectual thoughts, rather thoughts of others.
It takes many performances to be ushered into this select group of people who are thoughtful. Take the case of my uncle, a thoughtful person despite his quick temper. Though he was infamous for seeing red all the time, beneath the fury, resided a soul or a mind, either way you look at it, that always thought of another.
Even in something as mundane as parking the car, he would think of his fellow commuters, choosing to park his car a bit farther from the entrance of a store, or bank or any other place he visited. His motive was to leave the nearer space for someone who could be worse off than him, not just in hot temper, but also at manoeuvring the automobile while parking. He was a master in thinking of others.
To cite another illustration, the trip we took to Ooty a few years back, comes to my mind. We were in the hill station’s botanical garden. Eager to capture not just the glory of nature but also all our happy faces, we worked hard at taking some auto-shots of ourselves. Unsuccessful at finding a vantage spot to prop the camera, we were about to give up, when out of the blue a thoughtful soul came up to us, volunteering to help us out. He clicked many pictures of us that day, which now adorn the folios of our family album.
Thoughtful people never miss out on an opportunity to brighten up the lives of others, even if they are complete strangers. They let a little child in the compartment take their window seat, they give way for the elderly at exit points, they stop for harried pedestrians, they give another guest in the file the last cheese cake of the buffet. They seem to be drunk with the wisdom that such acts bring mirth for many people, including themselves!