Seize the moment … and feel good…!

Last week, one evening while I was riding a Honda Activa scooter near my home in Green Park colony, Hyderabad, someone asked me for a lift. Usually, on those roads, I find many schoolchildren and occasionally some grown-ups asking for a lift to all the passersby.  I always tend to ignore them.

However, that day, for some reasons, after I passed by that person, I realized that he was actually an old man, who looked quite dignified.

In an instant reaction, I stopped a few meters away from him, looked back and nodded at him, indicating that I shall give him a lift. I observed that he had a lean personality, had total white hair and wore thin frame spects. He walked thankfully, trying to walk faster that what his legs could allow him to, making conscious visible effort to ensure that he displayed his gratitude to me for my gesture.

Once he sat and we started off, I asked him, where I could drop him. He said that he was going to Saidabad colony and that I could drop him at the next crossroad, where Autos would be generally available. I offered him to drop at a main road of Saidabad colony but he politely refused. During the brief conversation, he mentioned that he was a retired government officer and cold not drive his car as he was not feeling too well on that day. He had no strength to walk all the way to the auto stand, which was just half a kilometer away.

As I reached the crossroad, I dropped him near few autos standing there and he thanked me. I too thanked him, for giving an opportunity to help him. 

While coming back from the cross road, I was feeling very happy to have been able to help an old man, who was in need. He appeared to be well off and would not have required a lift on any other day. That made it even more satisfying.

Then I thought what would have happened if I had gone ahead by ignoring him, when he had asked me for a lift? Probably, someone else would have eventually given him a lift sometime later. He probably would never have remembered that I declined giving lift to him. Actually, he may not have remembered my face also.

But then, what about me? I would have felt miserable for not helping an old person, when I could have helped him without much inconvenience or efforts from my side.  

All of us experience such circumstances and face these situations in our lives, when we get thoughts about helping someone. Then, in a moment of hesitation, sometimes we delay the decision and the opportunity is lost. And it is lost forever. It is almost as if playing a dot ball to a loose delivery in the final over of a T20 match when the scoreboard shows still eight runs required.  

So, whenever we get an opportunity to help someone in need, please SIEZE THE MOMENT … and help him. Because, that person may not require our help in the next moment. Moreover, the happiness derived from helping someone in need is to be experienced to be believed…!

Therefore, seize the moment … and feel good …!