"Don’t Judge"
Post on: October 14, 2024
There once lived a blind man named Jeremiah in a small town by the sea. He was well-liked and was fiercely independent. He sold souvenirs by a beachside hut which was flocked by tourists. Holidaymakers came in droves to experience the splendour of the breath-taking scenery the town offered.
Every day Jeremiah would start work at 3 pm when the crowd would be at its peak. He would lay his wares in front of a sundry shop manned by a kind gentleman. The caring shopkeeper was a compassionate man who allowed Jeremiah to carry out his business without any rent. Soon a friendship bloomed and the shopkeeper was glad to be in the company of a lively personality like Jeremiah. His friendly disposition and larger-than-life personality brought in a lot of sales for both Jeremiah and the shopkeeper.
Jeremiah’s job would end at 8 pm when the crowd begins to thin. He then would take out a kerosene lamp from his haversack and light it. After making sure with his shopkeeper friend that it is properly lit up, he would make his way home. This was his daily routine and he performed it with woodwork precision.
One night, a group of youths were returning after their expedition to the beach resort. It was dark and they passed by the old man who was aided by his trusted walking stick and a lamp. They soon realised that he was blind and were startled.
They were amused by what they had witnessed. They started murmuring and began to laugh amongst themselves. A smart-Alek stood up and spoke for the rest. He asked Jeremiah, “I can see that you are blind. But why do you carry this lamp which serves no purpose,” he sniggered. “You think carrying a lamp can miraculously make the blind to see?”
The old man calmly replied, “Yes, I am blind and cannot see. A lighted lamp will not show me the way. But this pathway is pitch dark and the light is for a sighted person like you. You may accidentally bang unto me and the consequences would be grave for a frail old, blind man like me.”
The youths felt ashamed of their action and sought Jeremiah’s forgiveness.
Some people do not realise it but they inadvertently put others down to make themselves feel important. How often do we joke, “Well my speech did not put anyone to sleep.” We do so as to take a dig at our colleague’s dull presentation and in the process draw attention to our picture-perfect oration.
Also, we sometimes make hasty inferences without knowing the complete truth. As the story depicts, the youths jumped to conclusion and criticised the old man without realising that the old man’s approach averted an impending accident. Instead of appreciating his thoughtfulness, they poked fun at him for being silly!
I am sure most of us can attest to chastising others with our narrow perspective and “holier than thou” stance. On the contrary, we have to be circumspect in what we say. Be mindful — instead of judging others with our unpleasant remarks, we should learn to uplift others with our words of encouragement.
The next time you are tempted to belittle someone, take a step back and tell yourself, “When you judge others, you do not define them; you define yourself.”
#JollyGoodTimes #Don’tJudge #ShajiThomasVarughese
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