When your eyes are on other's feet always...

It was a little foggy in the morning.

I was doing my morning walk.

Someone was approaching from the other side.

When we were within the range to recognize each other clearly, I could see Bhola.

Bhola is a cobbler who comes to our housing complex almost every day and gives his services at the doorstep.

He is a nice guy, well behaved and sincere.

Sir, How are you doing?

I am doing good, Bhola. How are you doing?

I asked.

I am doing okay, Sir.

He replied in a rather melancholic voice.

Sometimes, you can feel that situation.

You could guess that the other person has more to say and share.

I could see that in Bhola’s eyes.

Sir, no work in the last few months.

Running life and family has become difficult.

Then he looked at my feet; he was looking at my old sneaker and must have thought, “I wish it needed a repair.”

My sneaker actually needed a repair, but a couple of days back I fixed it.

COVID time, I had enough time to do my little stuff and save a few pennies :)-

Bhola looked distraught and vulnerable, which made me so sad.

COVID has ruined his earnings.

In fact, thousands of Bhola in the unorganized sector would have been hit.

I will someday write about migratory laborers' plight, which I had seen during COVID when I came from Gurgaon to Kolkata, driving on the national highways in April 2020.

I did not go to work for many months during COVID and did not put on my formal shoes, and hence they need no polishing.

So, Bhola’s trouble started.

Sometimes we are so caught in what we have been doing, that if it does not work, we are clueless; what to do next like Bhola?

Sometimes we are so caught in the situation that we have to look at others' feet.

We think we are subservient to our work, to bosses, etc.

Sometimes we feel so powerless that we think that our work, our company forms our whole identity.

I am not asking you to be a rebel or not to feel proud of your work.

But our work alone does not form our identity.

We are more than we have been doing.

We forget to discover that other self of ours.

There are so many Bholas, and their whole life will go with that tunnel vision where there is only one end.

I was one of them.

My heart broke at Bhola’s plight.

I wished one day everybody could look up and reclaim their space.

There are so many other brighter sides of you.

It is only sad that you did not give them a chance to bloom.

And you will be amazed to meet the new you.

You just need to have enough courage and put one step at a time.