A Reality Check!!

I just finished watching the 100^th episode of the show, நீயா நானா in Vijay TV where they had invited students who have secured state ranks in the 10^th standard board exams and who come from lower income families….when I say lower income I mean families where the father is either a கூலி (daily labor) or a server in a hotel, a mason or a corporation cleaner or in some cases where the father had passed away and the lady of the house is struggling to make the ends meet…. I’m overwhelmed with a wide range of emotions as I write this blog, first a feeling of high respect & regard to all those parents on the show, who in spite of their suffering are determined to not only educate their children but also are able to say that they want their children to come up in life and help the needy…..As the anchor of the show Gopinath said, HATS OFF to all those parents. This is a good lesson for those parents who are only keen on saving huge amounts of money, acres of lands or 100 of sovereigns of gold for their children and who are not willing to spend even a penny to help another underprivileged child…they forget the famous quote, ‘கற்றவர்க்கு சென்ற இடம் எல்லாம் சிறப்பு……Education is the greatest asset one can possess in this world. There were couple of children who broke down on the show while discussing their problems thinking about their passed away father and how they realize the struggle of their mother every single day. I must say this kind of appreciation and respect for parents is mostly seen in families where children are brought up with an exposure to what real life struggle is and the value of money. And this is very rare to find in families where children are showered with everything they want without having to think about the money factor and where they are over pampered by their overbearing parents. Another most important thought that crossed my mind is how great a difference it would make if each of us takes this kind of social responsibility to help the needy. I was choked to see a mother of a state ranker say that her daily income is Rs.40 and even that is sporadic, in which she has to pay rent, feed her daughter and educate her……Rs.40 a day would make it Rs.1000 a month, which is about $20- $25, the money that we would spend for two movie tickets without a 2^nd thought. I’m not trying to say that we have to give away everything we possess to charity and lead a saintly life, definitely no. But the point that I’m trying to make is , when there is no caution or hesitation while spending that $50 at a restaurant or on an expensive toy for your child which he would play with for a day or two, then why hesitate and think about giving away that $50 a year, for a child who is walking to school in the hot sun with not even a slipper to wear…….There is never a better time than today and how much ever we save it’s never going to be enough. We got to remember that not even the 6ft that we are finally going to rest in is going to be ours…...I know this was a serious write up but sometimes we got to face reality.

If you are interested in watching this Tv show check out this link

http://www.tubetamil.com/view_video.php?viewkey=b45096ff04c04038fff5&page=1&viewtype=&category=