In my home, I and my 10-year-old son needed to calm our nerves for the benefit of the entire family. Both of us were stressed and showing signs of anxiety and attention-seeking behaviour for various reasons though. He craved social interaction in the structured school environment that helped in channelising his high energy into constructive tasks as part of the school day. With online classes, the individual connection with the teacher was lost and hence his attention too (from both directions).
I decided to bring in a few changes in lifestyle by going back to the roots – bringing yoga as our daily routine was something, I was willing to try for both of us. I was glad that my son gladly agreed as he wanted to eventually get to, doing a headstand.
It was a Sunday afternoon in the last week of March 2021, almost a year after the first lockdown was announced in India for tackling the spread of COVID 19 pandemic. I had booked my in-person appointment with my college junior, who was a KYM certified Yoga professional who is practicing for at least a decade now, explaining both our requirements. She wanted the first session to be in person where she could evaluate us to understand our body types before coming up with a yoga routine. I booked an OLA auto and was waiting for it to arrive.
My phone rang. It was the OLA auto driver, Annamalai. I answered the call. He asked me, ‘Is the pickup location the right one?’ in grammatically perfect English. I almost started answering back in Tamil, but then held back the urge and responded in English, to the surprise of my husband. He then asked me where I was headed, and I gave him that location as well. In five minutes, he came to pick us up.
As soon as we started moving, my curiosity overtook my usual silence during rides, and I started my conversation with him asking my first question! Of course, this conversation was in Tamil after asking him if he knew the language but let me elaborate in English to share the flow of the conversation for the benefit of those who do not speak the language.
‘Yes Ma’am. How did you guess right?’ he responded.
‘You do not usually find auto drivers who speak English with the perfect grammar of the language. So, I assumed you were one among the many who enjoyed being Ola drivers part-time maybe because they loved to drive. What is your primary profession?’
‘I am a driver for the DCP of Chennai Police. I started that job just when the pandemic started in India. I studied Microbiology. I was a research professional working on the COVID 19 virus analysis and discovery to hasten the process to tackle its spread.’
I was floored by this information bomb he dropped. I just wanted to confirm what I already knew. So, I asked him, ‘PG or UG in Microbiology?’ and I got PG as a response. He continued, ‘I resigned from my job because everyone at home was very tensed that I was working under high-risk conditions and were worried for my safety and life. I decided that my family’s peace was important and only if I am alive can I give that to them. That instantaneous shift was enough for me to take that call, but life had to go on, and being the sole breadwinner of the family, I had to bring money to run my household. I decided to do any job that I could and that is how I joined as the personal driver for DC of Police for weekdays. With his financial support and my own savings, I bought this auto for my weekend and weekday evening income that will supplement my income from the day job.’
I was could not stop myself asking such an enterprising person sporting a positive outlook, ‘Couldn’t you take up teaching profession in Microbiology itself in colleges or move into a schoolteacher role? With the school moving to the online model, there is a need for teachers who can work with ease in adopting technology in their teaching style and engage the students through the tech platform and still make the class interesting and interactive.’
Without skipping a beat, in a matter-of-fact manner, he answered, ‘Yes. That is the next plan once things settle down. Currently, with so much uncertainty, it is difficult to land such a job immediately. Also, schools and colleges are running short of funds due to the sudden closure and economic slump. When all this starts changing, I will surely go down that road. Till then, I need a source of income and I took up a job that I knew how to do. It isn’t right to keep waiting for the right opportunity and not do anything to support my family which also needs to be cared for. Being an OLA driver pays me well too to support as my main income. Once I find myself a job of my wish, I plan to give this auto to my friend who can continue to ride and pay me a commission for renting my auto. This will supplement my income as well in the long run.’
I ended the conversation with a request to take a picture of him when I got off at my drop point, for which he readily agreed. My son had started to doze off by then. My yoga instructor’s place was a 45-minute ride from my place. I could sense that there was a smile plastered on my face. I was in awe of his attitude and his simplistic approach to life.
We reached just in time for my appointment. I took his picture as requested and agreed (during the ride) when I got off. The entire ride he wore his mask and did not remove it at all. I thanked him and we went our separate ways. My son asked me why I took his picture, and I was glad that he asked. I narrated the whole thing to him. I also highlighted the small gestures that he exhibited right from
- The first conversation over the call in English showed that he was open for a customer who was not a local and may not understand the local language.
- Strictly adhering to the COVID 19 protocols (including covering his nose and mouth for the entire ride) during the entire ride despite the scorching heat during the middle of the day.
- His change-embracing mindset during adversity, picking up a job that pays him on a regular basis, till he finds the ideal job for his qualifications or a job that his heart seeks out.
- His far-thinking ability to plan for the distant future too without being clouded by the current challenges.
- Most important of all, finding dignity of labour in anything that he is doing as a profession, an abundance mindset, and extending an empathetic approach to anyone and everyone in his life.
That day, I learned my lesson of gratitude, thankful for such chance encounters that life gives me through everyday happenings, where I have ample opportunities to find role models in everyday people. I learn about the right mindset, practical applications of theories that I studied as part of my degree, and skilling courses, perspectives, and a positive attitude. All this eventually ends in healthy mental wellbeing as we have life lessons in the form of narratives and incidents stored for future references.
Do you have any such everyday inspiration story from your life? I would love to hear them, expand my perspectives, and hopefully enable others who read me to benefit from the varied stories that I can share!
This blog is part of the Blogchatter #CauseAChatter challenge under the #MentalHealthTalks section.
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