My Humans of New York moment
Saturday are fun days, at least in my opinion. This past Saturday was refreshing in its own right. Usually on Saturdays I attend a gig, do people viewing or indulge in some good food at some offbeat joints. But this past Saturday, I gave an interview and you can say took one too.
If you remember, I am a socially conscious person and have always wanted to help the society in some way, hence, I joined the NSS unit of my college a couple of weeks back. They had forwarded my application for the Blue Ribbon Leadership Programme, and it for this interview I owe my refreshing Saturday to. Here, by refreshing, I am referring to my refreshed outlook and a very new experience, which I don't think I would ever have had.
Basically, there was this activity involved where each interviewee had to accomplish a particular task assigned. The task that had been assigned to me was: Listen to a person wholeheartedly, make that person feel heard. This task seems pretty easy to-do when read, but mind you, who the hell would love you to tell their life story in the middle of the road where you'd stop them abruptly for your own selfish motive!
With a pretty skeptical mind, I went out, only to look at other interviewees stopping every other person on the road to do their act of kindness task. Honestly, I felt it wouldn't be right to just stop someone and indulge in chit-chat because maybe that person is en route to somewhere, getting late? So I came back in the complex thinking maybe I can strike a conversation with the watchmen, but they turned out to be pretty reluctant and cynical. In the corner of the same shed was standing a lanky young man, whose face reflected pain way beyond his years (I didn't expect him to be in his early 20s!). I told him about the task and initiated the talk with him. Although a bit reluctant, he finally opened up, about his life, his aspirations, his fears and his motto
.
I had my Humans Of New York moment there. But frankly speaking, it was a kind of revelation; I never expected this response from a person to whom I am a complete stranger to! Also, I have always maintained this thing that there is an extraordinary hidden inside every ordinary, and that held itself up this time again. A humbling experience it was which made me thankful for everything I have.
P.S. I know I am updating after a really long time, all credit goes to procrastinating tendencies of mine. This is an ad-hoc post, which I haven't even edited properly just wrote whatever came in my mind at that point, an improved version might come up in a few days.
If you remember, I am a socially conscious person and have always wanted to help the society in some way, hence, I joined the NSS unit of my college a couple of weeks back. They had forwarded my application for the Blue Ribbon Leadership Programme, and it for this interview I owe my refreshing Saturday to. Here, by refreshing, I am referring to my refreshed outlook and a very new experience, which I don't think I would ever have had.
Basically, there was this activity involved where each interviewee had to accomplish a particular task assigned. The task that had been assigned to me was: Listen to a person wholeheartedly, make that person feel heard. This task seems pretty easy to-do when read, but mind you, who the hell would love you to tell their life story in the middle of the road where you'd stop them abruptly for your own selfish motive!
With a pretty skeptical mind, I went out, only to look at other interviewees stopping every other person on the road to do their act of kindness task. Honestly, I felt it wouldn't be right to just stop someone and indulge in chit-chat because maybe that person is en route to somewhere, getting late? So I came back in the complex thinking maybe I can strike a conversation with the watchmen, but they turned out to be pretty reluctant and cynical. In the corner of the same shed was standing a lanky young man, whose face reflected pain way beyond his years (I didn't expect him to be in his early 20s!). I told him about the task and initiated the talk with him. Although a bit reluctant, he finally opened up, about his life, his aspirations, his fears and his motto
.
I had my Humans Of New York moment there. But frankly speaking, it was a kind of revelation; I never expected this response from a person to whom I am a complete stranger to! Also, I have always maintained this thing that there is an extraordinary hidden inside every ordinary, and that held itself up this time again. A humbling experience it was which made me thankful for everything I have.
P.S. I know I am updating after a really long time, all credit goes to procrastinating tendencies of mine. This is an ad-hoc post, which I haven't even edited properly just wrote whatever came in my mind at that point, an improved version might come up in a few days.
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