Old clothes

Feels good to start a blog :).

Thanks to Vikas Gupta, whom I reported to once, who encouraged me for this. (The final straw was dropped today, but let's save that story for some other day)

Let me tell you a story that my father told me once.

The story is about the prime minister of a very rich and prosperous state. Quite simply put, this man was the one of the most eligible and most respected men the state had. He was what Hanumaan was to Ram. Ready for service any time, driven by a passion that is beyond the understanding of most mortals.

Very few people knew that he had a very small hut deep inside a jungle. He used to go there once in a week. Nobody knew what the hut contained.

Some people, who did not like him, tricked the king in believing that the hut contained jewels that he had been stealing from the palace.

The prime minister was arrested. King ordered his people to go the hut and bring the jewels back.

To everyone’s surprise, the hut was empty. Except for a small box that contained a very old pair of clothes.

Everyone was puzzled, and the king was embarrassed. He apologized to the prime minister and asked him what the secret was. This is what he had to say.

I have seen good and bad times. I began my journey as a construction worker. Today I have risen to a position that is supposed to be the top of the hill. The world had seen many people lose control at the top. It is very difficult to maintain control amidst power of the position and glitter of the gold.

The pair of clothes you found in the hut is the pair I used to wear when I was a construction worker. I go the hut every week. I wear those clothes for an hour and come back.

I remember that I was as happy as a construction worker as I am today. All this name, fame, money and power is good, but has not contributed to my happiness. I don’t need this to be happy. My old clothes help me in staying grounded. They remind me of the fact that all this power, name, fame and money is just a baggage that has come along with my position. They remind me that these things are like the shadow of a man. If a man runs to catch the shadow, he stays behind all the time. But, if he faces Sun and run towards it, shadow follows. I am running for the Sun, and not for the shadow.

I think that this story is as relevant today as it was in the days of Kings and Queens. I believe that this is at least one area where people who come from humble backgrounds have an edge over rich kids. They have a journey that they are proud of and a hut to go back to.