Blinded by Ignorance...

I had always prided myself on being a caring, conscientious person. Today, I realised otherwise.

I was selecting a photograph among the ones I had taken during my recent trip to Srisailam, India. My heart nearly stopped when I zoomed into the picture below for the first time since I took it.




While I was busy snapping away, feeling all grand and elevated that I was this "different and realised" woman who saw beauty in the most simplest of people (the tendency to feel that you are interestingly different tends to overwhelm even the most sensible person when you are in remote parts of india where people who live simple, unaffected lives look at you - the tourist with a huge camera hanging around her neck - in amazed interest), I was blinded by my own ignorance and subconscious arrogance to not notice that the man facing my camera was not watching my antic in all calmness, but instead was asking me for some money through his upturned palm. I remember walking away after that utterly delighted with myself for having taken an interesting photograph. I wonder now if I even turned back to look at the man...

Honestly, I did not think I had so much of ignorance in me, till now.I just feel sick with myself after I realised that a while ago. That moment busted all the ego I had in me till then, and gave me a totally different perspective of life.

I wish I could return to that moment, and give that man what he wanted that could have given him a little joy, momentary though it could have been...