When was the last time you were
happy? Being happy, does not only mean to smile or laugh. Now answer that
simple question, “when was the last time, when you were really happy?” Strange
isn’t it? You can’t recall it properly? Apart from becoming parents, these
days, people mostly don’t realize what happiness is. I am not sure whether you
still have those memories in your mind when receiving a “One Rupee” or “Two
rupee” note (back then there were notes and not coins), unexpectedly from
elder, was equivalent to something magnanimous, when a sudden visit from a
cousin was a dream come true, when a surprise visit from either of the parents
at school, in the lunch hour, to take you home for a surprise was filled with
so much of excitement, fun and happiness. And there are countless other reasons
which could have let you wear a smile all day long.
Remember the times when you kept
on waiting for a call from a friend or loved one for hours and on every ring of
the, non-digitized, phone you couldn’t stop your excitement but rush towards
the telephone set, considering it was his/her phone call. That was the time
when an ordinary cake from friends on your birthday could easily bring water to
your eyes and happiness to your heart – the actual overwhelming state. The time
when a simple three to four sentenced greeting card was read by recipient for
hours and hours, whether lying on bed in the nights or during studying for the
final exams. It is quite strange that now we, mostly, don’t spend hours and
hours on deciding what to buy for our loved ones. After all, now we have a huge
range of choices, though back in those days we had limited choices and even in
those limitations we used to get something of sheer happiness and need for the
receiver.
These days we are so much
occupied with our jobs, professional and other commitments. But back in those
days we used to enjoy “Life”, “Relations” and above all the “Moment”. A walk at
the beach, no matter if hands in hands or eyes locked with eyes – the sense of “I
am there for you” used to be satisfying for either. In older days we were not
much exposed to technology, but we were definitely aware of the relationships,
contentment and righteous conduct. And today we only talk about technology,
benefits and results. We do not realize that there are far more important
things which are of greater importance than benefits and results. Those were
the times when even beggars had limited demands.
I am talking about those times
when the biggest dream of a father was to let his son achieve his goals, by
acquiring education in terms of degree, when a mother used to wish for her kids
to get married happily, when a brother used to wish for his sisters and
brothers to stay happy and blessed and when a son used to do every possible
thing to provide his parents with every possible happiness – keeping all his
goals and targets beside. To them those small acts were the happiness. They
used to stay together and stay happy. They used to care for others to stay
happy. And now! We live in state of the art houses! We work in multi nationals,
we drive automatic vehicles, we operate newest gadgets and we eat at finest
restaurants and still when someone asks if we are happy? We don’t have a
rational reply!
The problem is that most of us
have associated happiness with tangible items. For instance I want the newest
laptop to become happy, I need an HSY outfit to get happy; I need an iPhone to
stay happy and the list goes on and on.
I wish and hope that soon every
one of us finds happiness, the real one
