16
THE DIFFERENCE IS IN OUR OUTLOOK
During my early childhood I used to accompany my grandfather to the nearby village shop in the weekends to get our essential groceries for the week.
On one of our journeys we met a few labourers who were building concrete posts and structures. My grandfather was an inquisitive old man and so he asked the first workman a question, “What is being constructed here my friend?”
The workman who was sweating in the hot sun and looked tired, stopped working for a while to say, “Don’t you see I am mixing concrete to make some pillars.”
My grandfather said, “Yes, my brother I can see what you are doing but what will be constructed here?”
The labourer then got somewhat annoyed and snapped, “I do not know. I am getting bored and tired breaking concrete and stones here but here are you worrying about what would be built here. What a joke!”
Disappointed with the abrupt and annoying response of the first labourer we began moving ahead and eventually met another workman who was also involved in some form of construction work. My grandfather put the same question to him, “My brother, what will be built here?”
The workman stopped, listened and looked at my grandfather with surprise and began saying, “Look old man. I do not care what is being built here. It can be a temple or a jail, what is there for me? I get my wages at the end of the day and that is all I care. After collecting my wages I go home to appear here again tomorrow. It is none of my business to find out what is being built here.”
Both my grandfather and I were still unsatisfied in getting some positive and reasonable answer to our simple question so we proceeded ahead and met the third member of the work team. Once again my grandfather put a similar question to him, “What will be built here my dear friend?”
This worker stopped his work, came near us and sat down on a completed post. He then began his explanation.
The workman said, “Dear friend we are building a temple here. This village has no large enough temple or mandir for our people to pray and meditate. We have to go to the nearby village across the river to pray, meditate and participate in all our festivities. I am also from this village like all the other workers. When I use my spade or chisel to build these posts and pillars I hear the sound of pleasant music that comes out form these activities. I feel good because in a few weeks we will have our own place to pray, meet and sing songs of praise for our God. I keep enjoying my work so much that when I am sleeping at home I imagine the benefits that this temple is going to give to all of us. In between my work I get so enchanted that I start singing devotional songs. I have never enjoyed my work so much in my life and I feel very happy.”
My grandfather praised him for his work ethics by saying, “This is the true meaning and objective of this life, my dear friend. We should never perform any work thinking that it is a laborious task for us and feel annoyed about the work. The work life of your other workers seems to be boring and they are only concerned with the wages they get at the end of the day. However, you have taken this duty as an enjoyable responsibility that will give you and your people tremendous benefits. I am happy that you take your work as your mission and enjoy every minute of it.”
We went on to buy our groceries but my grandfather introduced me to the essence of work and labour by saying that we must enjoy whatever work we do. Take work as our pleasant duty and be responsible for what you do with interest and pleasure. Then every worker will be happy and healthy in his or her outlook. The difference is in our outlook to perform our responsibilities with dignity, respect and honour.
I salute my grandfather for his lesson on work ethics.
