itch

A long time ago, when in school, we had moral science classes. In one of these classes, we were taught to look at the under-privileged before crying over our own lot. Therefore, if one did not have shoes, one had to look at one who did not have feet and be thankful that one had feet, albeit without shoes.

I wonder now, if all this while I have been following this very doctrine, unconsciously ofcourse, and in the process have come to sudden revelations. It has become important to understand if I have by any chance, not compared myself with the wrong people and having found myself better off, have thus far celebrated life. And even if I did, you might ask, what is wrong with the ensuing bliss?

I do not know. Far less, I do not even know if I have compared at all. Like I said, it might have been unconscious.

But if I were to be objective about it, and completely unbiased, I would have to say that I could have consciously compared with others who were better off. I would not have looked at the cripple without legs but at the legs that wore a new pair of trainers everyday. Or I could have looked at my highest paid mate and try and better him rather than pay any attention to another who earned less than me. Can it be possible that in the comparison of things one in fact gets a drive to do better and celebrate life thus?

Or it is possible, extremely lazy that I am, that I might have worked just hard enough to retain a certain threshold of exclusivity and thereafter reveled in my success by "unconsciously" comparing with people worse off. "It could have been worse", I would tell myself, "so and so has got married and is suffering. The Poor thing! I atleast do not have to worry about pleasing, or much worse, not annoying my spouse". I could, instead think, "so and so has searched far and wide for his apology of a wife. Surely, I can do better than that and in much lesser time". Only problem is that, in this particular case, in either way of thinking, I find myself not only with feet but with shoes as well.

Then there is the case of the cripple. What does he think? Who does he look at?I have always wanted to ask this question to my teacher but knowing full well that she would not have the answer, had thought the better of it and held my silence. Had it no been for this, I would not have had to try and rack my brains over what the one without the feet should look at, for thankfulness.