The man on the road
It was a pleasant evening when I decided to hang out with my fiancé in the city a couple of days back. We took an auto-rikshaw and was halfway through our journey when we came across one of the very rare red lights that we see in Kerala.
While we were stopped there, I saw something that made me sit in shock for a while afterwards. Right there, in the middle of the peak hour evening traffic, was a man - thin and shabby, wearing a half opened shirt and a dhoti (sarong) - dragging himself across the road. He was carrying a bag too.
Both his legs seemed to be dysfunctional, but that's not what shocked me. My fiancé explained to me that he was probably working somewhere and must be on his way home now. He was quite old, maybe in his 50's. He just dragged himself and weaved through the traffic like how we jaywalk. He didn't care about any of the vehicles. The motorists acted like he was invisible. Nobody cared! I was tempted to get out and help him, but my hubby stopped me, saying that he might get offended.
"This is a normal sight here. This is how they live. This is his life," he told me. And I saw the point in that.
My mind was immediately transported back to Singapore, where handicapped people like him were welcome everywhere. They had special spaces dedicated for them in every public place. Buses have built-in foldable ramps that the driver opens up to let the wheelchair-bound board and alight. Wherever there are staircases, there will be a ramp right beside it. It was a way to make them feel independent and like a part of the society.
There were none of that here... yet, did these people feel like the lesser human among their peers? Judging from the man I saw, I don't think so. He seemed very much independent and confident of his capability to do anything that we did.
And as much as I felt bad seeing him in that state, I respect him for his courage and persistence. In Singapore we come across blind people or handicapped people busking or selling tissue papers in public places. Not many people bought these packets of tissue or donated money to them. Whenever I used to see that, I always wanted to go up to them and tell them that there are other jobs they can do to earn money if they wanted to.
They had the luxury and opportunity there but many people don't see it - or rather, don't use it. Here, these people don't have much of a choice, but they create opportunities for themselves. That's the difference and that's the attitude that I find respectable.
I am in no means comparing the difficulties they face. And it's true that I can't use one person to judge a whole community of people, but one person who does it makes a difference.
If you know of someone who is challenged in any way, I would suggest you tell them that just because they are handicapped, it doesn't make them any less deserving of anything that we normal people can achieve. Their hurdles may be more difficult to overcome, but that should not stop them from building up the courage to step out and live their dreams!
Many people, handicapped or not, get very comfortable with the help they get from others, especially help groups. I hope more people will see the opportunities lying in front of them rather than pitying themselves or relying on others to help them out.
What do you think?
While we were stopped there, I saw something that made me sit in shock for a while afterwards. Right there, in the middle of the peak hour evening traffic, was a man - thin and shabby, wearing a half opened shirt and a dhoti (sarong) - dragging himself across the road. He was carrying a bag too.
Both his legs seemed to be dysfunctional, but that's not what shocked me. My fiancé explained to me that he was probably working somewhere and must be on his way home now. He was quite old, maybe in his 50's. He just dragged himself and weaved through the traffic like how we jaywalk. He didn't care about any of the vehicles. The motorists acted like he was invisible. Nobody cared! I was tempted to get out and help him, but my hubby stopped me, saying that he might get offended.
"This is a normal sight here. This is how they live. This is his life," he told me. And I saw the point in that.
My mind was immediately transported back to Singapore, where handicapped people like him were welcome everywhere. They had special spaces dedicated for them in every public place. Buses have built-in foldable ramps that the driver opens up to let the wheelchair-bound board and alight. Wherever there are staircases, there will be a ramp right beside it. It was a way to make them feel independent and like a part of the society.
There were none of that here... yet, did these people feel like the lesser human among their peers? Judging from the man I saw, I don't think so. He seemed very much independent and confident of his capability to do anything that we did.
And as much as I felt bad seeing him in that state, I respect him for his courage and persistence. In Singapore we come across blind people or handicapped people busking or selling tissue papers in public places. Not many people bought these packets of tissue or donated money to them. Whenever I used to see that, I always wanted to go up to them and tell them that there are other jobs they can do to earn money if they wanted to.
They had the luxury and opportunity there but many people don't see it - or rather, don't use it. Here, these people don't have much of a choice, but they create opportunities for themselves. That's the difference and that's the attitude that I find respectable.
I am in no means comparing the difficulties they face. And it's true that I can't use one person to judge a whole community of people, but one person who does it makes a difference.
If you know of someone who is challenged in any way, I would suggest you tell them that just because they are handicapped, it doesn't make them any less deserving of anything that we normal people can achieve. Their hurdles may be more difficult to overcome, but that should not stop them from building up the courage to step out and live their dreams!
Many people, handicapped or not, get very comfortable with the help they get from others, especially help groups. I hope more people will see the opportunities lying in front of them rather than pitying themselves or relying on others to help them out.
What do you think?
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