Everyday I take the bus to my office from the same stop. It is around 8.45 in the morning. In the bus stop while I wait for the bus to come, I get entertained by an old man. He is blind and plays a lively tune on his flute. Not very good in his music but somehow he manages to get a decent tune from his flute. In spite of his age and disability, he is there each day and plays predictable music.
I admire this person who is in his 60th year and does not beg for a living.
He has a head full of white abundant hair, wears a dirty white shirt and a soiled khaki pants.
Each day I put some money in his collection bowl, for his dignity and music. Then my bus comes and I scurry into it and leave behind the man and his music.
Today like any other day, I found the man seated on the pavement.
He dug his hand into a bag and I thought that he is going to pull out his flute.
But he fished out a filter cigarette. As I watched him he differentiated the tobacco end from the filter end by the touch of his fingers and carefully put the filtered end between his lips. He pulled out a match box from his shirt pocket. I was watching with interest and wondered how he would light his cigarette. He pulled out a match stick, and felt for the head of the match, and got both the stick and the box very close to his cigarette. He struck the stick against the match strip and as it caught fire he immediately got it close to the cigarette, and inhaled as it smoldered with fire.
He relaxed and inhaled deeply and enjoyed the smoke calmly.
As the cigarette burnt down to the end he expertly squashed it under his footwear. Now he was ready to work. Then he pulled out the flute from his bag and played a peppy tune.
Rich or poor, each is entitled to their habits and happiness.
I used to think that beggars are always hungry and do not get to enjoy life. I was wrong. Wealthy or otherwise the attitude defines your happiness quotient.
We should grab our chances of mini happiness, before our life goes up in smoke.
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