10th Speech - 29th Jan 2012
BELONGINGNESS
By- Aditya
"The deepest joy of belonging comes as one learns to cooperate, contribute and help . . ."
-- Dr. Ralph C. Smedley,
Founder,
Toastmasters International
If sun doesn’t rise on time?
If a patient does not get medicine on time?
If you don’t reach home on time?
If such incidents happen once a while - it is ok,
If happens regularly- Think about the outcome?
Dear Toastmaster, fellow toastmaster and welcome guests.
I would like to narrate you two incidents, which had happened recently with me.
At 8 A.M., 16th January, 2011, I went to New Delhi railway station to receive my family, they were returning from Mumbai. But the train was late due to dense fog. Soon I saw a poor man was standing close to a pillar at the Railway station and shivering badly. Taking few puffs of bidi, (Indian form of cigarette) trying to give some heat to his body. That poor person was barefooted, wearing a dirty cotton jacket, dirty lungee and had one cotton blanket on his shoulders. I went close to him and gave him few biscuits to eat. Then I gave him 20 Rs/ and suggested him to go to nearby hotel and have some breakfast.
At the same moment I realized that the train was delayed by another an hour. Hence I went for breakfast at nearby hotel. When I returned at same spot, I show that poor person in same situation. I was in dilemma and soon some of my past incidents zoom through my mind. The poor person was freezing with cold and I was burning with shame”, as no one came forward to help him. My intuition forced me to act and then I decided that I will help this person with some cloths.
I was able to locate a cloth shop with the help of paper vendor and parking staff at railway station. When I was buying a jacket, socks and monkey cap. Shop owner realized that I was buying those cloths for a poor person. Shopkeeper also favored by giving a woolen old chuddar and lather sandal. I gave those items to a poor man. When poor person started wearing new jacket, I realized that the poor person didn’t has inner inside. I was started thinking,” Already I have spent Rs 500, do I buy inner for him????”
At the same moment a handsome boy (who had returned from Kuwait was waiting for a friend) came closer and extended help by giving 50 rupees, then I requested him to add 50 more and he agreed. Quickly I went back to the same shop and bought a full sleeve vest and gave it to the poor man.
Cloth shop owner quoted me that “Station per to bahut aadmi honge. Par aap uski madda kar rahe hain .Upper wall aap ko bahut dega (There were many people on the station, but you came forward to help him. God will give you lots)”.
Then I replied to cloth owner, “Why only I? A gentle man and you are also extended help”.
By that time, it was 10.00 am. The train arrived and I received my wife and sons. On the way to car parking, I took my two sons close to a poor man and asked them to notice. Then I briefed my sons about the incident.
On the way to Gurgaon, I was discussing with my 7 year old ambitious son for his Mumbai trip. Soon he kept a demand for a gift of Rs 700 for his birthday. Then I reminded him, “How in Rs 600, we had helped a poor person and you are asking for Rs 700 gift”!! .
To my surprise, my younger son promptly replied “Papa, I was expecting same answer from you”. Then I told my son,” How a group of people helped me, when my car got stuck into pothole near Kapashera (Delhi-Gurgaon border).
Toastmaster club was started by few individual years back. Millions life have been transformed till date; will continue to transform in future.
In one incident, with the help of few individual I had helped a poor person and another incident I got a help from other. Two incidences show that it is difficult to survive without help of each other. This society, this country and this world belongs to us. As we do care for our family - we must care this society as well, in grim situation – Then we will know the real meaning of “Belongingness”.
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