The Intrepid Traveler of India

What does a girl do when she loses her mobile phone in a big Indian city after having just achieved a great feat like driving a vehicle in peak hour without smashing the car to bits? Well, she initially reacts by having unnecessary negative thoughts, she gets a lump in her throat wanting to cry, scream, yell, blame someone for such an injustice.

But stop. The girl reminds herself that the phone is an object worth nothing. Yes it contains all her contacts but hey doesn’t she have people’s emails and doesn’t this mean she can get these numbers back? Of course it does. The girl then reminds herself that in life one must take the good with the bad and most importantly she reminds herself that bad things happen everywhere in the world, restoring her faith and love of India.

She takes a deep breath pushing the lump in her throat downwards so that her feet remain on the ground withstanding any further negativity so she can smile once again remembering that objects serve only the purpose an object serves, very little.

For life has a much greater purpose than a mobile phone. The purpose to love. For to lose a phone means loss of nothing except the attachment we carry. But to stop loving means a loss of life and that is worth more than one can imagine.

The girl takes another breath and with that breath she reminds herself that for every person who steals, cheats and lies, there are millions of Indian people whose generosity and hospitality is the best in the world.

The girls smiles and in her mind reflects on all the people who have helped her during her trip in India. From the reservations counter in Mumbai CST Train Station, to the couple from Pune who rescue her from a poisonous snake bite, to the Ayurvedic doctors and their family from Latur who show such kindness. These people are living saints whose energy will eradicate the energy of the desperate people who must steal to survive.

So the girl resolves herself, her unnecessary pain and grief for her materialistic object that has been lost. The girl has one final message to the people who have her phone. ‘Please remember when you use my SIM card it will cost you lots of money as it is from the UK. Best you buy an Indian SIM card, AIRTEL works for me, and happy phoning!’

And the girl has a message to India. ‘India, I love you, thanks for being such a wonderful country full of life, full of love and full of learning. May you develop in a way which benefits the whole human race remembering your spiritual values so deeply engrained in your society giving your land a unique richness that only India can sustain.

The Brighton to London Poet

© 2008 MCARB