I travel from one end of Chennai to the other end to make my both ends meet. It’s a long journey day to day from Ambattur to Thiruvanmiyur. In my first trip, as all do, I too started with listening to music. After days passed, I felt it uninteresting and gave up. Later, I use to kill my time sleeping.
One day, I wanted to observe what others do in train. They sleep, read, chat, or have their China sets in full volume which will tear your ears. I had neither a person to chat nor a China mobile and since I was already fed up with naps and music, my only option was to read. Without a second thought, I chose ‘The Hindu’ which is one of the best dailies.
Though, I was from a matriculation school, I was not that good in English as I was taught only to learn a language as a subject. So, I thought I should improve my language through reading the daily.
For few months, I just read the headlines and not the detailed news because of two reasons. Firstly, I was not able to understand the meanings of few complex words which were above my standard. Secondly, I felt lazy to read in detail. I was happy to turn the pages quickly to see the last page as I’m quite interested in sports column. Then spend my time solving the Sudoku.
Days passed, without my knowledge, I gradually started reading in detail about everything that I felt interesting. Whenever, I came across new words, I type in my mobile and see the meaning for those words once I reach office. This is how it started and I spent my time preciously instead of wasting it.
One day, my mother called me and asked ‘why don’t you take the company bus instead of walking and changing two trains’. I thought it was a good idea and whispered to myself ‘Yes, I may get a good looking girl to accompany me, who would laugh even for my stupid jokes.’ But in fact, whatever we think never happens, does it?
The next month, I registered myself for the company bus. I opened ‘The Hindu’. I was not able to read as the bus shook because of our most beautiful roads. Within fractions, I felt the pain in my eyes and the head ached. In the bus, one could see two groups of people, the first group with their ipods on and the second group which always sleeps. I had no other option but to fall in the latter. Despite spending thousand rupees for the bus, it was rather boring and made me lethargic. Somehow, I pushed the month and I said to myself, ‘I should never again think of coming in bus.’
I switched again to my train travel. I learnt many things within a month. I have heard of people saying “Life is how we look at it”. An optimist says the glass is half full while a pessimist says the glass is half empty. Though, it is true, it requires experience to realize it. Thanks to my mother who wanted me to travel in bus that changed my looking at life.
The people whom I once saw as a crowd now look like a bunch of lovely and lively people struggling for their bread and butter. The elders’ talking about politics and their day to day life instances please the ears compared to the monotonous tune in the ipods. When I think of whether technology is a boon or bane to mankind, I end up saying it is in how we use it.
Moreover, in the train, one can admire a child’s cry; an old man’s laugh. One can listen to the pleas of the common man. One can offer a needy and feel self satisfied, what else can we ask for?
Coming back to my best companion, in spite of doing all these, I also read the daily. Reading which I once started as a duty has now become a pleasure. Apart from knowing about the day to day happenings, I also learn how to live a life. Here are some of the important things that I learnt,
Ø One must not throw waste in the open. I do my bit to keep the environment clean. What about you?
Ø One must be flexible. It not only applies to workplace, it is applicable through out our life especially in order to avoid beaten by our spouse.
Ø One must use the available resources judiciously.
Ø One must put a diary and write all their happy moments. One who is content and trains his brain to be happy is believed to live longer.
Ø One must not spit in public places.
Ø One must be wary of desire, greed and anger which prompt him to commit sin.
Ø One must not splurge on unnecessary things.
Ø One must have 4 to 5 small meals at frequent intervals than having three big meals a day.
Ø One must not urinate in the open.
Ø One must exercise at least thirty minutes a day.
Ø One must take care of his parents in their old age.
Ø One must not commit suicide.
Ø One must not smoke that too in the public places, where we deny fresh air even to the non smokers. Smoking doesn’t mean that smokers will die early. Non smokers are walking on the pavement whereas the smokers are walking in the middle of the road where there are high chances of getting hit.
I inculcate values in me by reading ‘The Hindu’ what we so call education has failed to do. There may be an end to my train travel, but there will be never an end to the journey of life with ‘The Hindu’. Join the journey with ‘The Hindu’ in just three rupees which is half the minimum fare that we spend in a MTC.
