‘Haves and Haves not’ is the term I first learnt during my syllabus in history on the Feudal Revolution in Europe. That time it had a different meaning to it.
Today, when I look around, this same term brings to my heart a wave of a different perspective. I often wonder where would I place myself and my family between the two terms; haves n haves not…
Going by the traditional connotation of the phrase, I modestly believe that we must belong to the category of ‘haves not’… we make a living just enough to sustain us for the present, we live in a home just about to accommodate all of us, we celebrate festivals just about to cover the customary rituals, we have a bank balance which will last us for about three months of our spending, we buy just enough clothes and toys for our son to maintain his smiles and persona, we maintain only 3-4 pairs of footwear each at any given point in time….On the whole, if I compare our lives to the newsmakers like Jayalalitha and other politicians and businessmen who amass uncountable wealth and luxury, we definitely do not fall in this extravagant category and thus belong to ‘Haves Not’ strata.
But again looking around, I see families falling apart, divorce and separations everywhere with no particular reason; some kids born with a congenital defect; some earning member bedridden/disabled due to a calamity/terror attack; enormous health hazard striking a perfectly young & healthy individual out of nowhere; death in the face of life; accidents that change the life’s course, mentally ill family member to be taken care of and so much more…Every time we hear and learn of such stories we wince for a while and forget about it..We again go to our belief of considering ourselves the Haves Not…
But today I think and rethink on the entire perspective…Do I really belong to the ‘haves not’?
But again looking around, I see families falling apart, divorce and separations everywhere with no particular reason; some kids born with a congenital defect; some earning member bedridden/disabled due to a calamity/terror attack; enormous health hazard striking a perfectly young & healthy individual out of nowhere; death in the face of life; accidents that change the life’s course, mentally ill family member to be taken care of and so much more…Every time we hear and learn of such stories we wince for a while and forget about it..We again go to our belief of considering ourselves the Haves Not…
But today I think and rethink on the entire perspective…Do I really belong to the ‘haves not’?
It's like they say I complained I had no shoes, till I saw this man with no feet. But indeed deep thought woman! Keep up the good work!
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