Thursday, April 13, 2023

Its all about Perspective

 


They say the grass is always greener on the other side.

Recently I experienced a situation that brought out the truth of that statement in the most amazing manner.

The story begins many decades ago.

I was not a very rich kid. Which meant that I did not have that much money to spend on the school canteen.

The food in that school canteen seemed as attractive as gold to me.

Seriously.

The rolls and the patties and the egg buns were something that I could see but could not touch. It was unattainable in my eyes.

I used to envy the boys that had money and used to eat constantly from the canteen.

Sometimes they would share a morsel with me. 

I would feel extremely sorry for myself.

And feel ashamed of the sandwiches which I brought from home that my poor mom made every morning.

Two slices of bread. With Jam or pol sambol or seeni sambol and boiled egg.

It was spicy. It was homemade. It was fresh.

And most importantly made with love.

Attributes that I was blind to.

Till I met some classmates many years later.

They were the kids who used to eat from the canteen all the time.

We were chatting and reminiscing about our school days. 

When one of them said. “You know we were so envious of the food you used to bring from home. Whilst we had to eat from the canteen”.

“Your food looked so good”.

I resented the fact that I had to bring my food from home.

They resented the fact they could not bring food from home.

The grass is definitely greener on the other side.

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