Though, at times we say ‘Life sucks’ (enna vazhkada idhu), in the broader picture, it looks very beautiful, doesn’t it?
One day, I wanted to observe what others do in train. They sleep, read, chat, or have their China sets in full volume which will tear your ears. I had neither a person to chat nor a China mobile and since I was already fed up with naps and music, my only option was to read. Without a second thought, I chose ‘The Hindu’ which is one of the best dailies.
Though, I was from a matriculation school, I was not that good in English as I was taught only to learn a language as a subject. So, I thought I should improve my language through reading the daily.
For few months, I just read the headlines and not the detailed news because of two reasons. Firstly, I was not able to understand the meanings of few complex words which were above my standard. Secondly, I felt lazy to read in detail. I was happy to turn the pages quickly to see the last page as I’m quite interested in sports column. Then spend my time solving the Sudoku.
Days passed, without my knowledge, I gradually started reading in detail about everything that I felt interesting. Whenever, I came across new words, I type in my mobile and see the meaning for those words once I reach office. This is how it started and I spent my time preciously instead of wasting it.
One day, my mother called me and asked ‘why don’t you take the company bus instead of walking and changing two trains’. I thought it was a good idea and whispered to myself ‘Yes, I may get a good looking girl to accompany me, who would laugh even for my stupid jokes.’ But in fact, whatever we think never happens, does it?
The next month, I registered myself for the company bus. I opened ‘The Hindu’. I was not able to read as the bus shook because of our most beautiful roads. Within fractions, I felt the pain in my eyes and the head ached. In the bus, one could see two groups of people, the first group with their ipods on and the second group which always sleeps. I had no other option but to fall in the latter. Despite spending thousand rupees for the bus, it was rather boring and made me lethargic. Somehow, I pushed the month and I said to myself, ‘I should never again think of coming in bus.’
I switched again to my train travel. I learnt many things within a month. I have heard of people saying “Life is how we look at it”. An optimist says the glass is half full while a pessimist says the glass is half empty. Though, it is true, it requires experience to realize it. Thanks to my mother who wanted me to travel in bus that changed my looking at life.
The people whom I once saw as a crowd now look like a bunch of lovely and lively people struggling for their bread and butter. The elders’ talking about politics and their day to day life instances please the ears compared to the monotonous tune in the ipods. When I think of whether technology is a boon or bane to mankind, I end up saying it is in how we use it.
Moreover, in the train, one can admire a child’s cry; an old man’s laugh. One can listen to the pleas of the common man. One can offer a needy and feel self satisfied, what else can we ask for?
Coming back to my best companion, in spite of doing all these, I also read the daily. Reading which I once started as a duty has now become a pleasure. Apart from knowing about the day to day happenings, I also learn how to live a life. Here are some of the important things that I learnt,
Ø One must not throw waste in the open. I do my bit to keep the environment clean. What about you?
Ø One must be flexible. It not only applies to workplace, it is applicable through out our life especially in order to avoid beaten by our spouse.
Ø One must use the available resources judiciously.
Ø One must put a diary and write all their happy moments. One who is content and trains his brain to be happy is believed to live longer.
Ø One must not spit in public places.
Ø One must be wary of desire, greed and anger which prompt him to commit sin.
Ø One must not splurge on unnecessary things.
Ø One must have 4 to 5 small meals at frequent intervals than having three big meals a day.
Ø One must not urinate in the open.
Ø One must exercise at least thirty minutes a day.
Ø One must take care of his parents in their old age.
Ø One must not commit suicide.
Ø One must not smoke that too in the public places, where we deny fresh air even to the non smokers. Smoking doesn’t mean that smokers will die early. Non smokers are walking on the pavement whereas the smokers are walking in the middle of the road where there are high chances of getting hit.
I inculcate values in me by reading ‘The Hindu’ what we so call education has failed to do. There may be an end to my train travel, but there will be never an end to the journey of life with ‘The Hindu’. Join the journey with ‘The Hindu’ in just three rupees which is half the minimum fare that we spend in a MTC.
Though, at times we say ‘Life sucks’ (enna vazhkada idhu), in the broader picture, it looks very beautiful, doesn’t it?
