Window of Hope or Despair

The youthful green and the diminished dying leaves both seen from my window remind me of a saying “Two men look out through the same prison bars: One sees the mud, and one the stars”. I guess its meaning is well explained in Bollywood movie Deewar which shows 2 brothers moving in different directions (one becomes an honest cop, the other a smuggler) although they had the same opportunity, the same advantages and the same disadvantages. Its the road we pick, its the way we perceive things that make us what we are.

When I was young my father told me a story I will never forget. He told me of this shameless village boy who used to get a beating every day at school for not doing his homework, acting stupid, etc. So on one of the usual days as he extended his hand for his usual whip on the hand, his headmaster suddenly frowned, and had a closer look at his palm. After a pause the he told the boy to go back to his seat, the boy, used to his usual beating was curious to know why he has been spared of one today. After insistence, he was explained, that his destiny line was missing in his palm, so basically he had no future. At the boys request the headmaster explained him where the line was suppose to exist. The boy sat back quietly. Next day he comes to the headmaster with a bleeding hand, and proclaims, see master, I have cut a line across my palm, exactly where you told me it was missing. I now have a future! The headmaster embraced him and told him, “My dear son.. on destiny, no one has control over, but our karma, what we do, our struggle is something we do have control over and can bent destiny. He later became a famous person, I really don’t remember who.. guess not too famous either!… Hmm, if only I can get someone to do some chopping around, I will get a better view from my window.