Recently, I happened to meet some amazing people and had been longing to write about them ever since. It was Alcatel-Lucent's International Day of Caring (IDoC) and these people belonged to the Association for the Mentally Challenged (AMC), Bangalore.
Believe me, they are some of the most extra-ordinarily wonderful human-beings I have come across in recent times. They belong to a class of their own, beyond our match.
They personify purity. Their smile, their joy, their excitement, their anxiousness - everything is so pure! Their emotions, unlike ours, are very genuine. Beyond that, they are not very different from us. As one of my friends mentioned, it's on seeing these kind of people that one feels like singing, "Tujh mein rab dikhta hai..."
They value achievements as intensely as we do. During the various running races that were conducted for them, I could see, in their efforts, the desire to succeed. Some would win and start yelling in joy. Some others would come last, give a smile and join the victors in their celebrations. Intensity during race and camaraderie then-after - they showed how healthy competition should be; wish everyone on earth could be like them!
Their desire to explore new gadgets is as strong as ours. They had somehow figured out that a snap captured by a digital camera can be immediately viewed on its opposite side. As soon as I would click a snap, they would entreat me to show them the image; not to mention the joy with which they would pose for the photograph in the first place!We painted together, we played together, we ate together, we sang together, we danced together, we celebrated together! They enjoyed our presence; we enjoyed their company. Those were some of the most memorable moments I have ever spent anywhere!
My sincerest thanks to all the organizers of IDoc 2009, you gave me an opportunity to interact with my more fortunate brethren. Congratulations to all my co-volunteers, we showed that we care...
P.S.: Here is an official report on IDoC 2009 at Bangalore.
