Sharing a story from real-life experience. It’s about how soon we become judgmental; about people, without knowing about them.
In 2014, I was on a no-money walking pilgrimage with my friend from Ahmedabad to Udaipur. It was a 20-day trip through villages and forests. Somewhere in north Gujarat, there’s a long stretch that is completely lonely and occupied by tribes. We’re told that they tribal men loot lonely travelers. We’re advised to take care but we were cool because we didn’t have anything to be looted but there was a little fear still left.
While crossing that stretch, a tribal man was screaming from far up the hill and running towards us. We got terrified. He seemed to be holding a big weapon while coming to us. Our heartbeats were high as he as nearing us. We thought that today is our last day on Earth.
As he came forward we realized that we noticed that the weapon is a huge cucumber. We were feeling better as we understood that he wants to sell his cucumber. We’re cool as we didn’t have money to buy and so we thought, we’ll shoot him away.
We immediately said NO-NO when he came near us. He spoke little Gujarati and asked us what NO-NO? We said that we are pilgrimages and don’t want to buy his cucumber as we don’t have any money. He laughed, like we’re fools, and said that he had seen us and knew we’re pilgrims so he gave down to gift us this big cucumber. We were stunned and mum.
We thought him as a criminal coming to loot us and there he’s gifting us a big cucumber that he could have sold in the market for a good price. He was an angel and we thought he was a devil. We doubted his love because we didn’t have enough.
So many times, in our life, we are so judgmental about people without knowing them or waiting for time to decide the truth. That day, I learned that people don’t always say the right things and I saw the best and worst behavior in me and others. From that day, I never judge, rather I just observe and wonder.
