Tuesday, May 26, 2009; Srinagar Airport
We were to board the Go Air flight G8-604, Srinagar to Jammu scheduled departure at 10:05 am. Traffic jams and frequent Security Checks (which start much before one enters the Airport), made us reach the Airport at 9:10 am. Comfortable, thought we!
Quickly we made our way to the two Go Air counters and joined a queue for boarding passes et all.
While we await our turn and are at the far end of the queue, Security Check is announced for our flight . Some questioning revealed that BOTH the counters were operational for 2 flights: Our flight G8-604 departing at 10.05 am and G8-151 departing at 10:25 am.
Since G8-604 was to depart earlier than G8-151, Go Air officials asked the passengers of Flight G8-151 to give way for passengers for G8-604.
And guess what… not a single passenger of G8-151 moved from his/her place in the queues. So the officials acted on the next best option. They started asking each person. And finally they were able to form a third queue for flight G8-604. Since the counters could not accommodate a 3rd queue, people of Flight G8-151 were asked to step back.
And now again, no one budged and 2 “gentlemen” started arguing, as to why they should be stepping back. ..they have been waiting in the queue for a long time…blah blah blah. The official’s request of ‘he’d get the boarding passes for them while they relax in the waiting area’ was turned down too!
Anyways, to cut the story short, we got our baggage tagged amidst overflowing trolleys, thoughtless fellow travelers, feet getting smashed either by people or by the trolleys and endless ‘Excuse Me’s’
The point is…How can people be so insensitive, rude, stubborn, disrespectful, self-absorbed, thick-skinned and callous??
It’s common sense and common knowledge that no flight would have left without taking the passengers, once they are at the airport. So why this kind of behavior? What if they were to board the flight G8-604? How much effort does it take to step a little back and help fellow travelers?
Where is the compassion for fellow beings? 
I know that many people do not have compassion…period. Some can admit it and others have no clue.
Compassion is a profound human emotion prompted by the pain of others.
Compassion can be as simple as making a donation, or volunteering in a neighboring slum. It is the smile we give to a homeless person; the kind word to the salesman; and respect and patience we give to an elder who may need us to repeat ourselves.
In our day to day life, we often feel compassion. Everyday we get to know about some terrible disaster or a terrorist attack. We realize that many people suffer because of these tragedies. We know, what those people might feel, we feel great compassion towards them. And it is this feeling that creates our humanity.
Only a person, who has a helping heart and who renders their service for the good of their fellow human beings, is a MAN. Those who fail to, remain ANIMALS forever.
So, beginning today, as Og Mandino had said, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness, and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again!!
PS: This post is dedicated to all those who said in ‘A Question Post’ that they would like to see some ‘Thought Provoking Articles’ on “A rose is a rose is a rose!”
Images Courtesy: http://4nspl.com/ & lucifersabode.blogspot.com
3 Responses
So after designing ur blog, ur now trying to delve into the intricasies of the human mind? cool endeavour
I liked the new look of your blog! Very chick, very aesthetic!!
I know, compassion is missing nowadays. Without practicing compassion, there’s no way to find peace and satisfaction in our own lives!
we are made to see one another thru rather than see thru one another and so there’s a big ugly splash when it’s the other way round. and shilpa as if in reaffirmation garcia says in his letter he would bare his soul also if given a second chance.
and whatever you do for anyone should not be interpreted as pity – it is the compassion which comes out of camadaire.tommorow ,if u help me could it ever be out of pity ? you will also feel a sense of loss if i see bad times. i have in my own way extented help and recieved it also but i never felt pity was involved. pity comes only out of a sense of helplessness linged with guilt.like pride it is a negative attitude which can never be justified. compassion on the other hand is a feeling of sharing the grief – a perfectly justified and positive thought but like most noble feelings it is in illuse.
i speak from observation and experience both but is it possible to describe anything accutately – that’s the problem set us by french new novelists. the answer is,like so many answers to important questions,neither yes or no. treachery of words is notorious. i write that i care for ‘x’ but what does that mean? nothing at all cos i do not care for ‘x’ at all times or at any time in all ways. to be precise(the task set us in the age of science) as i sit here at the public desktop in my office i can say that i like her(x’s)eyes and voice but not her mouth(too small) or hands (too blunt). i could fill pages of yes-no and still not bring the reader to any deep knowledge of what it is i feel at 11.30 a.m , june 23. it is impossible to sort out all one’s feelings at any given moment on any given subject and so perhaps its wise never to take on any subject other than one’s own protean but still manageable self.