“Goodness is the only investment that never fails.” said Henry David Thoreau and till very recent times I felt that way. Look with your heart, a maxim borrowed from the Little Prince is one I followed with conviction and I guess that is also why a project aimed at imparting education found itself mending hearts along the way.
And that is also why one did not shy of helping N when she was in need, no matter what the need was. Imagine my surprise when I came to know that a humane act was so grossly misconstrued by some that it led to recriminations and even show cause notices and possible dismissal for N. I must confess that such a reaction from seemingly educated people came not only as a shock, but also as a rude reality check that left me dumbfounded.
No matter which way I tried to look at the matter, I could not find any element of logic to warrant such action and reaction. I shared my dilemma with many friends and one of them wrote these words: I think a lot of people equate kindness (and following your heart) as a weakness. So many people live self-centered lives that they can’t imagine doing something for someone else without expecting some sort of reward or payment (even though kindness has its own rewards).
Maybe he is right and such people exist but I stil find it difficult to comprehend the totally unwarranted blow that has fallen on one who has suffered enough.
And quite frankly if following your heart is a weakness, then I hope I remain weak as long as I live.