DEP BOOK PROJECT — 2
My Inspiration Comes from the Most Unexpected Sources
In response to Dancing Elephants Prompt 9 of 52
One of the things that life has taught me is that inspiration is all around us when we choose to pay attention. Inspiration does not have to come from someone who’s famous or someone who has achieved something big. Inspiration comes from everyone we connect with.
In my case, more often than not, inspiration has come to me from the people I meet every day. I don’t even have to know them to receive a life lesson from them. I’d like to share four of my sources of inspiration today from my ever-growing list.
The children I see every day
Their uninhibited laughter and their sincerity — they know how to simply be. If they are sad, they cry. If they’re happy they demonstrate it with affection. They get over things quickly and do not hold grudges, most of the time.
Love is all they seem to need. Love attracts them like a magnet. They are ready to hug and they teach us to make every moment count. And now, I am friends with the ones I see on a regular basis. They are my little scoops of joy.
My cable guy
My cable guy is one of the coolest and most serene people I know. He has a stressful job — going around the hundreds of houses using his services, putting up with nonsense from some of his customers who won’t pay on time, and taking care of maintenance on a daily basis. His job is tiring to say the least.
I admire him for his calm attitude, always polite, always courteous. We started using his services ten years ago, and I’ve never once seen him ruffled. Pensive, maybe but never a rude word, never gets worked up, quick to apologize if we complain, and always responsive.
I don’t know how he does it. When he comes to collect the cable money, he remembers to follow up on whatever we chatted about on his previous visit. If my son’s exams were on — he would ask how they went. Point is, he would remember.
If we can’t reach him when we call him, he always calls back. Always. That’s not a trait we associate with most service providers. He comes through on all his promises or at least keeps us updated if there is a delay.
Sury teases me, saying that I am probably the only customer who spends the time of day with him — but 10 years is a long time to stay consistent and that’s what I am impressed about.
His is not an easy job, out on the field tackling crazy customers and playing the middle man between the cable company and the user — yet he is always kind and never gets irritated. He definitely inspires me and is an example of worry and anger never solving a problem.
My roadside “grandpa”
Then there is my roadside grandpa. I have known him for almost twenty years now. I see him every day. I carry food and clothing for him every other day. He lives by the roadside and has marked a spot for himself outside the church in our area. He inspires me with his presence, making me realize that all my problems are trivial and temporary. If he can survive like that, anything is possible.
And it is not just people who inspire me
The pigeons who occupied my verandah inspire me, too. What was once a space lush with flowering plants and an almost-kitchen garden became layered in pigeon poop. Every other day, I would scrape it off and wash the place with disinfectant. Yet they won’t leave me alone. They are certainly not afraid of me. No amount of “shoo-shoo” gets me even a look from them.
I suspect they thought I was cleaning the place so they could mess it up again. Their constant coo-ing used to drive me nuts…but now, if I don’t hear it, I worry. After all, do they not give me, a work-from-home mommy, constant company? I like their persistence. We share a love-hate relationship. And I kind of like it. They don’t take no for an answer, you see. There is a life lesson there, don’t you think?
Finally, let me wrap this up by saying that I have a constant source of inspiration right at home. My son, when he is around — is always ready with a hug and a smile, no matter what. I may scold him for something or even — gasp! — yell at him. But he stays serene, and reacts lovingly with an “I’ll do it, Mom, don’t worry!”
Never talks back at me and firmly believes that I am justified in my actions, probably because it is quite hard to get me irritated. We just don’t sweat the small stuff! And if he has upset me, he’ll immediately compensate me with a couple of unexpected household chores! What a win-win! The best form of inspiration — reinforcing that love is unconditional.
Thank you for reading! ❤
Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles ❤ Did you smile today?
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