“It is ironical Madam”... I said,
in a serene voice, “that your counterpart had earlier done just the
opposite of what you showed as a great-gesture!”....
And I added, “he was looking away elsewhere while he shook hands with an underdog, that is me, just because he needed to be done-with-it, as quickly as possible... and I was almost tempted to tell him, 'Sir, I didn't come all the way to your ivory-tower to feel the shake of your palm, then why ridicule a insignificant creature like me thus?'.... but somehow I easily managed avoiding a waste of time... he didn't deserve to be told !”
And I added, “he was looking away elsewhere while he shook hands with an underdog, that is me, just because he needed to be done-with-it, as quickly as possible... and I was almost tempted to tell him, 'Sir, I didn't come all the way to your ivory-tower to feel the shake of your palm, then why ridicule a insignificant creature like me thus?'.... but somehow I easily managed avoiding a waste of time... he didn't deserve to be told !”
Now this “Madam”... got up, shook
my hands yet again, but this time with a deep-apology, “who ever it
was, I apologise to you on his behalf, and humbly request you to
continue doing the good-job that you are already doing so amazingly”
This was the scene at work place, and
that 'Madam' was a visiting dignitary from our Head Office... the
local top-boss was thoroughly embarrassed at my abrupt dialogues, but
he felt reassured with that 'Madam's' response, that .... he
wouldn't face any 'music' for having appreciated my work to her,
while the customary introduction was made.
I somehow got accustomed to not
looking-out for any 'gesture' of respect from others... 'please leave
me alone' is all that I pray, when I am intensely involved with
something that 'deserves' great reverence!
Maybe, I am quixotic... and that is
why I find that when reverence is trusted well, a show-of-respect
can be dispensed with!
A few traditional outlooks coming down
from ancients, also seem to hint towards such a 'theory'...
The distinctions between 'sakha-bhakti', daasya-bhakti'...(and other forms of devotion/bhakti)... seem to also-indicate the levels of 'reverence' where that 'respectful-gestures' are almost dispensed with!
The distinctions between 'sakha-bhakti', daasya-bhakti'...(and other forms of devotion/bhakti)... seem to also-indicate the levels of 'reverence' where that 'respectful-gestures' are almost dispensed with!
When respect-related-gestures lose its
symbolism, and get reduced to mere rituals, the possibility of this
'respect' to work as a tool towards imbibing a 'deep-reverence',
towards the respected-something, is lost...
and now,
the 'vulnerability' is all about a
'disrespect' taking shape deep within, towards this 'show-of-respect'
!
(I had a school-classmate , who was
excellent in mimicry... he used to amuse us, by mimicking a
show-of-respect, gesturing with hands, while the words that he
mumbled was some colloquial abuse, but the 'flow' and sound of words
resembled a popular form of respectful-words... He demonstrated it
by acting it out, with a drill-master who was disliked by most kids
for his unkind behaviour towards children.. This classmate , when I
asked, said, 'No, I wouldn't do this with our dear teachers, for whom
my respect is from the bottom of my heart!'... ).
When respect for 'elders' turned into a
compulsive diktat thrust upon kids, (especially girl-children), into
a 'respect for age'... that tool-ingredient in those gestures of
respect got dull-edged, and the possibility of 'reverence', its
nurture and growth got faded out , from our traditional customs, and
now, these items of 'respect' look like subservience, slavery etc!
Even idols were not spared!
Respectfully yours,
psn(29th December, 2015)
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