Because Consciousness is Acquired

/ October 18, 2013 / 4 Comments / Uncategorised
“Welcome back.” Lulu, my parrot, said as he looked at me from the window.  
“Yes, it feels nice to be back!”
“Arre! You declared you have written 200 blog posts which reminded people of Sachin’s 200th test. And like him you suddenly went out of action!” Lulu said with a tone of concern in his voice. Parrots are very sensitive birds.
“Almost in retirement! Actually in the ‘Pavilion.’ I thought it was an orthopedic problem when I was rushed to the hospital, but the doctor said firmly ‘You have had a heart attack. This is emergency. Don’t walk. Sit there on the wheel chair! Now straight to emergency room.’”
“Really?”
“Yes. And then they rushed me to Operation Theater where they did angioplasty. Before I could grasp what was happening to me, one block in the artery was removed.”
“You mean very short time it took?” Lulu asked.
“Twenty-seven minutes, if you believe my daughter.”
“Wow.”
“And the day after one more block was removed.” I added.
“Two blocks? Oh! You were in ICU?”
“Yes, ICU.”
“Were you not scared there?” Lulu asked.
“They put you to sleep there often! Medication does the trick. Ha-ha.”
“Hmmm, I have been thinking about you and this entire critical situation. Every critical moment changes a man. What say you?” Lulu asked.
“I agree.”
“What’s the change you see in yourself?” You can see a lawyer’s way of questioning in the way Lulu speaks. Gradually narrowing the focus and becoming more incisive.
“I have realized something I had not so far.”
“What’s that?”
“You treated your children, son in law and daughter in law as good boys and girls. One realizes that they have the capacity to handle an emergency with cool effectiveness.” I said with appreciation.
“That’s true.”  
“That you have friends who rush to your help instantly, some go beyond usualfavours and even take a personal financial risk. They express genuine affection – they have nothing to gain except my friendship. Some just hold your hand or give a hug which says it all.”
“All this in a matter of a few hours right?”
“Right! I do not know why I did not realize the strength of relationships and of people earlier. The same people have been around me for years. But the warmth of the relationship became visible in this ‘heart attack.’” I said reliving the recent past.
“And you have not spoken of your wife, but I know couples too come closer in calamity. You said you did not realize all this earlier – that’s because you did not understand a basic fact.” I knew a torpedo was on the way.
“What’s that?”
“You have to make efforts to understand the feelings of others, of your position in their life, the values they hold, of their innate strengths… I can go on. Unless you make effort to understand you will not be conscious of it.”
“Hmmm…. ”
“You experience your own little world very differently if you realise what ‘empathy’ means and how to practice it. You experience your own little world very differently if you are able to put yourself in their shoes.  Everything must be seen from two perspectives if you wish to understand depth. That is why God has given you two eyes.”
“Hmmm… you have a point.”
“Remember, ‘consciousness is acquired,’ it does not ‘happen!’ Life is experienced differently when your consciousness is higher.” Lulu said as he looked at me to check if the meaning had sunk in. ““The doctors have removed two blocks in the heart; you must remove some in the head!”


Vivek
Pic courtesy: Google dailygalaxy.com
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