Opportunities’

Today while coming for office, I was standing in the traffic signal I noticed a beggar affected with Leprosy was asking for alms while crossing the road. He was an old man with high powered spectacles. His limbs were bandaged with white dirty cloth and his legs bore infections filled with pus. He was barely able to walk with the support of the stick but still managed to beg under the scorching sun. He was attending every vehicle which stood under the red signal asking for some help. Some were generous enough to give him few pennies while other shoo him away especially for the wounds he bore on his body.

Just then I noticed a lady waiting for the signal next to me in her Alto. She opened her purse and took a fifty rupees note and kept it in her hand waiting for the poor beggar. The beggar unaware of this kept on pestering the people who were waiting for the signal to turn green. He kept on nagging and nagging. Some scolded him; some simply avoided him as if he didn’t exist and a few, just to get rid of him gave him few coins and turned away their faces.

By the time the beggar came to this lady who was waiting just behind him, the signal turned green. I saw the lady putting the money back in the purse and driving away.

This small incidence made me realize that we keep on knocking closed doors expecting some huge rewards and in return never notice an opportunity which awaits us. If the beggar wouldn’t have been nagging behind those cold souls and moved on to the next available opportunity he would have received Rs 50/- and that also with dignity and a kind hearted gesture. Instead he kept on pestering the closed doors, where he received nothing but rude behavior and harsh words.

In many such incidences in life we keep on knocking those closed doors where the ultimate result is just frustration and failure, instead look around it may be we are missing on that one life changing opportunity. Just be aware and move on.