Perspectives

“Can you please wait for 5 minutes Sir; your dosa would be ready”……
“Excuse me Sir, here is your chilli parotha, you may collect your spoons from the table”.

Do these statements ring a bell? For someone like me who had made Tiffanys their second home, the answer is, a definite YES. He was always there; he made it a point to provide excellent service to all his customers at any point during the day. Be it early in the morning around 7 am when Tiffanys has just opened shop or late into the night. You would find the same level of enthusiasm in him. I can recall so many instances where after ordering a dish, I would be yapping away with junta and then he would personally come over to the table and say ‘ Sir; please collect your paneer dosa, its ready!’ I never asked him what his name was; but I always observed him; and his enthusiasm.

Cut to my daily mode of transportation: My cycle. It has been one of my greatest lifelines during my stint here. . This brings me to the second person whom I would like to talk about. En-route to the Taramani gate is a small shop (I should say tiny) where you find a person repairing numerous cycles throughout the day. So what? Isn’t that his job? He is not an ordinary person. He is differently-abled. Here is a person who cannot speak, still managed to find a way to work around it, and in fact excel in it. There were several occasions where I would get a whole lot of work done on my cycle and would think ‘I would pay him Rs 10 for that’. And then he would signal with his hand ‘3’. Talk about consumer surplus!

When I’m not at Tiffany’s or at hostel, I could be spotted at our very own DoMS Lab. Assignments, group work, browsing, chatting…you name it, we have done everything here. In this very lab, I noticed a research scholar pursuing his Ph.D. What is so special about him? Again, he is differently abled. Almost everyday I used to watch him come to the department and work in the lab. I always used to wonder if I should lend a helping hand (showing the way etc). But something inside me said ‘No’. It is about his independence. I used to watch him, working away on his personalized computer; the level of dedication was awesome.

Watching all three of them in close quarters made me wonder, what keeps them ticking? What motivates them? How are they able to maintain the same level of enthusiasm and commitment? Contrast it with our lives. So many assignments, so much work, this doesn’t happen, that doesn’t work…So much to crib! Don’t they get frustrated as we do? We find that in our case small issues put us off. We need higher pay, we need recognition, we need awards and so on. That’s what drives us. What about them? How do they manage? How does it feel to get up next morning knowing that you have to do pretty much the same thing you did last night; but still try and do it better and with a smile on your face? I guess it’s the perspectives that they have towards life.

In these three people I found something unique; a common thread: An attitude towards life that shames the highest possible ambitions with its innate simplicity. These are people who have taught me a lot about life. They have taught me that it’s not the nature of the work that matters; it’s the way you do it that does. They have taught me to give my 100% to whatever work I have been assigned. They have taught me that limitations can be overcome; that I need to keep the same level of motivation always and that I need to have the right ATTITUDE towards life.

There were occasions when I felt that I was not getting where I should have. At these times I drew inspiration from these people. This wonderful institution has helped me redefine my perspectives. It is not only about achievements and awards; it is people with the right attitude. ……The rest would follow.