Haves of happiness, have-nots of wealth

The world around is busy chasing around. Most after money, some after fame, rest after skirts and fewer after happiness. I belong to the not-so-common last category. And I take pride in it, so what if my folks think I am ‘not worldly’. I have no investments to bank on, no claims to claim long after I’m gone.
But till the time I’m here, I’m in pursuit of happiness. And that comes with days of living unhappily. I tried my best to cope and adjust. In the end my zest for life got me back and I learnt that no amount of adjustments is worth sacrificing your happiness. In the end, we all need to live happily ever-after. Maybe, ever-after is more than two words but certainly worth a goal for lifetime.
The evening views of the slums nearby reinstate my belief in the theory of being happy. I see the have-nots live their life minus the comforts, minus the power even minus the privacy. Yet, they are happy in their lives. The men come back from a hard day at work and very lovingly babysit the kids so that their women can cook the simple meals. They help their women in the daily chores. Some even cook and clean. Whoever thought that Indian men don’t share the household burden didn’t mean this class for sure. Because on a daily basis I do see these uneducated men happily trying to ease the pressure off their equally uneducated women. And we still call them uneducated, education can’t be just about the ability to read and write?
Could we say the same for the highly educated and career-oriented men all around? Sagas of their indifference towards their working partners are told and shared. Most middle class ladies even joke about working on a double shift, one paid for, another unpaid and unaccounted for. Few who do manage to break the norms help discreetly and are often embarrassed if caught in the act. “Oh! He is so hen-pecked”, is the label they fear from. Is this the purpose of education when you are blinded of any empathy for your better half who is struggling to finish the chores? Exceptions do exist but we need to increase the numbers.
My perception of the slums being a hotspot for wife-beating or any kind of abusive relationship has also been proved wrong. Wouldn’t say that they don’t exist but I am still to witness one in my over few months of sharing the neighbourhood. Above all when I peep into their lifestyle, I know I will be fine. Their living amidst nothing, still replete with bliss tells me the price I paid for happiness was worth every dime. And each day towards the end when I look at them, they rejuvenate my tiring soul. They tell me that I will be fine as long as I am happy. Because happiness is the real wealth that lasts. Rest comes at its own sweet time and goes even before you realize. What say?


Pic courtesy: Google Images