Skip to main content

the city that kills humane

 

Unstable incomes. 

Unaffordable prices.

Unsustainable living conditions.

These are the scenes that run through most of the minds in the city environment.

Kids who have to grow up witnessing so much of traffic, pollution and noise. Elders who had to witness the most isolated situations in their lives. Looking at either of them is the average first generation middle-aged middle-class human who takes the biggest hit upon arriving to the city.

The human often does not come to the city by choice. The human finds a way to live - or more aptly - the human finds a way to survive.

Can't shout at the boss. Can't escape the city. Can't access better living conditions. The human is helpless. As if some harsh punishment is given without any apparent reason. This causes a gradual build up of frustration - the kind that can break even the kindest soul.

With time, the symptoms of this will start to surface. Losing patience with people on the road, getting easily triggered with family members, the constant feeling of injustice running on mind.


Unfortunately, we can't erase the system just like that. But my gentle advice is this - if you are a human living in the city with access to better peace of mind, and if you happen to come across other unfortunate humans - remember to be humane. Being kind is strength. It is resistance.

If you see people frustrated more than you think they should - maybe think from their point of view. Understand them. Ask questions - "What happened? How are you? Is everything alright? How can I be of help?" Listen to them. If required, say sorry - your ego shouldn't be a larger problem than their lives. 

Life's not easy. Neither it's fair. But it's definitely better for some than the others. Once we accept this, we can try doing whatever we can to stand with the unfortunate humans.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Bye-bye strict timetables...! - The Bloggers League 2022

     Author: Rama Subrahmanyam (ramasubrahmanyam.m@gmail.com) When we are planning for multi-tasking, we divide our time and allocate it for each task. That is a great thing, as it gives a chance for incremental growth, eventually getting compounded...      Scheduling makes us punctual; sometimes forces us to be punctual if someone is counting on us, say an examination, office meeting, so on...      Besides strict things, some activities should happen at planned times, like sports, gym, etc. But, we still have things, that can be done in our free time - say reading books, solving puzzles, or learning something of our passion. Should we also maintain the timetable in those cases...? Well, may not be that necessary... We get used to a task at the same time if we have a strict timetable; In a way, can also affect our peace... Suppose due to urgent work, we missed a task      -  We may develop a bad feeling,    ...

25 and Disappointed: Survival should not mean Struggling

There are days I wish I could just leave my job. But I don’t do it. Because I need to pay my rent. I need to eat. I don’t have any other income. I am afraid that I am not alone in this. I see people who are smart and talented - doing things they don’t love. They settle. Not out of choice, but out of fear. The fear of being homeless, being hungry. They live in a world that demands payment of bills more than anything. That brings a simple, maybe naive thought: What if food and shelter were guaranteed for everyone? What if one need not be working just to survive? Is it wild to wish for these? Are these not the basic human rights… If the basic needs were covered, what could we become? Artists, teachers, thinkers, healers - they are made out of passion. People can volunteer more, care for the elderly, innovate better, or take time and get a chance to do things slower… The working class would not have to burn themselves to keep the lights on. The poor wouldn’t have to beg.  What if peopl...

25 and Disappointed: I do not want to negotiate

I’ve thought about it more than once — what I’d do if I ever got a raise. People say, “Don’t settle. Ask for more. You’re worth more.” It’s become a mantra in today’s world, especially in the corporate space. Negotiation is considered self-respect. Hustle is a badge. More money means more success. But I don’t feel proud thinking about it. I feel something else. I feel uneasy. It’s not that I lack ambition. It’s not that I don’t want comfort. It’s that, somewhere deep inside, a question keeps echoing: “Why am I earning this much when so many others earn nothing at all?” And if I ask for more — if I negotiate — what am I doing, really? I know it’s not wrong to want fair pay.  But what is fair in a world that’s anything but? I see delivery workers biking through heat and rain, risking their lives just to deliver my food. I see sanitation workers cleaning up after us while we barely offer them a glance. I see parents in villages sending their kids to school with half-f...